Loop Trolley

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Not to be confused with the Loop Service in Portland, Oregon.
Loop Trolley
Loop Trolley logo.jpg
Overview
StatusSuspended
OwnerLoop Trolley Transportation Development District
LocaleSt. Louis and University City, Missouri
Stations10
Service
TypeHeritage streetcar
Operator(s)Loop Trolley Company
History
OpenedNovember 16, 2018 (2018-11-16)
ClosedDecember 29, 2019 (2019-12-29)
Technical
Line length2.2 mi (3.5 km)
Track gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
ElectrificationOverhead line, 600 V DC[1][2]
Route diagram

Legend
Missouri History Museum/
Forest Park
 Forest Park–DeBaliviere MetroLink (St. Louis)
Crossroads School
Delmar & DeBaliviere
Hamilton Avenue
Operations & maintenance facility
 Delmar Loop MetroLink (St. Louis)
The Pageant
City Limit
Leland Avenue
University City Library
Handicapped/disabled access all stops are accessible
This diagram:
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The Loop Trolley is a 2.2-mile (3.5 km), 10-station heritage streetcar line in and near the Delmar Loop area of greater St. Louis, Missouri. It operated from November 2018 to December 2019.

The tracks start in St. Louis proper at the Missouri History Museum in Forest Park. They run north on DeBaliviere Avenue, with stops at MetroLink's Forest Park–DeBaliviere station and in the neighborhoods of DeBaliviere Place, Skinker/DeBaliviere, and the West End.[3] They turn west on Delmar Boulevard to MetroLink's Delmar Loop station and cross the border of St. Louis County into University City, where they enter the Delmar Loop district and terminate at the University City Library just west of Kingsland Avenue.[3]

The line was built at a cost of $51 million (about $55,700,000 today[4]), more than half of which was federal funds, by the Loop Trolley Transportation Development District, which owns the line and the three replica-historic streetcars. The service was operated by a separate non-profit entity called the Loop Trolley Company.[5][6]

Its annual operating expenses of $1.3 million were to be covered mostly by a one-cent sales tax collected by businesses along and near the line but also by fares and advertising.[5][1] But ridership fell far short of expectations, in part because the delayed arrival of its third streetcar limited operations to four days a week.[7]

The trolley ceased operations on December 29, 2019.[8] Proposals to restart it failed in early 2020 and October 2021.[9]

History[]

2011: An ex-Milan Peter Witt streetcar on display in University City, to publicize the project when it was merely a proposal.
November 2015: Track construction under way on Delmar Boulevard.
December 2018: Loop Trolley car 001 in service on Delmar Boulevard.
December 2018: A trolley stop on Delmar Boulevard, with map and ticket vending machine.

Before operation[]

The Delmar Loop was named for the streetcar turnaround that occupied two oblong blocks on the north side of Delmar east from Kingsland Avenue. This loop was used by two lines of the St. Louis Public Service Company—the Olive-Delmar and Creve Coeur lines—and a private line west to what is now University City's City Hall. Streetcar service ended in St. Louis in 1966, but the Loop retained its name.

Around 1997,[10] the idea of bringing back streetcars found a champion in Joe Edwards, the owner of Blueberry Hill, The Pageant, and other Loop businesses. Edwards eventually secured the purchase of two Peter Witt-type streetcars that once operated in Milan, Italy. The two Peter Witt cars were cosmetically refurbished by the Gomaco Trolley Company in 2005 and placed on long-term display along the route—one on Delmar by Commerce Bank, and the other at the Missouri History Museum—to publicize the proposed Loop Trolley line.[11] Originally, the two were slated to carry passengers if the project came to fruition, but plans to restore them to operating condition were deemed too expensive in 2015, in part because they had deteriorated during their years on outdoor display.[12]

In July 2010, the Federal Transit Administration's Urban Circulator Grant Program approved a grant of $25 million for the project.[13][14] Ultimately, the FTA provided about $34 million to the project.[15] Other funding came from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program and Surface Transportation Program, a Tax increment financing, a New Markets Tax Credit, the St. Louis County Transportation Fund, Great Rivers Greenway, Washington University, Loop Trolley Transportation Development District sales taxes, and donations.[16]

