Riverfront Streetcar Line

Not to be confused with the Riverfront Loop streetcar line in Memphis, Tennessee.

The Riverfront Streetcar Line is a historic streetcar line in New Orleans, Louisiana. It is operated by the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority (RTA). It was built along the east bank of the Mississippi River, in an area with many amenities catering to tourists. It opened August 14, 1988, making it the first new streetcar route in New Orleans in 62 years. The line runs 2 miles (3.2 km)^[2] from Julia Street at the upper end of the New Orleans Convention Center to the downriver (far) end of the French Quarter at the foot of Esplanade Avenue. Unlike the other three lines, it travels on an exclusive right-of-way, along the river levee beside New Orleans Belt Railway tracks, making it more akin to a light rail line. The line was regauged in 1997 from standard gauge to broad gauge. Officially, the Riverfront Line is designated Route 2 and is designated with a blue color on most RTA publications.

Riverfront
A 457 Series Perley Thomas replica streetcar operating on the Riverfront line
Overview
Status	Partially operating, closed south of Canal Street and interlined with Route 49
Owner	New Orleans Regional Transit Authority
Line number	2
Locale	New Orleans, Louisiana
Termini	French Market John Churchill Chase
Stations	9
Service
Type	Heritage streetcar
System	Streetcars in New Orleans
Depot(s)	A. Philip Randolph Operations Facility
Rolling stock	457 Series Perley Thomas replica streetcars
History
Opened	August 14, 1988; 35 years ago (1988-08-14)^[1]
Technical
Line length	2 mi (3.2 km) (total)
Number of tracks	2
Character	Exclusive right-of-way
Track gauge	5 ft 2+1⁄2 in (1,588 mm)
Old gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Electrification	Overhead line, 600 V DC
Route map Legend French Market Ursulines Street Dumaine Street Toulouse Street Bienville Street Canal Street Route 3 to Convention Center (closed) Harrah's Casino 47 48 Peters Street Magazine/Decatur Camp/Chartres St. Charles/Royal Carondelet/Bourbon Baronne/Dauphine Route 49 to Elysian Fields (closed) Rampart 47 48 Canal Streetcar Line Poydras Street Hyatt Regency Julia Street Union Passenger Terminal (UPT) Normal routing (closed) French Market Ursulines Street Dumaine Street Toulouse Street Bienville Street Canal Street 47 48 to depot via Canal St Poydras Street Julia Street John Churchill Chase This diagram: view talk edit

History

 

Riverfront Streetcar in 1988, the line's first year of operation.

Two retired Perley Thomas streetcars, formerly running along the Canal line until 1964, were repurchased and refurbished, along with two W2-type streetcars originally from Melbourne, Australia. It was the city's first accessible streetcar line, using the Melbourne cars; the historic landmark status of the Saint Charles route prevented the modification of the cars on that line.

From the time it opened in 1988, the Riverfront line was originally single-track, 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge, with one passing siding. But the line proved to be so popular that this was inadequate, so in 1990, it was temporarily closed and a second track was added. At the same time, another repurchased Perley Thomas streetcar and another ex-Melbourne streetcar were added to the fleet. The six cars in the fleet were all renumbered into a common series before entering service, with the three original New Orleans (Perley Thomas) cars being numbered 450, 451, and 456 (ex-924, 919, and 952, in that order).^[3] The W2-type cars were numbered 452, 454, and 455 for Riverfront service, and were formerly Melbourne cars 626, 478, and 331, respectively.^[1]

By 1997, RTA felt the need for additional wheelchair access on the Riverfront line. It was decided to build new streetcars, which would be replicas of the venerable Perley Thomas cars, but would have more modern trucks and controls. The first such car used the body shell of another repurchased Perley Thomas streetcar, number 957 (renumbered 457), with a wheelchair access door cut into its side. Six additional replica car bodies, which became cars 458–463, were built from scratch in the venerable Carrollton Shops. After some experimentation with secondhand PCC trucks and controls salvaged from retired Philadelphia streetcars, initially installed in two cars (457–458),^[4][5][6] eventually all seven new cars were equipped with trucks and controls from the Czech builder ČKD Tatra.^[7]

At the same time, it was decided to regauge the Riverfront line to broad gauge (5 ft 2+1⁄2 in or 1,588 mm) to conform to the St. Charles track gauge, and to build a connecting track on Canal Street from St. Charles to Riverfront. This would make it much easier to service Riverfront cars at Carrollton Station, and they could even be housed at Carrollton rather than out in the open at the ends of the Riverfront line.

