St. Louis Trolley Streetcar Ridership Dismal in the Early Days

The St. Louis Loop Trolley isn't running at full capacity, yet, but it's also falling well short of its projected ridership.

1 minute read

July 7, 2019, 5:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


St. Louis, Missouri

Paul Sableman / Wikimedia Commons

[Updated October 14, 2019) Mark Schlinkmann reports from St. Louis, where, "[a]fter more than a half-year in business, the Loop Trolley’s ridership and farebox revenue is lagging as the line continues to operate on a limited-hours schedule with just two of its three cars in service."

The trolley launched service on Nov. 16, 2018, and has been operating four days a week, instead of seven as planned in early budget documents that set ridership targets. Since opening, "11,364 tickets have been sold, producing farebox revenue of $22,283," reports Schlinkmann.

The trolley's third car is underway with testing, after a delayed delivery in January, which Loop Trolley officials hope will help increase the number of people who find reason to ride the streetcar.

Wednesday, July 3, 2019 in St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Young Professional

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban and Environmental Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban and Environmental Planner

Get top-rated, practical training for planners

Overlapping highways

The state-sanctioned urbicide of Austin

People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.

September 8, 2026 - Benjamin Schneider

The Hoover Dam blocking the Colorado River. The river's water level is noticeably low. The cliffs surrounding the blue water are brown and jagged.

US to reduce Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico

A new Colorado Treaty amendment reduces Mexico’s Colorado River water allocation by 250,000 acre feet.

September 11, 2026 - The Arizona Republic

Skyscrapers in Jersey City.

New Jersey’s second-largest city bans standalone data centers

Jersey City will continue to allow co-location facilities, such as those meant for research institutions that store their own data.

September 4, 2026 - The Cool Down

A New Jersey train approaches people waiting at the station.

Amtrak not solely to blame for New Jersey commuter rail's unreliability, report finds

A new study from the Garden State Initiative found that NJ Transit’s budget grew 20% across a 4 year period, but reliability declined significantly over the same period.

September 15 - Mass Transit

A tall, gray power plant billows smoke into a blue sky.

EPA erases limits on planet-warming pollution from power plants

Under Monday’s plan, power plants would still have some limits on how much mercury, arsenic and other contaminants they can emit.

September 15 - New York Times

A white RAPID bus. The lower half is light blue, and says RAPID in purple text. The bus is half visible, appearing from the left side of the image.

Phoenix announces new on-demand transit service, more frequent RAPID buses

Both new services will launch in October, and are part of Phoenix's Project Effective Access Solutions for Easing Congestion.

September 15 - KJZZ

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.