The overall construction budget was $51 million, as of 2015.[16] Trolley officials projected annual ridership of 394,000 passengers.[17]

Construction began in March 2015. The trackwork was half done by November 2015[18] and was completed in November 2016.[19] During construction, some shops and restaurants saw decreased foot traffic and sales. Some businesses moved; others closed permanently. One business owner called the Loop Trolley "a solution in need of a problem".[20][21][22]

In 2017, trolley officials projected that the first year of operation would see farebox revenue of $394,433 with all-day, seven-day service.[17]

The first of three streetcars being refurbished and modified for the line was delivered on February 16, 2017,[2] and the second on March 30, 2017.[23] On March 26, 2017, car No. 001 was towed along the line to check the tracks and clearances at station platforms, becoming the first streetcar to be moved along the Loop Trolley line, though not under its own power.[24][25]

In 2018, Loop Trolley officials said the first year's operating budget would be $1.3 million, of which $850,000 would come through the sales tax.[17]

The line's opening was delayed several times as completion of a third trolley fell behind schedule. Eventually, Loop Trolley officials decided to operate a temporarily reduced schedule with two trolleys until the third was delivered.

In November 2018, the Loop Trolley Company announced that the line would open on November 15, 2018,[26] but snow delayed the opening one more day.[27]

Operation[]

Service began on November 16, 2018.

Service was initially limited to the portion between the Missouri History Museum terminus and the Delmar Loop MetroLink station due to a failure to obtain an operating permit from University City.[28][29] Before granting approval, city officials insisted that the Loop Trolley Transportation Development District install temporary protective barriers around an electric line tower and submit a $300,000 bond that would pay to dismantle the tracks if the trolley endeavor failed. LTTDD officials complied, and received their operating permit on November 21.[30]

Trolleys began running along the entire line on November 23.[31][32] "The only trouble in evidence about 3 p.m. had nothing to do with the trolleys’ antique technology and everything to do with automated ticket machines that passengers struggled to learn," wrote the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.[33]

The two replica-historic streetcars initially ran four days a week: Thursdays, noon to 8 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays, noon to 11 p.m.; and Sundays, noon to 8 p.m. Tickets cost $2 for a two-hour fare and $5 for an all-day fare. Cheaper tickets were available for passengers aged 5-12 or 65 or older, and for those with disabilities.[34] Service was expected to expand to more hours, and seven days a week after a third trolley arrived.[35][7]

In July 2019, officials announced that the Trolley had taken in just $22,283 in fare revenue in its first six months of operation, roughly one-tenth of their 2015 projection. They noted that the 2015 estimate had been based on seven-day operations with three trolleys.[17]

On October 17, 2019, a "winter schedule" curtailed operating hours so that trolleys stopped running at 6 p.m.[36]

On December 5, 2019, the operators of the Loop Trolley announced that the line would shut down on December 29 due to a lack of operating funds and low revenue. The trolley had sold 15,776 tickets in the first 11 months, far below the projected amount needed to prevent a budget shortfall; the lack of ridership was blamed on the shortened, four-day schedule and lack of service while operating only two of the three vehicles.[37] At the time of the line's closure, the third trolley, No. 003 (ex-Seattle, ex-Melbourne), had still not been cleared to enter service, and this had thwarted the plans to expand to all-day and daily service.[38]

The trolley ceased operations on December 29, 2019.[8]

After operation[]

The Bi-State Development Agency, a regional transit operator, immediately began seeking ways to restart operations.[39][40] Agency officials proposed to take over operations for four years with the aim of making the Loop Trolley self-sustaining by 2024. But on January 24, 2020, a Bi-State committee voted to reject the proposal; opponents said they doubted it would work.

