Comments on: Streetcar expansion earned through public cooperation

By: Nola

Nola — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 16:00:27 +0000

Let’s recognize it wasn’t a giant leap from Convention Center to the Amtrak station bothas both are essentially tourist driven. It would be nice to see the Amtrak station become a hub for rail transportation for the Greater New Orleans Area (with links EAST and West – (Houston).
Can the tracks we have currently have coming into the city handle this? Not really. They are overcrowded and freight takes priorioty. This is why our governor is stupid. Expansion is the only way to move from dependency on bus and auto.

I agree that the St. Claude/N. Rampart expansion is good and serves more working New Orleanians.

Streetcars popping up out of the ground like weeds sounds ok. I think the next step (after St. Claude) should be to “close the loop” and connect the Carrollton line to the Canal along SOUTH Carrollton.

By: Migou

Migou — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 04:32:41 +0000

I’m not convinced that the whole “all three are priorities” wasn’t just a ruse. After all, which one of the three has gotten approved first? The one they wanted all along. I have yet to hear an explanation as to how that one was chosen.

By: mike

mike — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 22:03:08 +0000

There’s no buses you can take from the station? I have to think there’s a bus stop or two near the station.

By: Editilla~New Orleans Ladder

Editilla~New Orleans Ladder — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 01:06:09 +0000

Mike, I will use this line to and from the Amtrac station, my life line into the city. It will save me immensely in cab fare and just having to hoof it. Our child-governor should be exorcised for passing up on the rail line to BR, from that very Union Station that we will have stitched-up wit’dis nifty streetcar network. I mean, put glasses on him and call him Orcle.

By: mike

mike — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 15:55:12 +0000

What a waste of money. That line will be barely used. The station is like a ghost town most days.

And to boot, this is not a public transportation town, no matter how bad progressives want it to be. I say this as someone who uses it too. You seen how empty the brand-spanking new buses are in the morning? These things cost hundreds of thousands and there is like 8 people on the them during the morning commute.

By: Editilla~New Orleans Ladder

Editilla~New Orleans Ladder — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 01:03:29 +0000

What Jefferey said, all of it.
But may I add that the energy investment for street cars compared to buses lays somewhere near 35% LESS dollars-to-work. However that leaves us in the grip of Entergy?
Still, you put them where you can use them. St. Claude could use a line.
This is such a great thing if you keep it for Transit.
Thanks Eli.

By: jeffrey

jeffrey — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 22:28:47 +0000

I’m really not a fan of the Convention Ctr. line. But if we’re getting the St. Claude line (and the T-P article implies that RTA is still planning for it eventually) I’m fine with putting them all in. We like streetcars in New Orleans. Let’s put them all over the place.

But my point was that government works for us only as long as we keep screaming at it. My primary concern about the Great Post Lombardi Gras Golden Age is that people will stop screaming and then nothing will happen.

By: Superdeformed

Superdeformed — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 21:44:31 +0000

I lost track of the story around the time of your rant on the convention center line. Glad to have learned about the Transport for NOLA part of the story.

Moral of the story; people be involved.

By: dsb nola

dsb nola — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 20:19:44 +0000

It’s not that the Convention Center line is altogether stupid. It’s just that the Convention Center line obviously shouldn’t be the highest priority. But after those other two lines sprout like weeds, the Convention Center line will make more sense. It’s all good.

By: jeffrey

jeffrey — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 19:02:13 +0000

More accurate description of how this exemplifies the way civic governance should work. Local officials propose to do something stupid. Citizens get ticked off and raise hell about it. The stupid plans are made less stupid.