ST. LOUIS — The drama of the Loop Trolley rolls on in St. Louis.
On Tuesday, City of St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones and St. Louis County Executive Sam Page wrote a letter in support of allocating $1.26 million in federal funds towards operating the Loop Trolley, which has been idle since December of 2019.
However, there were stipulations Jones and Page set forward in the letter to members of the East-West Gateway Council of Governments.
Jones and Page called for The Loop Trolley Company organization to be dissolved, and they want Bi-State Development to take over operations. Jones and Page also don't want any more city or county funds to be used for the Loop Trolley.
"The Loop Trolley has been a hot-button issue across our region," Mayor Jones and County Executive Page wrote in their letter. "The development strategy around this project lacked thorough community input, and it was designed and constructed without addressing the inherent transportation needs of the surrounding neighborhoods to make it a more viable option. We believe that the trolley’s poor performance, netting only $32,486 during its eleven months of operation, reflects this lack of consideration. Residents of our region are frustrated watching their tax dollars used to keep the trolley afloat."
The East-West Gateway Council meets on Wednesday to decide if the $1.26 million dollars will go toward getting the Loop Trolley back on track.
The Loop Trolley first hit the track in November of 2018 but closed barely a year later after low ridership.