•Trolley Needs Scrutiny

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Letters to the editor, July 21

St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Trolley that depends on taxpayer subsidy needs more scrutiny

The Post-Dispatch editorial board certainly is correct that "it's hard to bet against Joe Edwards," as was said in the editorial "Trolley named desire" (July 15). However, could the Post-Dispatch please set aside book-making for reporting on this issue?

The most relevant words for a reporter in the story "Loop-Forest Park trolley moves off the drawing board" (July 10) should have been "has been working behind the scenes." Could the paper make an effort to find elements of this story not provided by Mr. Edwards' group? I suggest these questions:

• Are any of the trolley systems that attract tourists new, or are they all continuations of nostalgic lines?

• When trolleys were discontinued, was not one of the reasons because tracks slowed traffic?

• The city of St. Louis only recently has finished tearing out old trolley tracks on Delmar and putting in median planters. Why reverse that tax purchase so quickly to re-install tracks?

• Isn't traffic in the Loop congested enough without adding large vehicles and stopping traffic for their passengers?

• One plan showed peninsulas from the sidewalks to the trolley lines. How will the lost parking space be replaced? Parking is a perennial Loop problem.

I applaud the past ideas and investments by Mr. Edwards, but this dream seems to ask the taxpayers to invest instead of entrepreneurs.

Can the Post-Dispatch please give this proposal the closest scrutiny instead of just recording the public image provided for work done "behind the scenes"?

Tom Poelker • University City

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• UCityCitizen.org • Paulette Carr, Ward 2 Councilmember, City of University City • University City, Missouri 63130 •