Streetcar to NOL starts service today

[NativeSon5859]

This is related to Amtrak because now it's going to be super convenient for folks arriving or departing New Orleans by train to get to their downtown destinations. The new Loyola Ave Streetcar started service at 1:00pm today.

On weekdays, the streetcars will run every 15 minutes from 6:00am to 11:30pm, and every 30 minutes on weekends.

The streetcars stop literally right outside the Union Passenger Terminal, on the Greyhound side of the building. On weekedays they run direct from the UPT to Harrah's Casino, and on weekends they run all the way to the French Market area along the riverfront.

You'll be able to connect to the Canal streetcars and the St. Charles streetcars on Canal St.

Great day for New Orleans!

 

[Agent]

Just in time for the Super Bowl. Though I'm in no position to say how these two will affect each other.

 

[AlanB]

Just in time for the Super Bowl. Though I'm in no position to say how these two will affect each other.

Last I heard, Loyola which is the primary street for the new service will be closed to all traffic on Sunday, meaning no service on this line for the Superbowl.

 

[Anderson]

They wanted the streetcar operative for the Super Bowl. Now, if only they were also able to go forward with the Rampart line as well,

 

[fairviewroad]

A TV video clip featuring lots of shots of the new route:

http://www.fox8live.com/story/20710360/rta-shows-off-newly-completed-loyola-avenue-streetcar-line-to-media

With an operating schedule of 6AM to 11:30 PM, this would serve passengers arriving and departing on all

3 of Amtrak's New Orleans trains, with the exception of the Crescent's 7 AM departure time (would

be cutting it too close since the first streetcar doesn't arrive into Union Station until 6:41 AM weekdays

and 6:56 AM on weekends).

 

[CHamilton]

They wanted the streetcar operative for the Super Bowl. Now, if only they were also able to go forward with the Rampart line as well,

Yes, they still have a city bus named Desire, but somehow, I can't imagine Tennessee Williams writing a play about it.

 

[NativeSon5859]

They wanted the streetcar operative for the Super Bowl. Now, if only they were also able to go forward with the Rampart line as well,

That line should start construction later this year and be up and running in 2014. Initially it will go from Canal St down Rampart to Elysian Fields. More funds are needed for it to go all the way down to Poland Ave.

A TV video clip featuring lots of shots of the new route:http://www.fox8live.com/story/20710360/rta-shows-off-newly-completed-loyola-avenue-streetcar-line-to-media

With an operating schedule of 6AM to 11:30 PM, this would serve passengers arriving and departing on all

3 of Amtrak's New Orleans trains, with the exception of the Crescent's 7 AM departure time (would

be cutting it too close since the first streetcar doesn't arrive into Union Station until 6:41 AM weekdays

and 6:56 AM on weekends).

Yeah, hopefully they adjust it. 641 arrival would be very tight, yet doable. Forget about being able to check bags though.

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

They wanted the streetcar operative for the Super Bowl. Now, if only they were also able to go forward with the Rampart line as well,

Yes, they still have a city bus named Desire, but somehow, I can't imagine Tennessee Williams writing a play about it.

They do? This is a joke, right? Unless you can post a pic.....

A TV video clip featuring lots of shots of the new route:http://www.fox8live.com/story/20710360/rta-shows-off-newly-completed-loyola-avenue-streetcar-line-to-media

With an operating schedule of 6AM to 11:30 PM, this would serve passengers arriving and departing on all

3 of Amtrak's New Orleans trains, with the exception of the Crescent's 7 AM departure time (would

be cutting it too close since the first streetcar doesn't arrive into Union Station until 6:41 AM weekdays

and 6:56 AM on weekends).

The pictures don't work for me. But how long does the whole ride take?

 

[CHamilton]

They wanted the streetcar operative for the Super Bowl. Now, if only they were also able to go forward with the Rampart line as well,

Yes, they still have a city bus named Desire, but somehow, I can't imagine Tennessee Williams writing a play about it.

