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Council Approves Streetcar Phase II With No Brookside Extension

City of Kansas City, Missouri

Phase two of Kansas City's streetcar system moved ahead again Thursday, but it won't be rolling through Brookside.

The city council approved a streetcar system expansion of about 8 miles – a south extension along main to the UMKC area, east on Independence Avenue to Benton and east on Linwood to Prospect. A proposal for the southward extension to run to Brookside or Waldo was set aside because it was too expensive for projected revenue.

A Jackson County court is expected to approve the corresponding transportation tax district next week. Transit Chair Russ Johnson said getting voter approval could be tougher.

Johnson says St. Louis anti-tax billionaire Rex Sinquefield is already backing streetcar opposition.

Phase two would also depend on federal funding for half of the $500 million project.

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