For this project, BNIM teamed with HDR and HNTB to help a multi-jurisdiction partnership explore the potential costs, benefits, and feasibility of extending the Downtown Kansas City streetcar starter from Downtown Kansas City, across the Missouri River, to North Kansas City and beyond. The NorthRail project combined a forward-looking community dialogue about North Kansas City’s future with an evaluation of key land use, engineering, and financial decisions.

Recognizing that decisions about future investments depend in large part on community priorities for the future of North Kansas City, the NorthRail team undertook a multifaceted engagement effort that brought together residents, businesses, and community leaders. The NorthRail Streetcar Expansion Analysis integrated community priorities with rigorous technical analysis to develop a set of evaluation criteria for a potential streetcar route. A preferred alignment, roadway configuration options, and funding strategy emerged from this community-led, data-driven process.