At the committee meeting, Mokhtee Ahmad, the Federal Transit Administration's regional administrator, said that if no one restarted the Loop Trolley, his agency might sue to recover about $25 million that it provided for construction. The money would be owed by the Loop Trolley Transportation Development District and East-West Gateway Council of Governments, a regional planning organization. Ahmad also "implied that any litigation to recover federal money could hurt St. Louis’ applications for future federal grants," St. Louis Public Radio wrote.[41]

Three months after service ceased, the Loop Trolley's website had not been updated to reflect the system's suspended status.[42] By August 2020, the website was updated to say "To support regional efforts to eliminate COVID-19 during the ongoing pandemic, the Loop Trolley is currently out of service."[43]

On October 27, 2021, the East-West Gateway Council of Governments rejected a plan to use $1.26 million in federal money plus $540,000 from a sales tax along the route to restart Loop Trolley service.[9]

Rolling stock[]

Loop Trolley service was provided by two faux-vintage streetcars acquired used from Portland, Oregon. A third vintage streetcar from Seattle[44] was expected to join the fleet in 2019.[45]

Blue car 002 (ex-Portland 511) at the Missouri History Museum stop in the first month of service
Interior of one of the ex-Portland cars
Ex-Melbourne trolley of the same type as the three acquired from Seattle for eventual use on the Loop Trolley line, shown in Seattle in 1994

In December 2013, the Loop Trolley district acquired from Portland transit agency TriMet two Gomaco-built Brill-replica streetcars which were then in operation on the Portland Vintage Trolley service,[46] which use continued until mid-2014.[47] Those two cars were designed to look like 1903 streetcars but were actually built in 1991 (car 511) and 1992 (car 512), and feature steel frames under their wooden bodies and more-modern propulsion equipment (including rebuilt 1940s trucks). For St. Louis, they were modified for wheelchair accessibility, to meet ADA regulations, with the installation of wheelchair lifts (one per side).[48] Gomaco was hired to carry out those and other modifications, and the work began at Gomaco's Ida Grove, Iowa, plant in August 2015.[12]

In January 2016, it was announced that the Loop Trolley district had purchased three ex-Melbourne, Australia, W2-type streetcars from Seattle, which had operated on Seattle's Waterfront Streetcar line until it shut down in 2005.[49] Only one of the three was planned for immediate refurbishment, modification and use due to funding limitations.[48] The necessary modifications included restoring doors on one side of the car, restoring steps to the doors (Seattle's line used high-platform stations which didn't necessitate steps), installing two wheelchair lifts, one on each side,[48] and replacement of the car's trolley poles with a pantograph. The three cars were moved from Seattle in early June 2016.[44] Cars 482 and 518 were taken to St. Louis and put in indefinite storage for potential future restoration and use. Car 512 was taken to Gomaco in Iowa, which had been awarded a $676,750 contract to restore and modify the car.[50]

The operational fleet was to comprise three cars in 2019:[51] two ex-Portland Brill replica cars (Portland Nos. 511–512) and one ex-Seattle, ex-Melbourne car (Seattle No. 512).[44][50] Ex-Portland cars 511–512 were renumbered 002 and 001, respectively,[2] and ex-Seattle, ex-Melbourne car 512 was renumbered 003.[52] Car 001 is painted red and cream, Car 002 blue and cream, and Car 003 orange and cream.

At the time of the line's opening, Car 003 was still at Gomaco's Iowa plant, with its renovation and modification more than a year behind schedule, partly due to delays in getting parts from Germany.[51][7] Car 003 was delivered to the Loop Trolley's maintenance facility on January 29, 2019.[53]

Maintenance facility[]

