St. Louis — Federal Grant Received

September 2012

The Federal Transit Administration has given final approval for a $25 million grant to build the heritage trolley line through the Delmar Loop district. Construction should be underway within weeks with service planned to begin in 2014. The grant was announced in June 2010, but to date funds were released only for planning. Now the remaining funds have been made available to enable construction.

According to the St. Louis Post Dispatch, local developer Joe Edwards, who has championed the project for nearly 15 years, looks forward to implementation of the system to drive tourism and economic development and to improve the area's quality of life.

Recently, residents in University City and along Lindell Boulevard voiced concerns about the project. Lindell residents objected to track and wire crossing the elegant boulevard and circling the History museum. In University City, many meetings have been held this year to answer residents’ questions and to try to address concerns. These objections resulted in the planned route being changed to terminate opposite the University City Library.

The paper quoted Robert Archibald, president of the Loop Trolley Co. and of the History Museum, as saying that “the trolley looks back at the ways our ancestors moved through the city and at the same time offers a vision of the potential of innovative public transportation. Its service will be both a pleasure and a portent for future development.”