They do? This is a joke, right? Unless you can post a pic.....

 

[Mackensen]

Though if you're staying in the Garden District you're still better off walking down Howard Avenue to Lee Circle and picking up the St. Charles Line there.

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

They wanted the streetcar operative for the Super Bowl. Now, if only they were also able to go forward with the Rampart line as well,

Yes, they still have a city bus named Desire, but somehow, I can't imagine Tennessee Williams writing a play about it.

They do? This is a joke, right? Unless you can post a pic.....

Oh, it's a line, not a bus. But it's an Orion V though, not bad.

 

[cirdan]

A TV video clip featuring lots of shots of the new route:http://www.fox8live.com/story/20710360/rta-shows-off-newly-completed-loyola-avenue-streetcar-line-to-media

With an operating schedule of 6AM to 11:30 PM, this would serve passengers arriving and departing on all

3 of Amtrak's New Orleans trains, with the exception of the Crescent's 7 AM departure time (would

be cutting it too close since the first streetcar doesn't arrive into Union Station until 6:41 AM weekdays

and 6:56 AM on weekends).

That's a bit sad. It's not as if NOL gets dozens of trains, and that a streetcar link costing over 40 million and designed to improve NORTA connectivity to Amtrak should miss one of the most important trains serving the city.

 

[cirdan]

They wanted the streetcar operative for the Super Bowl. Now, if only they were also able to go forward with the Rampart line as well,

That line should start construction later this year and be up and running in 2014. Initially it will go from Canal St down Rampart to Elysian Fields. More funds are needed for it to go all the way down to Poland Ave.

Is that still what they're planning? The last I heard was that they got turned down for TIGER funds and everything went very quiet after that.

I like the idea of connecting down Elysian Fields as they could then run a circular route all around the edge of the French Quarter.

 

[cirdan]

Though if you're staying in the Garden District you're still better off walking down Howard Avenue to Lee Circle and picking up the St. Charles Line there.

Last time I was there (admittedly this was about 5 years back)there were still some disused and rusty tracks that branched off at Lee Circle and continued about a block or so along Howard Avenue. I wonder whether they ever thought of connecting those up to the new line. That would open all sorts of new possibilities.

 

[NativeSon5859]

They wanted the streetcar operative for the Super Bowl. Now, if only they were also able to go forward with the Rampart line as well,

That line should start construction later this year and be up and running in 2014. Initially it will go from Canal St down Rampart to Elysian Fields. More funds are needed for it to go all the way down to Poland Ave.

Is that still what they're planning? The last I heard was that they got turned down for TIGER funds and everything went very quiet after that.

I like the idea of connecting down Elysian Fields as they could then run a circular route all around the edge of the French Quarter.

They got turned down for the TIGER funds, but they have enough $$$ to open the line to Elysian Fields.

Once they get more funds, they are going to expand it further down Rampart/St.Claude, and open the stub line down Elysian Fields to the Riverfront line. They are also going to connect the new Loyola line to the St. Charles line via Howard Ave. You can see where they expanded the tracks on Loyola by a few feet so it can eventually be expanded down Howard.

 

[NativeSon5859]

A TV video clip featuring lots of shots of the new route:http://www.fox8live.com/story/20710360/rta-shows-off-newly-completed-loyola-avenue-streetcar-line-to-media

With an operating schedule of 6AM to 11:30 PM, this would serve passengers arriving and departing on all

3 of Amtrak's New Orleans trains, with the exception of the Crescent's 7 AM departure time (would

be cutting it too close since the first streetcar doesn't arrive into Union Station until 6:41 AM weekdays

and 6:56 AM on weekends).

That's a bit sad. It's not as if NOL gets dozens of trains, and that a streetcar link costing over 40 million and designed to improve NORTA connectivity to Amtrak should miss one of the most important trains serving the city.

