Loop Trolley Construction to Begin This Fall

Construction on the long-awaited should begin in late fall, with a 2013 completion date, according to project organizers.

An informational update on the project was held Monday at the . Staff from the East-West Gateway Council of Governments, Great Rivers Greenway and design team consulants were on hand to discuss plans with interested residents.

Plans for a route to connect the Delmar Loop to Forest Park have been in the works for years.

The Loop Trolley Company was formed in 2001. An environmental assessment was completed in 2009 and in 2011 the Federal Transit Authority issued a finding of No Significant Impact for the project, which allowed the design process to begin in earnest.

The Route

The Loop Trolley route isa 2.2 mile fixed-rail trolley line along Delmar Blvd and DeBaliviere Avenue, extending from the Delmar/Trinity Ave. intersection to the Missouri History Museum in Forest Park. 

Operators plan to have nine station areas — five single stations and four paired stations — along the route.

The trolley itself will be a a restored trolley or replica heritage trolley that will operat on an Overhead Contact System (OCS). The OCS will use a single wire connected to light poles to run the trolley at speeds between 15-25 miles per hour.

Operations

Once operational, the trolley will run year round, seven days a week. Right now plans are to run the trolley from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday through Thursday with extended hours until 1 a.m. on Friday and Saturdays.

The trolley will move at 20 minute headways.

Project Costs

Planners anticipate construction costs to build the system to reach $43 million. They anticipate a yearly operating and maintenance costs of $1.3 million once the system is up.

Construction funding is coming from the following sources:

• $25 million from a Federal Urban Circulator Grant
• $6 million from other federal funding.
• $3.5 million from Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Monetization
• $3.5 million from New Markets Tax Credits 
• $2-5 million in private donations.