Yesterday, New Orleans Regional Transit Authority (RTA) officials and U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood formally launched construction on the Union Passenger Terminal/Loyola Avenue streetcar project.
“The New Orleans streetcar project will create jobs, economic opportunities and greater transit choices,” LaHood said in a prepared statement.
In addition, LaHood announced the RTA will receive a $400,000 grant from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to establish a program to assist in the hiring and training of skilled streetcar maintenance workers.
The streetcar extension, which received $45 million through the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) program in 2010, is expected to begin service in June 2012.
The extension will run through New Orleans’ central business district along Loyola Avenue from the Union Passenger Terminal to Canal Street. The terminal is a major southern hub for Amtrak, which operates three trains that serve the station.
Keywords
Browse articles on New Orleans Regional Transit Authority on Progressive Railroading
More articles
- High-speed rail's blurry and beaten path
- Removing HSR's 'either/or' tag
- California HSR officials contend with criticism
- Auto traffic helps keep Class Is on the road to revenue growth
- To boost revenue, transit agency execs try to think outside the farebox
- C&S: Suppliers prep wayside components to cover the dark territory & trackside monitoring aspects of PTC
- Maintenance of way: Ballast maintenance practices
- Workers Wanted: Railroads on target to hire 15,000 this year
- Rail industry data and trends from Progressive Railroading June 2011
- Florida Gov. Scott gives go-ahead for SunRail project