The last day of standard gauge operation of Riverfront was September 6, 1997,^[8] after which the line was again temporarily closed and the track gauge changed. The three Perley Thomas cars and the three ex-Melbourne cars were retired at this time. The ex-Melbourne cars were sold to the Memphis Area Transit Authority, for use on that city's Main Street Trolley line.^[8] One of the Perley Thomas cars was sent to the San Francisco Municipal Railway, and the other two were stored at Carrollton Station. The Riverfront line reopened on December 13, 1997,^[6] with the new cars running on the broad-gauge track.

Operation

The Riverfront Streetcar normally operates 24 hours a day. Frequencies range from 20 minutes 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., to 40 minutes nightly after 10 p.m.^[9]

Because of complaints regarding infrequency of service on the Riverfront line, NORTA has installed LCD screens at each of the stops along the route to show approximate incoming times in each direction, as well as an animated display showing destinations and stops in both directions along the line. These times have often proven inaccurate due to fluctuations in the time required to traverse the track length.

Due to construction on the World Trade Center building, service is suspended between Canal Street and the Julia Street end of the Riverfront line.^[10]

On October 12, 2019, a building under construction at the corner of Canal Street and N. Rampart Street collapsed, blocking the Canal line (see Hard Rock hotel collapse). For a while, the Riverfront line provided service on Canal Street through the business district, operating from the French Market terminal to Canal Street, then out Canal to Carondelet Street.^[11]

Currently, the operable portion of the Riverfront line is combined with the operable portion of the Rampart-St. Claude line as Route 49. From the French Market terminal, it runs to Canal Street, then out Canal to University Place (Loyola Avenue), and out Loyola to the terminal at UPT.^[12]

Stop listing

 

Typical streetcar station design throughout the Riverfront line

From the French Quarter to the Convention Center area

Stop	Neighborhood(s)	Other streetcar lines	Notes
French Market	French Quarter		Near the intersection of Peters Street and Esplanade Avenue. Serves French Market and New Orleans Mint.
Ursulines Street	French Quarter		Serves French Market.
Dumaine Street	French Quarter		Serves Jackson Square, Preservation Hall, St. Louis Cathedral and Woldenberg Park.
Toulouse Street	French Quarter		Serves Jax Brewery and Woldenberg Park.
Bienville Street	French Quarter		Serves Woldenberg Park.
Canal Street	Downtown, Central Business District, French Quarter	47 48	Connects with Canal Street Ferry Terminal. Serves Audubon Aquarium of the Americas, Harrah's Casino, Woldenberg Park, and World Trade Center.
Poydras Street	Downtown, Central Business District		Serves The Outlet Collection at Riverwalk.
Julia Street	Downtown, Central Business District		Serves Port of New Orleans, The Outlet Collection at Riverwalk, and Morial Convention Center.
John Churchill Chase	Central Business District		Serves Morial Convention Center. Named for John Churchill Chase.

References

1. Wilkins, Van (Autumn 1994). "Veterans From Down Under". The New Electric Railway Journal. Free Congress Foundation: 23–24. ISSN 1048-3845. Retrieved 2014-12-08.
2. "APTA Streetcar and Heritage Trolley Site - New Orleans Overview". American Public Transportation Association. Retrieved July 16, 2013.
3. Sebree, Mac, ed. (1993). 1993 North American Light Rail Annual and User's Guide. Glendale, CA: Interurban Press. p. 42. ISSN 0160-6913.
4. Lietwiler, C. J. (December 2004). "New Orleans: Streetcars return to Canal Street". Tramways & Urban Transit. Hersham, Surrey, UK: Ian Allan Publishing/Light Rail Transit Association. pp. 452–456.
5. Rice, Walter E. (November 1997). "New Orleans: Where Perley Thomas streetcars still rule". Light Rail and Modern Tramway. Ian Allan Publishing/Light Rail Transit Association. pp. 422–425.
6. "Systems News" section, Tramways & Urban Transit magazine, February 1998, p. 79.
7. Korbel, Viktor (November 1999). "T6C5: A Czech tram for North America". Tramways & Urban Transit. Ian Allan Publishing/Light Rail Transit Association. p. 408.
8. TNERJ staff (Autumn 1997). "The New Ladies in Red". The New Electric Railway Journal. CityRail Ltd. 10 (1): 36–37. ISSN 1048-3845. Retrieved 2014-12-08.
9. "New Orleans RTA". New Orleans RTA. Retrieved September 24, 2019.
10. Evans, Beau. "Streetcars to run all night along Canal Street, Riverfront". Nola.com - The Times Picayune. Retrieved October 1, 2018.
11. "New Orleans RTA". New Orleans RTA. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
12. "New Orleans Regional Transit Authority". New Orleans Regional Transit Authority. Retrieved August 3, 2022.

External links

Template:Attached KML/Riverfront Streetcar Line

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• Riverfront Streetcar line schedule