New KC streetcar app connects riders to entertainment, nightlife

A local coding school on Thursday released a new mobile application to enable ridership on Kansas City’s popular new streetcar line.

The Disruption Institute developed the “StreetcarKC” app, which helps passengers find stops along the 2.2-mile streetcar line, discover locales along the route and access schedule information. Now available only on iOS devices, the app was developed by a recent graduate of the coding school, Kevin Montanez, and Disruption Institute founder Michael Gelphman.

Gelphman said that the app is intended to help fuel momentum in the City of Fountains.

“Downtown Kansas City has come alive in such a remarkable way thanks to the streetcar and we wanted to help by building something meaningful,” Gelphman said. “The pulse is so much stronger now — like that of a bigger city. People are out on the sidewalks, talking, interacting and connecting. We really wanted to build something meaningful for Kansas City and we hope this app can become something that will help connect Kansas City even more.”

StreetcarKC allows users to select any of the 10 streetcar stops to pull up walking or driving directions to the stop. It also features a search tool with which users can type a business’s name to find the streetcar stop they’ll need.

Future versions of the app will include real-time streetcar arrival and departure times and a curated list of restaurants, nightlife options and entertainment. Gelphman added that he and Montanez are planning to eventually make an Android version of the app.

The ultimate goal of the app, Gelphman said, is to help people discover local attractions, businesses and experiences.

“This app is something that was built from the heart for Kansas City,” he said. “We have plans to hook into all sorts of useful services to add value to the lives of folks who live and work in Kansas City.”

Gelphman said that he and Montanez worked on StreetcarKC for about one month. Gelphman specifically recruited Montanez for the project thanks to his experience developing the “Where’s my Wagon” app during his classes at the Disruption Institute. That app’s location-based experience translated well with the vision for StreetcarKC, he said.

Gelphman added that it was gratifying to work with a recent graduate of his program.

“Seeing this idea come to life was tremendously inspiring and so rewarding at a deep level,” he said. “I’m really thankful for the opportunity to collaborate with (Montanez) and continue doing so as we build out the vision for this app.”

Founded in 2013, The Disruption Institute is a 10-week coding program for aspiring software developers. The program employs a project-based curriculum and taps expert mentors to help students accelerate their learning and find career options in software development. Graduates have gone on to find jobs with such companies as IBM, VML, Burns & McDonnell and more.