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<br />Lynn Ricci, 7833 Gannon <br />Ms. Ricci said July 16, 2007, was when the trolley issue came before Council and they voted <br />on funding for the feasibility trolley study. It was funded by $50,000 from the City of <br />University City, $200,000 from Economic Development Retail Sales Tax, ½ million dollars <br />from the STP grant and $50,000 from the City of St. Louis. She noted the track is thirty- <br />seven percent in University City and sixty-three percent in the City. Ms. Ricci stated with the <br />formation of the TDD, it should be funded 100 percent by them and not the City. She said the <br />study was to have been done in the early part of 2009 but she had not seen it. Ms. Ricci <br />noted she has a copy of the 2000 Feasibility Study if anyone would like to see it. One of her <br />concerns was the true ridership estimated in 2000, with the high forecast of 454,000 and the <br />low forecast half of that. She asked for confirmation that U City is not funding any portion of <br />the Loop Trolley. <br /> <br />COUNCIL QUESTIONS <br />Councilmember Glickert <br /> <br /> Asked why they did not follow the original track as first discussed. Mr. Campion said <br />the fundamental answer was what it achieved in terms of a lot more track, poles and <br />electrification without any stations. It really was a matter of dollar and sense. Mr. <br />Edwards said the original trolley serviced buildings in the back which were no longer <br />there. <br />Mr. Edwards answered a couple of other question stating the Feasibility Study was the one <br />done in 2000 and the 1½ million dollar grant was for design engineering of which the <br />Feasibility Study was folded into. He said the money has come from the Economic <br />Development Retail Sales Tax which was strictly for this type of economic development. Mr. <br />Edwards said the City of St. Louis has put in 15 million dollars in new market tax credits. He <br />said the 20 minute head-way should give solace to people who are concerned about traffic <br />congestion as that was a lot of time between cars. He also stated that more people would <br />take MetroLink, as the trolley connects with two stations, instead of driving around looking for <br />a parking spot. <br /> <br />Councilmember Kraft <br /> <br /> Was University City providing any funds for building, design or operating the project? <br />The answer was no. <br /> <br /> Were there any funds allocated the University City’s new budget going to the project in <br />anyway? The City Manager Mr. Walker said there were not. <br />Councilmember Carr <br /> <br /> The $250,000 given was for a Feasibility Survey and Design Phase, one that turned <br />into an Environmental Assessment and asked if the Director of Public Works and <br />Parks Mr. Wilson could elaborate on it. <br /> <br />Mr. Wilson spoke from an engineering point of view stating that a feasibility study that <br />was done in 2000 was a planner’s idea of what could be done with approximation of <br />how many riders and how many miles this trolley would be. In 2007-2008 talk of a <br />feasibility study was a preliminary engineering study which was basically doing the <br />survey, going out measuring, reading drawings and trying to come up with exactly <br />what it was going to cost, with preliminary information. He said there never was a <br />feasibility study in 2008 as it was, more or less, a preliminary engineering done to <br />determine exactly if the trolley would work. <br /> <br /> <br /> 6 <br /> <br />