KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Train service from downtown Kansas City to Kansas City International Airport and an expansion of the city’s existing streetcar system are among the projects that could be funded through a new agreement between officials in Kansas City, Mo., and the U.S. Department of Transportation.
The Emerging Projects Agreement, announced Tuesday, could help Kansas City land up to $15 billion in federal funding for infrastructure projects through funding sources such as Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act loans, Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing, Private Activity Bonds, and technical assistance grants.
“My administration is proud to have a strong partnership with the U.S. Department of Transportation to help us improve the lives of Kansas Citians, and I am thrilled about our collaboration to bring billions of dollars to our community to make improvements,” Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas said in a press release. “ … I am proud our federal partnerships continue to allow us to make transformational, positive impacts in our community, and I thank the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Build America Bureau for helping us find long-term solutions to ensure Kansas Citians are able to travel to all areas of our community safely, efficiently, and equitably.”
Projects that could benefit from the partnership include a 21-mile rail line from downtown to the airport, estimated to cost $10.5 billion; the $1.5 billion Bi-State Streetcar Expansion, which would expand the existing light rail system with an east-west line running from the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City, Kan., to the Truman Sports Complex; and a number of bridge and highway projects.
“This Department is always ready to partner with cities to help realize their unique visions for safer, cleaner, more modern transportation,” said Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “I’ve had the chance to see firsthand the great strides Kansas City is taking to modernize its infrastructure, and this agreement will help advance that work for years to come.”
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