Exciting additions this weekend in MO for TRANSIT! MPTA is excited to see all the new transit service, partnerships and events around transit this weekend in Missouri.
Kansas City Streetcar
Kansas City Streetcar will come on board as the first official streetcar line in Missouri on Friday, May 6 to much fanfare. The public celebration starts at 10:00 a.m. Friday, May 6, outside of Union Station with a grand opening ceremony featuring Kansas City Mayor Sly James, Federal Transit Administration members, Kansas City Streetcar Authority Chairman Mike Hagedorn and other local dignitaries and elected officials. The ceremony will be followed by an inaugural first ride for those dignitaries and the opening of public streetcar service and community-wide parties and activities.
The public is encouraged to enjoy and explore the many restaurants, boutique shops and other retail business along the streetcar route. There will also be a stationary streetcar parked at Union Station near Pershing Road for your chance to take a selfie with the streetcar. KCATA will be offering free rides all day on Friday in celebration of the opening of the 2 mile streetcar line.
Check out all the opening weekend details here.
To find out more details about the daily operations of the Kansas City Streetcar, click here.
City Utilities Transit Center
The new City Utilities Transit Center in Springfield will begin operations on May 8. The new facility will bring many new amenities for customers and bus operators alike. Additionally, it will provide for safer and more accessible operations. The new Transit Center will include a large customer lobby with public Wi-Fi and real-time bus arrival information. The Transit Center will also provide an additional convenient location for customers to purchase bus passes at a ticket window or a ticket vending machine. The facility was designed with a sawtooth-style bus bays 
and an extended platform to accommodate future growth of the system.
“This project is the culmination of more than ten years of hard work by many different people. We are excited to open this terrific new facility to provide a better experience for our customers and our employees. It will provide better amenities, better operations, and improved safety for our passengers and drivers alike,” Kelly Turner, PE, Director – Transit, City Utilities of Springfield, Missouri
City Utilities will host a public Grand Opening of the Transit Center on May 6 from 6:00-10:00 PM. This event will be in conjunction with the community’s monthly First Friday Artwalk event. There will be live music, artwork on display, and refreshments. It will be a fun night to celebrate the opening of this exciting new facility.
“We are excited to see all the new service coming on board in May. It is imperative that MO address our transit capital and operating funding needs. These two projects are perfect examples of the impact investment in transit can have in our state well beyond the trip from Point A to Point B to economic development opportunities, better access and improved mobility,” said Kim Cella, MPTA Executive Director.