The Loop Trolley's administrative headquarters and maintenance facility are located at 5875 Delmar Boulevard,[25] in a building that had been Delmar High School until 1980.[2]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ a b Leahy, Joseph (March 21, 2017). "Upcoming street tests first of many for Loop Trolley's public debut". St. Louis Public Radio. Retrieved 2017-03-29.
  2. ^ a b c d "Worldwide Review [regular news section]". Tramways & Urban Transit. UK: Light Rail Transit Association. April 2017. p. 152. ISSN 1460-8324.
  3. ^ a b "Route Map". Loop Trolley TDD. Retrieved 2015-12-07.
  4. ^ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved January 1, 2020.
  5. ^ a b Thorsen, Leah (September 23, 2016). "Loop Trolley hours of operation set, but fares still unknown". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved 2017-03-29.
  6. ^ Rizvic, Veneta (November 15, 2018). "Loop Trolley delayed; officials host dedication ceremony". St. Louis Business Journal. Retrieved 2018-12-16.
  7. ^ a b c Schlinkmann, Mark (April 23, 2018). "When Loop Trolley finally opens, it will be on reduced-hours basis at first". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved 2018-04-24.
  8. ^ a b Schlinkmann, Mark. "Loop Trolley to shut down Dec. 29 as Bi-State weighs reviving it". stltoday.com. Retrieved 2019-12-14.
  9. ^ a b "Loop Trolley remains dead in its tracks after a regional planning agency rejects funding plan". STLPR. 2021-10-27. Retrieved 2021-12-01.
  10. ^ "Loop trolley construction complete, but months of testing is ahead". KMOV. January 2, 2017. Retrieved 2017-03-29.
  11. ^ "Systems News [regular news section]". Tramways & Urban Transit. UK: Ian Allan Publishing/Light Rail Transit Association. October 2005. p. 412. ISSN 1460-8324.
  12. ^ a b "Worldwide Review [regular news section]". Tramways & Urban Transit. UK: Light Rail Transit Association. November 2015. pp. 450–451.
  13. ^ "U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood Announces $293 Million for New Transit Solutions, Economic Development Nationwide". Federal Transit Administration. July 8, 2010. Archived from the original on August 3, 2011. Retrieved 2013-01-26.
  14. ^ "Urban Circulator/Bus and Bus Livability Project Descriptions". Federal Transit Administration. July 8, 2010. Archived from the original on August 3, 2011. Retrieved 2010-07-20.
  15. ^ "Bi-State Development Will Not Revive Loop Trolley, Transit Agency CEO Says". STLPR. Retrieved 2021-12-02.
  16. ^ a b "Loop Trolley FAQ". looptrolley.org. Loop Trolley Transportation Development District. 2015. Archived from the original on February 15, 2020. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
  17. ^ a b c d Schlinkmann, Mark (July 3, 2019). "Loop Trolley ridership and fare revenue lag — it's raised just $22,283 in fares since Nov. 16". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved 2019-07-13.
  18. ^ "Major track work completed in Delmar Loop prior to holiday shopping season - The Loop Trolley". 2016-03-12. Archived from the original on 2016-03-12. Retrieved 2021-12-02.
  19. ^ Westerman, Hannah (November 25, 2016). "U City Loop trolley construction completed and testing to start in December". KWMU. Archived from the original on December 1, 2018. Retrieved 2018-12-16.
  20. ^ Raymond Strickland (December 15, 2017). "Business owners remain skeptical of Loop Trolley, amid big donation". KSDK. Retrieved 2019-07-13.
  21. ^ Barker, Jacob (August 10, 2018). "Delmar Loop novelty retailer Phoenix Rising to close". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved 2019-07-13.
  22. ^ Walker, Melody (November 1, 2018). "Delmar Loop Trolley takes toll on businesses after years of delays". KWMU. Retrieved 2019-07-13.
  23. ^ Regnier, Chris (March 30, 2017). "Second Loop Trolley car arrives in St. Louis". KTVI. Retrieved 2018-12-16.
  24. ^ Hoskins, Kelley (March 26, 2017). "Trolley cars make debut for testing in Delmar Loop". KTVI. Retrieved 2018-12-16.
  25. ^ a b Thorsen, Leah (March 24, 2017). "Loop Trolley testing to start early Sunday". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved 2017-03-29.
