Only people much older than you remember the last time streetcars ran through Kansas City. But look! The streetcars are back again, and people are throwing a huge party!

The new streetcars look something like giant, white caterpillars with see-through sides. They run on tracks through the heart of the city. To celebrate the streetcars’ arrival, people listen to speeches and music. They enjoy carnival rides. Fireworks shoot overhead. In the first three days the cars run, more than 32,000 people get onboard. The streetcars’ designers hoped people would feel excited to ride the vehicles. But no one thought the cars would be this popular!

It costs nothing to ride the new streetcars. Small dogs can come along for rides too. The cars can travel up to 45 miles per hour. But that doesn’t happen very often downtown—especially since the streetcars are so busy! People often want the cars to stop so they can get off or on. That makes travel a little slower.

Will interest in the streetcars last? Owners of nearby businesses hope so. Streetcars can go only where their tracks take them. If your business sits near the tracks, riders will pass by it every day. They will look out its windows and catch glimpses of what you sell. Maybe some will say, “I’ll get off here!” Maybe you’ll make more money than ever.

Once, more than 700 streetcars traveled through Kansas City. That was about six decades ago. Their tracks covered about 300 miles. These new streetcars cover only a little more than two miles. But soon more and more streetcars and tracks might show up in Kansas City—if the city can find a way to pay for them!