Monorail!

I spent much of this afternoon trying to find out exactly who Transport For NOLA is and why they're so interested in offering us free advice on redeveloping our public transit system. As a citizen of New Orleans, I am interested in improving city services such as transportation but am generally suspicious of folks who make single-issue advocacy a full-time hobby. I am especially suspicious when the full-time hobbyism comes with the dreaded Monorail! proposal. (As we've said previously, this is one of your classic red flags) Usually when someone gets this interested in potential development, it's because they see themselves with a piece of the action eventually.

But, hey, maybe this bunch is on the up-and-up. They write pretty ideas on their website which I would like to support.

Transport for NOLA is an idea: state-of-the art transportation in New Orleans as a public service and a public good.

And it is a group of people: advocating for the creation of public transit in New Orleans that provides transport choices and transportation innovation for New Orleanians. We want transit that is connected to our daily lives, that is a public service, that we use by choice.

But, again, who the heck is this "group of people" and what do they want? The site doesn't tell us. Neither does the Facebook page, although it does have 60 "fans" Are any of the "fans" involved with it? Who knows? (Side note: I am curious about this organization and would like to keep up to date with its activity but am hesitant to add myself as a "fan" because I don't want to make an implicit endorsement of something I'm just curious about. It's one of the worst things about the way social media works these days)

Last week, the investigative journalists at The Lens told me this about Transport for NOLA.

Thankfully, citizens organized Transport For Nola, which quickly raised awareness of the impending decision and advocated for a hybrid proposal essentially combining the Loyola Avenue and Rampart Street routes. Though their composite idea didn’t make it into the RTA’s grant applications, the public relations brush fire they caused was enough to ensure that the RTA didn’t simply submit the Convention Center route.

Well done, "citizens"! Looks like you saved our asses.... or at least managed to get tangentially credited for doing so. But, again, who are you?

In comments below a subsequent Lens opinion piece, someone named "Jeff" identifies himself with Transport for NOLA while arguing 1) That Governor PBJ has a poor grasp of the value of investing in infrastructure. (I agree with that) 2) Perhaps improvements to Union Passenger Terminal and rail development could be funded through Tax Increment Financing (Not so sure I would agree with that) He is obviously very interested in this development happening. But... who is he?

So, because I'm curious, I've been "following" T-for NOLA on Twitter. (I like that "follow" thing much better than "friending" or "fanning" It's much nearer to describing my nosing around) And this afternoon, this pops up.

CityBusiness features TfNOLA's comments on new streetcar line; RTA still not committed to connecting to Lee Circle

Here's the CityBiz piece.

New Orleans will receive $45 million in federal money to build a streetcar line along Loyola Avenue in the Central Business District, and transportation advocates would like to see it connected with the St. Charles Avenue route and the Bywater neighborhood.

The nonprofit Transport for NOLA was among the groups that reviewed route options before planners submitted a proposal to the U.S. Department of Transportation for grant consideration. The advocacy group supports the proposed Loyola route but wants the Regional Transit Authority to use the money to improve streetcar access to other parts of the city.

The Loyola line will run from Canal Street to the Union Passenger Terminal, taking passengers through the Central Business District, past City Hall and near the Louisiana Superdome to the city’s Amtrak passenger train station.

Jeff Schwartz, a Transport for NOLA founding member and urban planner, is calling for the RTA to turn its attention now to extending the Loyola line down contiguous Rampart Street and St. Claude Avenue until it reaches Press Street in the Bywater.

“Without this, the $45 million won’t amount to much,” Schwartz said. “Who will ride a line only for less than a mile from Union Passenger Terminal to Canal Street? It needs to connect to neighborhoods.”

Jeff Schwartz. Okay okay that's this guy. He's that guy on Blogger who would always confuse the hell out of the comment threads at WCBF whenever he and I were in the same conversation. I sort of know who that is. He usually has a lot of helpful stuff to say. In the quote above, he says something very helpful which I agree with very strongly.

Although this other stuff, I dunno, seems a little nit-picky.

During an interview on WIST Radio last week, Schwartz noted to an RTA official that there was no connection between the Loyola line and the existing St. Charles Avenue route as was proposed last year during the community review process. Justin Augstine, who oversees RTA operations for management contractor Veolia, said money from the $45 million grant will be used to connect the Loyola line with St. Charles via existing rail on Howard Avenue.

Schwartz also suggested that RTA officials improve the design of the Loyola line.

“Currently, the RTA is looking at six stops along the 0.75 miles between the UPT and Canal Street,” he said. “That is more stops per mile than you even get on the St. Charles line today, and that means slow service.”

Here's what I don't understand about this. On the one hand, Schwartz is saying that the Loyola line stops too often meaning that people should be able to walk a bit further to catch a stop. On the other hand, he's disappointed that the St. Charles line, which stops at Carondelet and Howard, won't connect to UPT? That's like a three block walk as it is. Anyway, now maybe I'm being nit-picky.

I still do wonder why Schwartz doesn't put his name on his monorail drawings. At the very least, it would help me to know that the "group of citizens" I was interested in following had professional planning experience.