  26. ^ Schlinkmann, Mark (November 12, 2018). "Loop Trolley to begin rolling Thursday morning". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved 2018-11-12.
  27. ^ Schlinkmann, Mark (November 15, 2018). "Snow-go: Loop Trolley opening pushed back. Again". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved 2018-11-17.
  28. ^ "Loop Trolley opens to public, is unable to operate in Delmar Loop". KMOV. November 16, 2018. Retrieved 2018-11-17.
  29. ^ Hunn, David (November 20, 2018). "Loop Trolley leaders scramble to get route fully opened". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved 2018-11-24.
  30. ^ Schlinkmann, Mark. "The Loop Trolley will actually get to go to the Loop starting Friday". STLtoday.com. Retrieved 2021-12-02.
  31. ^ Nicholson, Marvin (November 23, 2018). "The Loop Trolley starts running in Delmar Loop Friday at noon". KMOV. Retrieved 2018-11-24.
  32. ^ Suntrup, Jack (November 24, 2018) [online date November 23]. "Loop Trolley finally hisses and honks its way into the Loop". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. pp. A1, A6. Retrieved 2018-11-24.
  33. ^ Suntrup, Jack. "Loop Trolley finally hisses and honks its way into the Loop". STLtoday.com. Retrieved 2021-12-02.
  34. ^ "The Loop Trolley - Map & Schedule". 2018-11-25. Archived from the original on 2018-11-25. Retrieved 2021-12-01.
  35. ^ Blume, Brett (November 15, 2018). "Loop Trolley Dedicated; Still Hasn't Made 1st Public Run". KMOX. Retrieved 2019-01-11.
  36. ^ "The Loop Trolley - Map & Schedule". 2019-12-16. Archived from the original on 2019-12-16. Retrieved 2021-12-01.
  37. ^ Kirn, Jacob (October 10, 2019). "The Loop Trolley is still attracting small crowds, running shortened schedule". St. Louis Business Journal. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  38. ^ "Worldwide Review [regular news section]". Tramways & Urban Transit. UK: Light Rail Transit Association. February 2020. p. 74.
  39. ^ Schlinkmann, Mark (December 5, 2019). "Loop Trolley to shut down Dec. 29 as Bi-State weighs reviving it". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  40. ^ "It's the Loop Trolley's last day". KSDK. Retrieved 2019-12-31.
  41. ^ "Bi-State Development Will Not Revive Loop Trolley, Transit Agency CEO Says". STLPR. Retrieved 2021-12-02.
  42. ^ "HOME | Loop Trolley v3". 2020-03-13. Archived from the original on 2020-03-13. Retrieved 2021-12-01.
  43. ^ "HOME | STL Loop Trolley". 2021-05-09. Archived from the original on 2021-05-09. Retrieved 2021-12-01.
  44. ^ a b c "Seattle trolleys arrive in St. Louis for Loop Trolley". Loop Trolley Transportation Development District. June 9, 2016. Retrieved 2016-08-10.
  45. ^ "The Loop Trolley finally starts operating full route". KSDK. November 23, 2018. Retrieved 2018-12-16.
  46. ^ Bowen, Douglas John (December 13, 2013). "TriMet sells heritage trolleys to St. Louis". Railway Age. Archived from the original on December 16, 2018. Retrieved 2018-12-16.
  47. ^ "Vintage Trolley Has Ceased Operation". Portland Vintage Trolley website. September 2014. Retrieved 2018-12-16.
  48. ^ a b c "Worldwide Review [regular news section]". Tramways & Urban Transit. UK: Light Rail Transit Association. May 2016. p. 193.
  49. ^ Green, Josh (January 14, 2016). "Seattle's old waterfront streetcars will live on - in different ways". KING-TV. Archived from the original on January 25, 2016. Retrieved 2016-08-10.
  50. ^ a b "Worldwide Review [regular news section]". Tramways & Urban Transit. UK: Light Rail Transit Association. August 2016. p. 312.
  51. ^ a b Madden, Roche (November 16, 2018). "Long awaited Loop Trolley finally on the move". KPLR-TV. Retrieved 2018-11-17.
  52. ^ "Worldwide Review [regular news section]". Tramways & Urban Transit. UK: Light Rail Transit Association. September 2017. p. 353.
  53. ^ Baumer, Stephanie (January 29, 2019). "3rd Delmar Loop Trolley car delivered Tuesday". KMOV. Retrieved 2019-01-29.

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