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ST. LOUIS, MO – The Loop Trolley construction project gets underway today with an 11 a.m. groundbreaking ceremony at Delmar Blvd. at Limit Avenue on the city/county border. The Loop Trolley is a 2.2-mile fixed-route electric trolley linking the Delmar Loop and Forest Park, with 10 stops including the Missouri History Museum.
“This is an incredibly exciting day for the entire St. Louis region, and an excellent example of regional cooperation,” said Joe Edwards, Chairman of the Loop Trolley Transportation Development District and owner of Blueberry Hill in the Delmar Loop.
“The Loop Trolley will be a real economic and tourism boon to the St. Louis region,” said Edwards. “The Loop Trolley will be a prototype of how to connect communities with clean, electric transportation and encourage pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods and development.”
Participating in the groundbreaking ceremony along with Joe Edwards are Mokhtee Ahmad, Regional Administrator of Region 7 for the Federal Transit Authority (FTA), which is providing $32 million in funding for the project; St. Louis City Mayor Francis Slay; University City Mayor Shelley Welsch; Susan Trautman, Executive Director of Great Rivers Greenway; John Nations, President and CEO of Bi-State Development Agency; and Les Sterman, President of the nonprofit Loop Trolley Company.
Construction of the Loop Trolley will begin March 23 with the installation of a permanent roundabout on Delmar Blvd. in University City. The trolley track construction is expected to begin in late May 2015, starting on Delmar Blvd. near Kingsland. Traffic will continue to flow through The Loop business district during construction.
The 2.2-mile fixed-track electrical trolley system will run along Delmar Blvd. and DeBaliviere Ave. connecting The Loop restaurant, shopping, and arts & entertainment district to Forest Park. The Loop derived its nickname from the streetcar system that serviced the area until 1966.
The project includes construction of the roundabout, trolley tracks, an overhead contact system, 10 station stops, a maintenance/storage facility, and rehab of vintage trolley vehicles.
On the eastern end of the trolley route, the Loop Trolley TDD is working with Great Rivers Greenway to extend the St. Vincent Greenway from Delmar along DeBaliviere Ave. south to Forest Park Parkway with new landscaping and multi-use paths. The trolley will run adjacent to the greenway.
The Loop Trolley construction is scheduled for completion in mid-2016 and is expected to begin service in late 2016 to allow for testing and training.
ABOUT THE LOOP TROLLEY
The 2.2-mile Loop Trolley, owned by the Loop Trolley Transportation Development District, will promote connectivity, environmentally friendly transportation and pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods. This fixed-track vintage trolley system will add to the quality of life, increase tourism, and spur economic development. Built in a first-class manner, the Loop Trolley will be an environmentally positive attraction, a prototype for connecting other areas in St. Louis through clean electric transit, and a source of pride for the metropolitan area.
For more information and construction updates, join the email list at www.looptrolley.com, email [email protected] and follow facebook.com/looptrolley and twitter.com/looptrolley.
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Source: Loop Trolley – News