Coronavirus (COVID-19) Info

Click here for the latest KC Streetcar Statement and Response to the Coronavirus.

March 24, 2020: In response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19), the KC Streetcar will temporarily operate service with two streetcars, ending service at 8:00 p.m. nightly.

Starting on Wednesday, March 25, the KC Streetcar will operate two streetcars daily with the previously announced reduced hours. The KC Streetcar is continuing to operate seven days a week providing important access to grocery stores, essential employment centers, medical facilities, and pharmacy services.

This shift will have minimal impact on public service but does help to minimize staff and resource deployment, aligning KC Streetcar operations with the needs and conditions downtown while continuing to provide essential public transportation service.

Currently, the KC Streetcar is operating with the following hours:

• Monday – Friday, 6:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.

• Saturday – Sunday, 7:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.

This change in hours of operation corresponds with recent changes in downtown activity levels and allows the KC Streetcar team additional time to clean all streetcar vehicles and stops as well as providing staff important time with their families.

“This schedule modification aligns our service levels appropriately while supporting Mayor Lucas’s Emergency Declaration related to the closure of restaurants, bars, and downtown activity centers,” said Tom Gerend, executive director, KC Streetcar Authority. “We are encouraging all streetcar riders to limit trips to those that are necessary and respect the social distancing guidelines put forward by the CDC,” continued Gerend.

The KC Streetcar is closely monitoring the situation and will follow instructions and recommendations issued by the City of Kansas City, Missouri and the Kansas City Health Department. KC Streetcar operations and services will be evaluated after two weeks to allow for any adjustments if needed. Any changes in service and operations will be communicated electronically through the KC Streetcar website, social media channels and the RideKC Notify text alert system (text ‘streetcar’ to 816.685.8541).

As part of our daily maintenance routine, all KC Streetcars receive a thorough cleaning at the end of every day. The cleaning products the team uses are effective against numerous bacteria and viruses, including the Human Coronavirus and Influenza Type A Virus.

In addition to cleaning and disinfecting the streetcar vehicles, the KC Streetcar team performs regular cleaning of all streetcar sheltered stops. All glass and shelter frames are cleaned twice a week. The deep cleaning and power washing of all the streetcar stops are performed weekly or as needed.

As is common practice, KC Streetcar team members will immediately remove streetcars from service for cleaning if a passenger creates an unsanitary condition of any kind.

If you see an unhygienic surface onboard the streetcar or at a stop, report it to the operator, safety ambassador or another KC Streetcar team member.

With heightened awareness around the Coronavirus (COVID-19), the KC Streetcar is closely monitoring the situation and will follow instructions and recommendations issued by the City of Kansas City, Missouri and the Kansas City Health Department.

We will communicate any changes in service and operations electronically through the KC Streetcar website (www.kcstreetcar.org/clean), social media channels and the RideKC Notify text alert system (text ‘streetcar’ to 816.685.8541).

The following are performed daily:

1. Clean and disinfect all seats, flip-down seats, seatbacks, handrails, grab bars, and hand straps
2. Broom sweep and mop vehicle floors
3. Clean and disinfect walls
4. Clean and disinfect the articulation bellows
5. Clean and disinfect route map signs
6. Clean and disinfect inside door panels and manual door “open” buttons
7. Clean and disinfect all passenger “stop” buttons
8. Clean all interior glass windows
9. Clean and disinfect both sides of the operator’s compartment glass doors
10. Clean and disinfect both operator seats and all armrests
11. Clean and disinfect the operator control panels and screens
12. Clean interior operator windshields

In response to the current Coronavirus (COVID-19) concerns, additional precautions are being taken including:

1. Hand sanitizer dispensers have been installed on every KC Streetcar vehicle.
2. All streetcar doors are now automatically opened by streetcar operators unless weather or technical conditions do not allow for that.
3. All streetcars in service are cleaned mid-day. Cleanings include wipe downs of all buttons, hand straps, handrails, and grab bars.
4. We are advocating Social Distancing both onboard streetcars and at streetcar stops.
5. Cleaning cloths are changed nightly.
6. Mop water is changed multiple times per night during cleanings.
7. On a weekly basis, all cleaning cloths and mops are changed out to new ones.
8. All touchable surfaces inside the KC Streetcars are wiped down with disinfectant sprays that are marked effective against the Coronavirus.
9. Air vents are cleaned regularly to remove any dirt and dust build-up.
10. Operators have been given an increased supply of rubber gloves, hand sanitizer, and Lysol spray.
11. Operators spray down the interior of the streetcar vehicles with Lysol spray prior to departing the Union Station streetcar stop.

For information about what RideKC Bus is doing in response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19), visit their website here.

Further information about the Coronavirus (COVID-19) can be found on the City of Kansas City, Missouri’s website.

For updated information, please visit the Centers for Disease Control website.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

1. Wash hands frequently for at least 20 seconds with soap and water, or use alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
2. Wash hands after coughing or sneezing; when caring for the sick; before, during and after food preparation; before eating; after visiting the restroom; when hands are visibly dirty.
3. Maintain at least 6 feet distance from anyone who is coughing or sneezing.
4. Avoid touching your hands, nose, and mouth.
5. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or bent elbow when coughing or sneezing. Discard the tissue immediately and wash your hands.
6. For your well-being and the well-being of others, if you’re sick please stay home and take care of yourself.

With cold and flu season upon us and heightened awareness around the Coronavirus (COVID-19), please know that we are closely monitoring the situation and will follow instructions and recommendations issued by the City of Kansas City, Missouri and the Kansas City Health Department as needed.

*updated April 8, 2020