St. Louis Trolley Revival in Full Swing

Trolleys will soon get back on track in St. Louis' Delmar Loop, decades after they were taken out of service.

1 minute read

March 19, 2017, 7:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Historic Transit

A PCC (Presidents Conference Committee) trolley car, pictured in St. Louis in 1963. | Marty Bernard / Flickr

The city of St. Louis will soon see the return of trolleys to the Delmar Loop.

Sarah Fenske reports that city officials earlier this month celebrated the beginning of testing on the line, which will be moving through several iterations over the coming months. "Before the general public can get on the cars, each trolley car should have 300 miles of test runs completed — and since the existing line is just 2.2 miles, that's a whole lot of practice trips," writes Fenske. "The goal is for passengers to begin taking their first rides by the summer."

Importantly, the testing phase will also provide a test for local drivers—the Loop trolley will be mixing with traffic and will always have the right of way. Drivers should also expect a crackdown on double parking and other parking misbehavior that interrupts the Trolley's right of way. The article includes a series of photos of the new streetcars—which are actually refurbished streetcars from Portland. 

Thursday, March 2, 2017 in St. Louis Riverfront Times

Sweeping view of Portland, Oregon with Mt. Hood in background against sunset sky.

Oregon Passes Exemption to Urban Growth Boundary

Cities have a one-time chance to acquire new land for development in a bid to increase housing supply and affordability.

March 12, 2024 - Housing Wire

Aerial view of green roofs with plants in Sydney, Australia.

Where Urban Design Is Headed in 2024

A forecast of likely trends in urban design and architecture.

March 10, 2024 - Daily Journal of Commerce

Cobblestone street with streetcar line, row of vintage streetlights on left, and colorful restaurant and shop awnings on right on River Street in Savannah, Georgia.

Savannah: A City of Planning Contrasts

From a human-scales, plaza-anchored grid to suburban sprawl, the oldest planned city in the United States has seen wildly different development patterns.

March 12, 2024 - Strong Towns

Aerial View of Chuckanut Drive and the Blanchard Bridge in the Skagit Valley.

Washington Tribes Receive Resilience Funding

The 28 grants support projects including relocation efforts as coastal communities face the growing impacts of climate change.

March 18 - The Seattle Times

Historic buildings in downtown Los Angeles with large "Pan American Lofts" sign on side of building.

Adaptive Reuse Bills Introduced in California Assembly

The legislation would expand eligibility for economic incentives and let cities loosen regulations to allow for more building conversions.

March 18 - Beverly Press

View from above of swan-shaped paddleboats with lights on around artesian fountain in Echo Park Lake with downtown Los Angeles skylien in background at twilight.

LA's Top Parks, Ranked

TimeOut just released its list of the top 26 parks in the L.A. area, which is home to some of the best green spaces around.

March 18 - TimeOut

News from HUD User

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Call for Speakers

Mpact Transit + Community

New Updates on PD&R Edge

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

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.