Downtown Kansas City is experiencing an urban renaissance – new housing and cultural and entertainment amenities have blossomed. The development of the Sprint Center, the Power & Light District, the impending opening of the new Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, the redevelopment of the River Market and the Crossroads areas, and other projects will stress transportation connections.
Nelson\Nygaard, on a team lead by HDR, developed streetcar and bus rapid transit alternatives for the corridor, and led the evaluation of alignments and the modal alternatives. Although numerous previous attempts to select a downtown corridor alignment had failed, this effort produced a consensus on the alignment in less than six months and a Locally Preferred Alternative in nine months. Less than three years after the start of the AA, streetcar construction is now underway.