Transit Briefs: KC Streetcar, San Diego MTS, Alstom

KC Streetcar

CAF USA, Inc., along with Silk Road Transport, delivered streetcar No. 811 to Kansas City on Oct. 17, following a 1,000-plus mile journey from Elmira, N.Y. This is the fifth of eight new streetcars to arrive in support of the Main Street and Riverfront extensions, ultimately connecting the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) to the Berkley Riverfront, according to KC Streetcar. The first new vehicle, No. 807, was delivered earlier this year.

Now at the Kite Singleton Vehicle Maintenance Facility located at 600 East 3rd Street, No. 811 will undergo shop testing for several weeks before it starts testing on the tracks. It is anticipated that the remaining new streetcars will arrive in Kansas City by the end of this year. 

According to KC Streetcar, No. 807 is approaching certification for passenger service. This will be the first of the new streetcars to operate on the Downtown route. KC Streetcars Nos. 808-810 are performing various tests and test runs during services hours and overnight, most of which have been on hold during the track tie-in construction at Pershing Road and Main Street.

As with the original streetcars (Nos. 801-806) that began service in 2016, each new streetcar is a bi-directional vehicle that is approximately 77 feet long, weighs 78,000 pounds, and has a maximum capacity of 150 riders. Each will offer level boarding at all stops, as well as a variety of features such as interior displays showing next-stop arrivals, an improved on-board video surveillance system, and other system upgrades, including exterior lights, air compressors, train-to-wayside communication system, and an advanced driver assist system (ADAS), according to KC Streetcar.

The Main Street Extension project (see map above) will expand the line 3.5 miles south on Main Street, adding 16 stops. It will connect the Downtown starter line to Midtown, Westport, the Art Museum District, the Plaza, and UMKC. Construction officially kicked off in April 2022. The full extension is expected to open in 2025. This project is a partnership between the city of Kansas City, the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority, and the Kansas City Streetcar Authority.

The Riverfront Extension project (see map above) will take the Downtown starter-line north to Kansas City’s Riverfront, connecting to CPKC Stadium, home of the KC Current. The 0.7 mile extension will begin at 3rd Street and Grand Boulevard in the River Market end near the midpoint of the Berkley Riverfront. A groundbreaking was held in March. Opening is anticipated for late 2025/early 2026.

San Diego MTS

The San Diego MTS Board on Oct. 17 approved modifications to the agency’s Fare Enforcement Diversion Program. The changes, it said, will be phased in over the next three months, beginning with rider education. Starting Feb. 1, 2025, riders caught without a valid fare during MTS Security inspections will be immediately issued a citation, according to San Diego MTS, which noted that MTS Security will no longer offer the chance to buy a fare or validate fares on-the-spot. While the policy change will be system-wide, Trolley riders will be impacted most, according to the transit agency, which operates 92 bus routes and three Trolley lines in 10 cities and unincorporated areas of San Diego (see map above).

Once the change takes effect, passengers will automatically receive a citation if they don’t have a valid fare while riding the Trolley. A citation will result in a $25 fine if cleared through the MTS Diversion Program. If the citation is not cleared within 120 days, it may result in an estimated $192 fine or more in traffic court. Riders with no previous citations will have the opportunity to have their first citation dismissed when they appeal through the Diversion Program. Riders will also be able to appeal the citation directly to MTS in other select cases, the agency said.

Additionally, San Diego MTS will introduce online and phone payment options for citations. Currently, payment methods include checks mailed to the agency or in-person payments at the MTS Transit Store.

“A recent analysis of agency fare collection estimates that MTS experienced a loss of $17 million to $23 million in fare revenue due to fare evasion from May 2022 to July 2024,” San Diego MTS reported. “The analysis also revealed that more than 57,000 riders per month are not paying their fare unless an on-the-spot payment is taken by an MTS Security officer while the rider is already on board. Since MTS Security officers are not inspecting the fares of every rider on every trip, this has been costing MTS approximately $1,000,000 per month in unpaid fares. MTS depends on recovering that lost revenue to keep service levels high and fares low for everyone.”

Separately, the San Diego MTS Copper Line East County Connector, which replaces San Diego Trolley Green and Orange line service north of El Cajon Transit Center, entered revenue service Sept. 29. The new service includes four station stops—El Cajon Transit Center, Arnele Trolley Station, Gillespie Field, and Santee Trolley Station—operating on 15-minute headways from 5:00 AM to 11:00 PM. Riders transfer to and from Copper Line trains at El Cajon Transit Center, where the Green and Orange lines now terminate.

San Diego MTS is the host agency for the Railway Age/Railway Track & Structures 2024 Light Rail Conference, to be held Nov. 13-14 at the Westgate Hotel (San Diego Trolley Civic Center Station, Orange and Blue Lines).

Alstom

The Alstom Foundation has provided a grant to the New York Transit Museum that will support social engagement programming for children and youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and expand programming to older teens and young adults, according to Alstom, which describes itself as a “longtime corporate member and sponsor of the museum.”

“The Alstom Foundation is committed to supporting social needs including access to mobility, access to water and energy, environmental protection, and economic and social development, particularly the employability of women and youth,” Anne-Cecile Barbier, General Secretary for the Alstom Foundation and CSR Director at Alstom, said during the Oct. 17 announcement. “The New York Transit Museum uses their connection to trains and transportation to unlock opportunities for youth with autism to connect with their peers and to get skills they need to connect to future careers.”

According to Alstom, the Director of the Autism Research Center at Cambridge University, Simon Baron-Cohen, “suggests that trains are a common special interest among people with autism because people with autism ‘have a preference for predictable, systematic information,’” and “adults with ASD experience higher rates of unemployment and underemployment compared to their peers that do not have ASD.”

The Alstom Foundation grant will help the New York Transit Museum continue its Transit Quest program, a five-day intensive camp for young people ages 14-17, and launch Transit Quest Propel, a pilot program for young adults ages 15-21 that will focus on career pathways, Alstom reported. Both Transit Quest and Transit Quest Propel include immersion into the New York City transit system, group collaboration and exercises, and inter- and intra-personal skills development, according to Alstom, which noted that Alstom Foundation funds will go toward 2024-2025 program expenses, such as staff costs and scholarships for low-income participants.

“We are delighted that the Alstom Foundation has recognized the incredibly important role that the Transit Museum plays in the lives of both New York families and New Yorkers with disabilities,” said Dani Simons, Alstom Vice President of Communications and Public Affairs, Americas. “New York City is an important hub for Alstom with over 300 employees in the Tri-State area, and we are proud of our long-standing relationship with the Transit Museum and to be able to support this important project that will help open doors for New York City youth.”

“Like so many of the young people we serve, the New York Transit Museum finds transportation inspiring,” New York Transit Museum Director Concetta Bencivenga said. “We’re honored to receive this support from the Alstom Foundation enabling us to continue to provide a supportive environment for teens to connect through their love of transit and to further explore what a career in the transportation sector could look like.”