Following a 70 year absence, the Regional Transit Authority St. Claude/N. Rampart streetcar line has returned.
After 18 months of construction, the $41.7 million streetcar expansion, leading from Canal Street to Elysian Fields Avenue and down N. Rampart Street, began operation on Oct. 2. Local businesses ranging from restaurants to hotels have offered their stances on what impact this installation will have on the historic stretch of North Rampart.
Rolita Vigne, front desk agent at the French Quarter Suites Hotel on North Rampart, said she noticed a slight decline in business resulting from the noisy construction down the street, but the newfound transportation and bike lane ended up being beneficial for their business.
“Guests were reluctant to stay in the past year resulting from the jackhammers and appearance of the street, but our customers, particularly tourists, greatly appreciate being able to take the streetcar down to Canal Street and find a restaurant or location rather than depending on the RTA bus stops,” Vigne said.
Sam Saadeh, a clerk at Key’s Fuel Mart on North Rampart, laughed that the construction could be a nuisance during the last year, especially for semi-trucks that would bring his station gasoline, but he believes the entire street will benefit from the expansion.
“I think busy seasons like Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest will prove this was not a waste of money. Tourists and locals will enjoy being able to get to Canal and past Canal into the Central Business District more easily, and we’re already seeing an increase in traffic to the area,” Saadeh said.
The installation of the line marks a move from the RTA toward restoring infrastructure to areas like St. Claude Avenue, while at the same time preserving the appearance of the street.
Patrice Bell Mercadel, marketing director for the Regional Transit Authority, maintained that providing more access points of transportation in the area, while keeping communication strong with local establishments, was the whole objective of the project.
“We worked to preserve historic light fixtures, repaved the roads for smooth transit for cars and cyclists, and worked with businesses and residents to provide a service that could really increase their business and expand their livelihood in the area,” Mercadel said.
After vocal concern from Treme residents that the neighboring bus routes would be disrupted with the presence of the new St. Claude streetcar line, federal judges worked to ensure that the bus services will go largely unchanged.
They also relieved concerns following a 2015 lawsuit by residents that the line construction would damage buildings and flood streets.
ken cardozo • Nov 23, 2016 at 8:09 pm
the new trolley goes from nowhere to nowhere….. there is no reason to head to union station for the two trains a day that depart nor is there anything along Loyola ave……as for st claude, its easier and faster to walk directly into the quarter than take a trolley and then wait for a transfer at canal……both branches should go down canal and be extended into something…….has anyone noticed downtown has no retail , no movie theatres for locals, nothing really other than hotels in the old dept stores and canal street is just a strip of cheap hotels……..locals don’t even go into the downtown other than to work at some hotel….most real jobs are out in metarie……as you all know, the trolley will never be extended down the river towards the old arabi neighborhood which would invigorate miles of the old city…….the short tunel needed to go beneath the rail tracks will never be paid for so the trolley will always end in the middle of nothing….certainly, nothing beyond union station woujld dare be added………Planning in the city is horrible……all canal streetcars should go to the French market area to begin with…..the trasnsfer at harrah’s is a joke, in humid weather unbearable and the quarter is still unserved by real public transit…….the old desire car along bourbon street is a major thing to consider but the corruption in the old city is just too much to bear…….my family left some years ago when the city was rock bottom but in truth, it still is…….Has anyone noticed that younger white americans would prefer to return to a city but as soon as they have children, the schools are so dreadful , they can’t wait to escape again…….Unless neighborhood schools are established, these younger whites will come for a few years, party and leave…….no city with any real substance will ever be established…..it will look like mardi gras year round……..of course, you would never get me out of Portland Oregon now…..my four sons go to great schools and we don’t have to worry about crime……we also have great public transit, with light rail actually fast and reliable……none will return to n’orleans……