Plans for the 2.2-mile Loop Trolley in St. Louis have encountered problems before—now planners and construction contractors reportedly have different ideas about how much it will take to build the line.
"nextSTL has learned that bids to construct the long planned Loop Trolley have come in $11M above budget, threatening to permanently derail the project, according to Alex Ihnen. "The amount is more than 25% above the trolley’s $43M stated budget. Current plans call for the project to be re-bid without substantial reengineering."
Earlier in the project's planning history, a federal grant of $22 million was almost rescinded dude to lack of progress on the project. Now it looks like city officials are beginning to plan for the death of the project altogether. According to Ihnen, "nextSTL has learned that other partners are beginning to plan for the financial fallout if the project is never built. Efforts are underway to explore whether the $22M federal grant could be reassigned to another project within the St. Louis region. Meanwhile, supporters of the Loop Trolley are hoping additional federal funds will be made available."
FULL STORY: Loop Trolley Off the Rails, Bids $11M Over Budget Threaten Project’s Future
Loop Trolley on the Ropes in St. Louis
Extremely poor ridership might be dooming the St. Louis Loop Trolley less than a year after it opened to the public.
St. Louis Trolley Plans Hit a Snag
The St. Louis trolley revival is running out of cash.
St. Louis Trolley Hoping to Increase Hours
The St. Louis Trolley should begin operating later this year, but planners are hoping for additional funding to allow the service to operate longer hours.
Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking
Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?
Portland Raises Parking Fees to Pay for Street Maintenance
The city is struggling to bridge a massive budget gap at the Bureau of Transportation, which largely depleted its reserves during the Civd-19 pandemic.
Spokane Mayor Introduces Housing Reforms Package
Mayor Lisa Brown’s proposals include deferring or waiving some development fees to encourage more affordable housing development.
Houston Mayor Kills Another Bike Lane
The mayor rejected a proposed bike lane in the Montrose district in keeping with his pledge to maintain car lanes.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont