St. Louis Trolley Plans Hit a Snag

The St. Louis trolley revival is running out of cash.

1 minute read

November 21, 2017, 9:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Bi-State Development Agency

Bi-State Development Agency trolleys on Olive Street on April 17, 1963. | Marty Bernard / Flickr

The Loop Trolley Co. in St. Louis is having difficulty getting to the finish line, and has gone in search of funding to cover startup costs and initial operating deficits, according to an article by Mark Schlinkmann.

"The nonprofit firm will be insolvent by January because of recurring delays in completing construction and testing and getting approval from federal and state regulators, Loop Trolley Co. President Les Sterman said in an Oct. 19 letter," reports Schlinkmann. Sterman sent the letter to St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger, St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson, and others.

The new trolley is planned to run between the west end of the Delmar Loop in University City and the History Museum in Forest Park—otherwise known as the Delmar Loop. Planetizen's most recent coverage of the St. Louis trolley revival has tended toward the positive, but cost overruns also threatened the project in 2014. 

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