RTA expansion project begins

Streetcars+line+up+on+Canal+Street+%E2%80%98s+downtown+track.+A+new+streetcar+route+planned+to+run+along+Rampart+Street+is+currently+in+the+works.

Austin Hummel

Streetcars line up on Canal Street ‘s downtown track. A new streetcar route planned to run along Rampart Street is currently in the works.

Sidney Holmes

The New Orleans Regional Transit Authority has plans to expand the range of streetcars around the city.

The RTA has created a route for a new streetcar track on Rampart Street. The streetcar will travel from Canal Street to Elysian Fields Avenue.

Instead of running on the neutral ground, the track will be situated in the left lane on both sides of the street.

According to the RTA’s website, the track’s location was chosen because there isn’t enough space on the neutral ground to fit two streetcars. The track is positioned on the left side as opposed to the right so that the parking spots outside of local businesses won’t be eliminated.

Construction began in January, and the estimated completion date for the track is July 12, 2015. From that point, the next milestone is the installation of the half-grand union track that will connect to the Canal Street streetcar track. Completion of the entire operation is expected for the third quarter of 2016.

The new Rampart streetcar is the first project of the RTA’s French Quarter expansion project.

Aside from linking Canal Street to Elysian Fields Avenue, a designated bike lane is also a part of the plan.

The streetcars on this track will be red, similar to the ones that run down North Carrollton Avenue and Loyola Avenue.

The track is expected to cater to the more than 700,000 residents that live in the area surrounding the French Quarter.

There are mixed opinions from locals about the streetcar. Some residents, like criminal justice sophomore Jacqueline Allen, are excited about the city’s future addition.

“The streetcar would be a great addition to the transportation of the city for those who are local and tourists the same,” Allen said.

Others like Jensen Tran, pre-med freshman, have some concerns.

“If we add a new streetcar, will they affect the horrible traffic we already have?” Tran asked.

According to RTA, during construction, there will be changes to traffic control as needed.

The website states that the streetcars will have little to no impact on traffic once they are in use, because they will operate similar to buses and the in-road streetcars on Loyola Avenue and North Carrollton Avenue.