ST. LOUIS BUSINESS JOURNAL — Bi-State Development is weighing whether and how it can be involved in a plan to save the Loop Trolley, according to people familiar with the matter. Options include taking over the streetcar's operations, they said.
At the same time, the taxing district that constructed the trolley has voted to give the nonprofit that runs the system a $90,000 loan, prolonging its operation through December, according to a trolley spokeswoman. The trolley had said it could shut down Nov. 15 without an additional $200,000, plus another $500,000 to keep operating into next year, but the St. Louis County Council expressed no interest in providing the money, and no funding options have emerged from the city of St. Louis.
It wasn't immediately clear what a plan involving Bi-State could look like or how the agency could pay for it. Bi-State operates the Metro Transit Agency, which includes bus and MetroLink light rail systems.
A Bi-State spokeswoman, Patti Beck, would say only, "We have been asked to evaluate viable operating options aimed at avoiding default."
John Meyer, board president of the Loop Trolley Co., which runs the system, said in a statement, "We are grateful to Bi-State and the members of the Loop Trolley Transportation Development District Board for committing to work together to preserve this valuable asset and we look forward to assisting them in any way we can. We are thrilled to be able to continue running the Trolley through the upcoming holiday season and we welcome all riders."
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