UNIVERSITY CITY, Mo. – Taxpayer watchdog Tom Sullivan believes the Delmar Loop Trolley is down for the count. The trolley stopped running a year ago with the exception of a few weekends.
The You Paid For It team was first to tell you that University City could start the process of pulling the plug on the trolley in the summer of 2022.
They are hoping those running the trolley will have a feasible plan for success by then.
But one person thinks the trolley that cost taxpayers $51 million is down for the count.
Sullivan cites a number of factors. He says the COVID crisis has crushed sales taxes collections in the taxing district to support the trolley.
He says St. Louis County won’t loan the trolley any more money and he doesn’t think the trolley can get additional funds from the feds.
And Bi-State Development, which already turned down a deal once, is not likely to take over running the failed trolley.
Sullivan says it makes little difference when University City considers pulling the plug on the trolley. He doesn’t see the trolley making a comeback.
He says the trolley just hasn’t been able to attract enough riders and generate enough revenue to make it viable. He points out that the trolley was in trouble months before COVID arrived in the area.
