DESIRE STREETCAR LINE

THE RTA IS REQUESTING $39,600,000 OF FTA SECTION 5309 NEW START FUNDS FOR THE CORRIDOR ONCE OCCUPIED BY THE FABLED STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE THROUGH SOME OF NEW ORLEANS OLDEST AND HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS. THE MAJOR INVESTMENT STUDY PHASE BEGAN IN MAY OF 1998. TO DATE, CONGRESS HAS APPROPRIATED $6 MILLION OF FTA NEW START FUNDING TO THE PROJECT.

THE PROPOSED DESIRE STREETCAR LINE WILL ALLOW THE RTA TO CONSOLIDATE A NUMBER OF BUS ROUTES AWAY FROM THE HISTORICALLY AND STRUCTURALLY SENSITIVE FRENCH QUARTER. THE LINE IS EXPECTED TO IMPROVE THE OVERALL EFFICIENCY OF THE RTA SYSTEM BY ALLOWING FOR HIGHER OPERATING SPEEDS AND SHORTER TRAVEL TIME FOR BUSES NOW FORCED TO USE CONGESTED FRENCH QUARTER STREETS. THE DESIRE STREETCAR WILL PROVIDE DIRECT SERVICE TO THE FRENCH QUARTER, FAUBOURG MARIGNY AND BYWATER NEIGHBORHOODS WHICH ARE OTHERWISE INACCESSIBLE TO REGULAR TRANSIT SERVICE. IN ADDITION, THE LINE WILL SERVE TWO MAJOR DEFENSE FACILITIES; THE U.S. COAST GUARD SUPPORT CENTER AND THE NAVY'S F. EDWARD HEBERT DEFENSE COMPLEX.

THE MIS IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED IN JUNE OF 1999.

TRANSIT PROGRAM APPROPRIATIONS

THE REGIONAL TRANSIT AUTHORITY URGES AND REQUESTS THAT CONGRESS APPROPRIATE TO THE HIGHEST LEVELS POSSIBLE UNDER THE TERMS AUTHORIZED IN TEA 21. TEA 21 INCLUDES INCREASED LEVELS OF FUNDING FOR TRANSIT - INCREASES THAT ARE SORELY NEEDED. THE RTA SINCERELY HOPES THAT CONGRESS FOLLOWS THROUGH ON THAT PROMISE BY APPROPRIATING TO THE LEVELS AUTHORIZED.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION WITH THESE
REQUESTS ON BEHALF OF THE REGIONAL TRANSIT AUTHORITY.

For your reference, attached you will find additional information on the RTA and its requests.

**RTA

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CANAL STREET CORRIDOR

Reinstatement of Light Rail/Streetcar service to the Canal Street Corridor of New Orleans. The 4.15 mile (8.3 round trip) line will extend from the New Orleans riverfront at the Mississippi to the Mid City neighborhood.

$90,967,740 of Federal Transit Administration (FTA) New Start funding is requested for the project. To date, $54,573,000 of FTA New Start funds have been obtained through Congressional appropriations.

TEA 21 authorized final design & construction. ISTEA authorized $4.8 million for alternative analysis, preliminary engineering and environmental impact statement in 1992.

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Matching funds of $24,800,000 are being
sought through the State of Louisiana Capital
Outlay process for this vital transportation
infrastructure project.

$181,209,700 Project Total

The return of light rail service to downtown New Orleans will promote economic development and significantly reduce congestion and auto emissions. Streetcar service will enhance access to major state investments, such as the Louisiana Superdome, the Convention Center, the LSU/Tulane Medical District, and the proposed arena. 30 diesel fueled vehicles will be removed from this corridor once streetcar service is restored. Ridership on the streetcar is anticipated to exceed the current bus count of 20,000 by an additional 18,000 passengers.

This project has completed Major Investment Analysis (MIA). Corridor selection, the approval of the Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA), was made on March 28, 1995. Preliminary engineerir.g and the Draft Environmental Impact Statement was completed in May of 1997. The final EIS was completed in August of 1997 with the Record of Decision issued soon thereafter. Final Design is underway.

Construction is projected to begin in 2000 with the line opening in the year 2002. Included will be innovative project cost savings proposals, including the utilization of an existing heavy maintenance facility, and the assembly of the streetcars locally.

2/99

STATEMENT:

DESIRE STREETCAR LINE
RECONSTRUCTION

Design and reconstruct the fabled Streetcar
Named Desire route as the major transit artery
it once was. Utilizing the venerable Royal and
Bourbon/Dauphine Streets, the four mile (8
miles round-trip) line would travel through the
historic New Orleans neighborhoods of Bywater,
Faubourg Marigny and the Vieux Carre (the
French Quarter). The route was "rediscovered"
when investigating the possible downriver
extension of the Riverfront Streetcar line
which was scrapped due to poor ridership
projections.

$39,600,000 in and funding is requested from
the Federal Transit Administration New Start
program through Congressional legislation.

The $13,400,000 of local match remains to be

identified.

$6,000,000 has been appropriated to the Desire Corridor Project todate.

$57,000,000

This proposed line should deliver a much higher and effective level of transit service to the French Quarter, Faubourg Marigny and Bywater neighborhoods than exists presently. It will allow the removal of all transit vehicles from the historically and structurally sensitive French Quarter while providing direct CBD service to/from two major defense facilities located at the far end of the line along the Industrial Canal. The line is expected to improve the overall efficiency of the system by allowing higher operating speeds and shorter travel time for buses forced to utilize congested French Quarter streets.

504-248-3637

PARSONS BRINCKERHOFF

Desire Corridor MIS

RTA