The KC Strip

So far I've ridden the trolley twice. 1st time: After hearing about it and seeing it in various news outlets for a long while I finally decided to plan a night out with my wife and another couple.  We wanted the "full experience" so we started right at 7 pm @ Bobby Bakers to buy our tickets and wait for the trolley.  All things considered, we indeed had a good time.  Our first ride from Waldo to Brookside was really bumpin' -- the trolley had a live DJ in the back, the driver had a microphone singing along, and it was definitely a party atmosphere despite the fact that we were the only four people on the trolley.  We rode from district to district hitting all 8, ending well after midnight on another trolly that actually had a dancing pole and lighted disco floor (not my cup of tea, but it was fun, different, cute).  All in all it was a good experience, but I was astounded at how few people throughout the whole evening were using this business.  Of course it immediately made me wonder how viable the business was, and made me worry for its future.  Nonetheless, the novelty was enough for me to overlook some of the problems I saw immediately and throughout the evening.  The guy that sold us the tickets at the beginning of the evening was not at all outgoing or enthusiastic. To be fair, there wasn't anything *bad* about him either, but he did not inspire "fun" which is what I believe to be the KC Strip's main hook.  Think about it - this guy was (and is) someone's very first impression of this business!  Communication using more than grunts and "ok" and "sign here" is probably warranted to better insure getting off on the right foot.  In addition, the staff at the various stations (i.e., those folks in each district where the trolley drops people off and picks them up -- provided there are customers -- could use a little public-relations training as well...again, it was not "bad", but it was not "good" either...everything, save the first DJ-bumpin'-ride, to me, seemed to say "we need to really step up our game here."

The second ride was with my wife, and two of our sons (age 21, and 15).  In fairness, the guy (same) that sold us tickets right around 7pm was a LOT more outgoing by comparison, friendly, seemed even willing if not eager to answer questions, so, per my review above, perhaps he was having a bad night the first time I met him (ok, fine, no problem).  However -- after telling my sons about the bumpin' music and live DJ, we were immediately disappointed at the blaring radio station as the only on-board entertainment through what could not have been more than 2 or 3 four-inch speakers.  It was distorted, loud, and um, the radio.  As such, my 2nd experience compared to my first was "just a bus ride" compared to the initial attempt at a real party atmosphere.  It left my kids thinking "what's the big deal", and I can't blame them.  Again, we rode the trolley all evening long, ending after midnight.  What struck me more than anything else, was that the first trolley ride of this second experience was the only time we were on a trolley.  Every single stop we made, we'd get off, do our thing (grab a bite, shop a little on the plaza, get some drinks etc.), but when we went back to the place to be picked up again, we were told (every time!) that if we didn't want to wait for the real trolley, they could radio one of their standby minivans that they keep nearby for "overflow" (overflow? we were the  only customers that we saw most of the night, save two people that got on in the martini district).  Said minivan would take us directly to wherever we wanted to go.  So now, we've gone from "DJ-bumpin'" party atmosphere (1st initial experience), to "just a trolley ride", to a ride in a minivan.  I'm an optimist and try to make the best of most situations so I did not complain -- the driver of the minivans were very nice, and we chatted them up, but, suffice it to say we experienced something very different than what we were expecting (both times).  After the third or fourth offer to "get us there even faster - no need to wait for the trolley!" (per the staff), it became apparent to me that the trolleys were likely not running the way I believed they were supposed to be, if at all. Harbinger of a biz in trouble.

Let me be clear, I like the concept, it makes a lot of sense. However, there are some problems that I'm not sure the folks running the KC Strip have fully considered.  First, I just don't think we have the population density to support the concept.  If we were a bigger, more dense city, with large concentrations of population actually LIVING in and around these districts, the business might have a chance, simply by the odds of ridership occurring, alone. Second, for better or worse, I don't think folks are willing to sacrifice access to their cars, period.  Third, KC Strip really needs to promote, promote, promote, if it's going to have any chance at all. I think it's breathing its last.

I absolutely love the KC Strip.  It's definitely worth the $10 to be able to get to different parts of the city without having to drive.  You can get on and off as many times as you want, all night long and you can bring alcohol onto the trolley.  
Thanks, KC Strip, for providing this type of service to the KC area!

It cannot be possible that I am the first to review the KC trolleys, no way.

If so, I confess that those were the best 10 bucks I have ever payed for transportation. My goodness some people are just crazy when they go out, I could of stayed on the trolley all night long, and it would of been just as much fun as bar hoping.

You can bring your beer on the trolley, well I least I think you can, oh well we did anyway =). Go to their webpage and check it out, it's really cool, they even have a confessions booth and the confessions get posted to youtube.

What a crazy night, and I wasn't even drunk.