The Role of Passenger Rail Transportation in Post-Katrina New
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Gulf Coast Research Center for Evacuation and Transportation Resiliency LSU / UNO University Transportation Center RAILS TO RECOVERY: The Role of Passenger Rail Transportation in Post-Katrina New Orl eans and Louisiana Final Report James R. Amdal Support Team Stanley L. Swigart, Research Associate Tara Tolford, Graduate Assistant Laurence Aude Ringenbach, Visiting Intern Performing Organization Gulf Coast Research Center for Evacuation and Transportation Resiliency Merritt C. Becker Jr. University of New Orleans Transportation Institute New Orleans, LA Sponsoring Agency United States Department of Transportation Research and Innovative Technology Administration RAILS TO RECOVERY: THE ROLE OF PASSENGER RAIL TRANSPORTATION IN POST-KATRINA NEW ORLEANS AND LOUISIANA GCCETR-11-02 by James R. Amdal, Director Merritt C. Becker, Jr. University of New Orleans Transportation Institute UNOTI Support Team Stanley L. Swigart, Research Associate Tara Tolford, Graduate Assistant Laurence Aude Ringenbach, Visiting Intern for Gulf Coast Research Center for Evacuation and Transportation Resiliency (GCCETR) Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Louisiana State University Baton Rouge, LA 70803 The University of New Orleans Department of Planning and Urban Studies New Orleans, LA 70148 June 2011 Technical Report Documentation Page 1. Report No. 2. Government Accession No. 3. Recipient’s Catalog No. GCCETR-11-02 4. Title and Subtitle 5. Report Date RAILS TO RECOVERY: May 2011 THE ROLE OF PASSENGER RAIL TRANSPORTATION IN POST-KATRINA NEW ORLEANS AND LOUISIANA 6. Performing Organization Code 7. Author(s) 8. Performing Organization Report No. James R. Amdal, Stanley L. Swigart, Tara M. Tolford Laurance Aude Ringenbach, Visiting Intern 9. Performing Organization Name and Address 10. Work Unit No. (TRAIS) University of New Orleans Transportation Institute 11. Contract or Grant No. Milneburg Hall 368 2000 Lakeshore Drive New Orleans, LA 70148 12. Sponsoring Agency Name and Address 13. Type of Report and Period Covered Gulf Coast Center for Evacuation and Transportation Resiliency (GCCETR) 14. Sponsoring Agency Code Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Louisiana State University Baton Rouge, LA 70803 15. Supplementary Notes 16. Abstract The purpose of this research is: 1) to inform decision makers at both the state and local level on options for successfully implementing a proposed passenger train between New Orleans and Baton Rouge; 2) to evaluate the potential impacts of new streetcar extensions on growth and development within select service corridors within the City of New Orleans. Both of these projects are viewed within the context of a post- Katrina environment. This report also provides a Summer 2010 ‘snapshot in time’ of existing and proposed real estate developentm along and adjacent to the proposed streetcar extensions in and adjoining the New Orleans Central Business District, and evaluates the relationship between real estate development and transit investment in post-Katrina New Orleans. Research findings include: Two key ingredients to date have been lacking in the proposed NO-BR passenger rail service: 1) effective leadership championing the project; 2) creative solutions to funding the annual operating deficit. In New Orleans, several significant projects are being developed or have been designed in response to the Loyola Streetcar project and the proposed N. Rampart – St. Claude streetcar line. However, the vast majority of post-Katrina real estate investments have no relation to the funded or proposed Program of Projects by the Regional Transit Authority. This is due to the absence of pro-active planning by the City Planning Commission and the City Council that links land use decisions with transportation investments. 17. Key Words 18. Distribution Statement No restrictions. Copies available from GCCETR: rail passenger transit; post-Katrina recovery; new passenger rail service www.evaccenter.lsu.edu between New Orleans and Baton Rouge; streetcar extensions in New Orleans 19. Security Classification (of this report) 20. Security Classification (of this page) 21. No. of Pages 22. Price Unclassified Unclassified 146 NA i — ii — THE ROLE OF PASSENGER RAIL TRANSPORTATION IN POST-KATRINA NEW ORLEANS AND LOUISIANA ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The research team would like to acknowledge the following individuals for their assistance in the development of this research project. They provided valuable insight and understanding with regard to the evolving nature of decision- making for post-Katrina recovery in both New Orleans and throughout southern Louisiana. Colonel Thomas Atkinson Deputy Assistant Secretary, LA Department of Transportation and Development (retired) Justin Augustine Vice