KC streetcar leaves Garth Brooks fans stranded — despite notice of late-night service

The Kansas City Streetcar Authority apologized after it left Garth Brooks fans stranded in downtown Kansas City after Sunday night’s concert.

Streetcar officials had promised earlier Sunday that it would run until midnight, an hour after it usually closes, to accommodate the Garth Brooks concert at the Sprint Center.

“Dear Garth Fans The KC Streetcar will run until 12 a.m. tonight. You’re welcome,” the Streetcar Authority tweeted in a meme.

But maintenance repairs on the track required the streetcar to close at 11 p.m. after all — with no warning to the fans.

The concert ended about 10 minutes later.

The lack of service angered fans who had taken the streetcar to the concert.

Brian Foster, who uses the Twitter name @FosterDigital, responded to the notice that maintenance was underway by mentioning that the agency didn’t send buses to pick up the “hundreds of stranded folks.”

Others express their frustrations on Twitter, too.

Several fans said that because the Streetcar Authority failed to keep its promise, they had to rely on Uber. The Streetcar Authority replied to their tweets saying it would reimburse their costs.

In a statement released on Twitter Monday morning, the Streetcar Authority said it apologized for the inconvenience riders experienced when leaving the concert.

“Necessary track slab repairs were conducted which required sufficient time for the concrete to cure and for the KC Streetcar service to resume by 6 a.m. Monday,” the agency said.

“We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and the miscommunication that resulted,” the agency said in the statement.

Earlier in the week, the Streetcar Authority urged fans to ride.

The Streetcar Authority said it carried more than 40,000 riders over the weekend, including a record 17,267 riders on Saturday. The agency said it would work to ensure that it provides better service in the future.

Last weekend, the streetcar celebrated its first year of service with a birthday party. The streetcar has proved popular, far exceeding expectations with 2 million riders in its first year.

This story was originally published May 8, 2017 at 9:44 AM with the headline "KC streetcar leaves Garth Brooks fans stranded — despite notice of late-night service."