ST. LOUIS — Bi-State Development said Thursday that safety testing and operator training are scheduled for next week on the Loop Trolley route in preparation for its early August return to service in a trial program that will offer free rides.
The general public will not be allowed to board trolley vehicles during the testing and training period, which will be conducted daily July 27 through Aug. 3, officials said. The Loop Trolley will operate during that period from noon to 5 p.m. on the 2.2-mile route on Delmar Boulevard and DeBaliviere Avenue, between the University City Library and the Missouri History Museum in Forest Park.
Once the testing and training have been completed, representatives from the Loop Trolley Transportation Development District, Bi-State Development, Metro Transit and the Missouri State Safety Oversight Committee will review the results "to determine if any adjustments are needed" before the trolley again begins operating again as part of a three-month trial program, officials said.
Bi-State Development said it will operate the Loop Trolley from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from Aug. 4 through Oct. 30 this year as part of the initial pilot program.
Late Friday, Bi-State announced that Loop Trolley rides would be free during the three-month trial period. Previously, tickets had been sold for the trolley. Officials didn't address Friday if ticketing would be required or how it would be conducted, if so.
The trolley, which opened in November of 2018 after years of delays, ended operations Dec. 29, 2019, after low ridership.
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