President, Veolia Transportation CEO, Regional Transit Authority (RTA) Board of Commissioners Southern High-Speed Rail Commission Adrienne Bond The Domain Companies Winsome Bowen HDR / Project Manager for RTA‘s Streetcar Extension Program Walter Brooks Regional Planning Commission Sandy Campbell Electric Railroaders’ Assoc., Inc. Sprague Library Collection Lauren Cason Hyatt Regency Hotel Henry Charlot Downtown Development District Jacquelyn Brechtel Clarkson Vice President, NOLA City Council Randy Carmichael BKI / Project Manager for NO-BR Passenger Rail Project James P. Coleman, Jr. Holiday Inn New Orleans – Downtown Superdome Karen E. Collins Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System Cynthia Connick Canal Street Development Corporation Sean Cummings Ekistics / New Orleans Building Corporation Rachel Diresto Center for Planning Excellence Terry Doyle Mid-Region Council of Governments Albuquerque, NM Shea Embry Bywater Neighborhood Association Allen Eskew Eskew + Dumez + Ripple Bob Farnsworth National World War II Museum Dr. George Friedman, Jr. University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana Brian Gibbs Brian Gibbs Development, LLC David Garcia KFK Group Tanya R. Haase Tulane University School of Medicine Stacy Head District B, NOLA City Council Debra Huffington TriMet, Portland Oregon Bob Johnson Ernest N. Morial New Orleans Convention Center Pres Kabacoff HRI Properties Barry Kern Mardi Gras World Elie Khoury KFK Group Sue Klein North Rampart Main Street Corporation Greg Lambousy Louisiana State Museum John Magill Historic New Orleans Center Ray Manning Manning Associates Stefan Marks Veolia Transportation / Regional Transit Authority James P. McNamara Greater New Orleans Regional BioSciences Economic Development District Kristin Gisleson Palmer District C, NOLA City Council — iii — Chris Papamichael The Domain Companies Karen Parsons Regional Planning Commission Patricia Quinn Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority (NNEPRA) Yolanda Rodriguez New Orleans City Planning Commission Rob Schupp Metropolitan Transit System (San Diego, CA) Jack Stewart, PhD Lafayette Square Association Lou Talabloo Factors Row, LLC Elizabeth “Boo” Thomas Center for Planning Excellence Peter Trapolin Trapolin – Peer Architects Wayne Troyer Wayne Troyer Architects Clay Van Deventer Holiday Inn New Orleans – Downtown Superdome Paul Waidhas, AICP BKI, Vice President of Planning Marcel Wisznia Wisznia Development Special thanks to members of the Gulf Coast Center for Evacuation and Transportation Resiliency (GCCETR) at the University of New Orleans for their on-going guidance and support: Dr. W.M. Fields, Dr. John Renne. This project was funded by the GCCETR. DISCLAIMER The contents of this report reflect the views of the authors, who are solely responsible for the facts and the accuracy of the material and information presented herein. This document is disseminated under the sponsorship of the U.S. Department of Transportation University Transportation Centers Program in the interest of information exchange. The U.S. Government assumes no liability for the contents or use thereof. The contents do not necessarily reflect the official views of the U.S. Government. This report does not constitute a standard, specification, or regulation. — iv — THE ROLE OF PASSENGER RAIL TRANSPORTATION IN POST-KATRINA NEW ORLEANS AND LOUISIANA TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...............................................................................................................................................1 CHAPTER 1: PROJECT OVERVIEW ............................................................................................................................4 Introduction ..............................................................................................................................................................................4 Background: A Brief History of Passenger Rail Transportation in LA and New Orleans .....................................................6 Project Descriptions and Research Objectives .........................................................................................................................9 Methodology ...........................................................................................................................................................................10 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW AND CASE STUDY FINDINGS ...................................................................11 Literature Review: Passenger Rail Implementation and Operation, and the Land Use-Transportation Lin .....................11 Introduction ..........................................................................................................................................................................11 General Themes