Have you ever been walking down the Loop and seen the trolley tracks in the street? Almost certainly. Have you ever been out eating and seen the Loop to Forest Park Trolley signs? Most likely. Have you ever seen a trolley? Probably not. But then where’s the trolley? Well, you are not the only one asking, so is the federal government. 

The Loop Trolley route contains 2.2 miles of track which run from the Loop to the Missouri History Museum. It cost a whopping $52 million (money that could have been spent on other public transportation projects), opened in November 2018, after years of “after years of delays“, and stayed in permanent service for a little less than a year. The trolley was supposed to open again in April 2020, but the pandemic shut it down. Now the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is demanding that the $37.45 million they gave to help fund the project be returned. This would be a huge hit to the city and endanger future federal funding for projects. The deadline to submit a plan to get the trolley back up and running has recently changed from February first to March first. But will city and county leaders be able to come together and create a plan to get the trolley back? 

The trolley’s route covers parts of St. Louis City and St. Louis County, so County Executive Sam Page (up for election in 2022) and St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones (elected in April 2021 and serving her first term) are jointly managing the project. But neither of them wants the trolley problem on their agenda. In a statement, Jones said, “It’s been no secret that this is something that I didn’t support from the beginning. However, it landed in my lap as mayor, and I’m committed to fixing it because St. Louis City and St. Louis County do not have $22 million to give back to the federal government.” The $22 million in this statement refers to the $37.45 million from the FTA. Some leaders have referred to it as $22 million and others called it $37 million. The mayor has also stated, “[w]e all know that the Trolley is one of those projects that should’ve never been built … It’s one of those stains on our region that we have to fix“. In a statement from KSDK in December, Page declared “[t]he St. Louis region hasn’t kept its commitment to run the trolley, which was required to receive those funds[.]” At risk is around $37-million in federal funding that’s come to the area. The two leaders tried to use a $1.26-million grant to get the trolley started again under the operation of Bi-State (the company that runs the Metro system), but the East-West Gateway Council voted this idea down because they believed the trolley project would fail and therefore the money should be spent elsewhere. Currently Jones and  Page are researching and gathering advice for a new plan. But questions remain.  

St. Louis has greatly suffered and continues to suffer during the COVID-19 pandemic. the day-to-day workings of local government can often fall through the cracks of people’s busy lives, especially amidst such a trying time. But from parks to road work and permitting, local government is the level that impacts people the most. Mismanagement of the Loop Trolley could cost the region millions, and possibly affect federal funding for future projects. In a statement Jones said, “[t]he failure to fix the Loop Trolley problem will leave us on the hook for tens of millions of dollars, imperiling our entire region’s ability to receive federal grants in the future, including from the bipartisan infrastructure law[.]” The Loop Trolley situation is an example of politicians’ failures hurting regular people. The rot is everywhere.  

But what can students do? 

As members of the St. Louis community, Wash U students can play an important role in maintaining local government. Do you know if you live in St. Louis City or County? What is the name of your representative? You can participate in the process. You can write letters, become informed on the issues, and express your opinions via the ballot box. 2022 brings midterm elections, but it also brings primaries and local elections. Sometimes the best way to express your feelings about government is through your vote. It is easier to look and only see rot. It is easy to believe that your vote, your opinion, your voice does not matter and will not make a difference, but it is important to remember that there is rebirth as well. Voters have enormous sway, especially in local elections. St. Louis is a vibrant city, and it is the responsibility of all citizens, including Wash U students, to help keep it that way.