ST. LOUIS — Concrete barriers occupy approximately 30 of the 80 parking spaces in a lot operated by South Side Parking. According to the lot operators, the barriers were installed on Wednesday.
The barriers include a notice indicating that the property behind them belongs to the Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis (TRRA). A chain is draped across each barrier. The parking lot, located at 810 South Seventh Street, is a few blocks south of Busch Stadium.
Similar barriers were placed on another lot situated on the north side of a railroad bridge that runs between the two parking lots.
A TRRA spokesperson said the barriers are a safety measure, adding that the most recent paving of the parking lot expanded into the Terminal’s railroad safety easement.
Shannon McConnell, one of the lot operators, insists that the parking spaces have not moved closer to the railroad. She questions the timing of the barriers’ installation.
“I want to know why the railroad is doing this,” she said.
McConnell and her partners are examining if the lot can be reconfigured to accommodate as many customers as possible. They are worried about losing revenue.
“People love this lot,” she said. “We have a lot of regulars who come here.”
On Thursday, McConnell saw fans walking under the bridge on their way to the ballpark. She noted that if the barriers are about safety, they aren’t stopping pedestrians from walking through the area.
This is a statement from the TRRA:
This is a clear safety issue and the same rules have applied consistently throughout our rail network for more than a century. Terminal Railroad, like all railroads, must maintain their minimum rights of ways to limit risk to the public and to the company on all our railroad property.
The new city building codes required many of the parking lots around the stadium to be paved. The recent paving at this location expanded the footprint into Terminal’s railroad safety easement. We have been working with the parking company since late 2023 to find a solution, but since pedestrians and our crews are our main concerns, we do need to exercise our right of way.”
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