2012-07-16 Special Mtg Loop Trolley

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Andrew Wool, 731 Oakbrook Lane Mr. Wool stated he was against the project in theory and practice. He said in theory it was a joke, a hundred million dollars for a tourist attraction. Mr. Wool said the extra taxes paid in the Loop were unconstitutional and the grant was fraudulent under the Alternation Energy and Transportation Act. He noted that the City has school closings in Mr. Price’s ward, crime is up, dysfunction on the Council, police and fire departments fighting, 200 kids coming in and causing trouble, streets and parks departments combined making lesser of both departments, these are real problems. Mr. Wool said it would not work and was an incredulous frivolous plan. He stated that Delmar is already a busy street, with already parking problems, already traffic, and already pedestrian overload on the weekend but the two ton trolley would not affect anything? He said the Council does have the power to stop it. Pat Forster, 7438 Stratford Ms. Forster stated that the trolley is a duplication of two existing Metro transportation services in the Loop already, Bus #97 and the Metro Connector Loop Bus. The majority of the trolley riders will be tourists. She said the Loop merchants are funding this project as the City of St. Louis’ east end of the trolley route is vacant. Ms. Forster noted U City Loop already has the tourist and felt it a waste of taxpayer money. Ms. Christine Michel, 736 Eastgate Ms. Michel asked why a trolley and not a double-decker bus. She could not envision how the trolley would fit in the present space. Ms. Michel asked if there would be extra cross-walks and street lights. She was also concerned about the effect of the construction on Delmar. Ms. Michel asked where people would park. Elsie Glickert, 6712 Etzel Ms. Glickert asked for the feasibility study for the $250,000 that University City spent. She asked why a double track at Mehlville as this was a bicycle path and asked why not at Eastgate. Ms. Glickert would like to know why it does not follow the streetcar from years ago by turning on Limit and go around the loop. She noted that this is how the Loop got its name. Ms. Glickert noted that original rider projection was one hundred million and tonight it was three hundred thousand. She asked that the trolley project be a single track through University City Loop area. Linda Locke, 6925 Cornell Ms. Locke asked about the timing of the Parkview Gardens Plan and the Loop Trolley and its impact on parking. She said she lives in an adjacent neighborhood and questioned what would be the impact to these streets. Secondly she said the economic benefits are disproportionately settled into development that takes place along Delmar & DeBaliviere, yet a significant portion of the funding was coming from the University City’s Loop’s retail sales tax. Ms. Locke asked what was to become of Epstein Plaza and the Rainman Statue. Greg Pace, 7171 Westmoreland Mr. Pace stated he is in favor of the trolley project. He said the trolley is about extending the Loop which is a tourist/convention attraction. Mr. Pace stated there will be a lot of benefit for the area: jobs, business opportunities, etc. He said the double track makes sense to Kingsland. Mr. Pace said what goes up, comes down a lot faster and would not take much to return to the original if the project failed. 5