Yeah, I hope they adjust it. I actually sent them an email about it. The RTA has VASTLY improved in virtually every area since it was taken over by Veoila....I'm sure they'll amend it.

 

[cirdan]

Once they get more funds, they are going to expand it further down Rampart/St.Claude, and open the stub line down Elysian Fields to the Riverfront line. They are also going to connect the new Loyola line to the St. Charles line via Howard Ave. You can see where they expanded the tracks on Loyola by a few feet so it can eventually be expanded down Howard.

I'm pleased to hear all those plans are still being pursued and haven't died a slow death

Has the question of crossing the BNSF tracks for Poland Avenue been resolved yet? I guess a bridge or underpass would be preferable operationally, but that would be quite costly and also ugly.

And are the plans for the loop around the Convention Center still being actively pursued?

 

[crescent2]

Well, that's good news even if it doesn't work for the Crescent's departure. The streetcars are pretty cool!

We always loved to ride the St. Charles car just for the experience. Beautiful route through the Garden District, which is totally different from the nearby French Quarter.

I think "Desire" was the name of a street or neighborhood, not just desire as in the word "desire." If so, that makes sense even for a bus.

 

[fairviewroad]

Yeah, hopefully they adjust it. 641 arrival would be very tight, yet doable. Forget about being able to check bags though.

Yeah, not sure I'd risk it especially if I was holding a sleeper reservation. Probably better to take a cab.

 

[afigg]

With an operating schedule of 6AM to 11:30 PM, this would serve passengers arriving and departing on all3 of Amtrak's New Orleans trains, with the exception of the Crescent's 7 AM departure time (would

be cutting it too close since the first streetcar doesn't arrive into Union Station until 6:41 AM weekdays

and 6:56 AM on weekends).

Looking at schedules from 8-10 years ago, the Crescent used to have a 7:20 AM departure from New Orleans. Perhaps with improvements by NS on the route, they could tighten up the schedule and go back to a little later departure for streetcar connections. The Crescent will get trip time improvements north of Atlanta with the track projects in NC and VA, but those are 2016 or 2017 completion date projects.

 

[SP&S]

Well, that's good news even if it doesn't work for the Crescent's departure. The streetcars are pretty cool!
We always loved to ride the St. Charles car just for the experience. Beautiful route through the Garden District, which is totally different from the nearby French Quarter.

I think "Desire" was the name of a street or neighborhood, not just desire as in the word "desire." If so, that makes sense even for a bus.

Yes indeed, "Desire" is a name of a street in New Orleans, thus the name of a streetcar line, thus the title of the novel.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

They wanted the streetcar operative for the Super Bowl. Now, if only they were also able to go forward with the Rampart line as well,

Yes, they still have a city bus named Desire, but somehow, I can't imagine Tennessee Williams writing a play about it.

Thanks Charlie. Now everytime I see the title to this thread I read it as "Streetcare Named Desire".

 

[Amtrak Cajun]

I wonder if the new Loyola line has a stop by the Holiday Inn thats just down the street from the terminal. That would save me 20 bucks in cab fare to and from Union when I visit NOL.

 

[Shortline]

I'm not familiar with NOL at all, other than passing through in and out via MSY, and the WWII museum (Which, if you haven't been, is amazing). We're arriving on 59 in July, need to get to the airport to get a Rental Car, to drive to Pensacola-Any commuter train/streetcar options to MSY Airport, or is it still necessary to take a cab?

 

[Anderson]

I'm not familiar with NOL at all, other than passing through in and out via MSY, and the WWII museum (Which, if you haven't been, is amazing). We're arriving on 59 in July, need to get to the airport to get a Rental Car, to drive to Pensacola-Any commuter train/streetcar options to MSY Airport, or is it still necessary to take a cab?

Why are you renting at the airport? Hertz runs a desk out of a hotel two blocks from Union Station that I picked up a rental at back in October when Charlie and I took the Crescent in.