NEW ORLEANS — Amid a Carnival-like atmosphere, streetcars began rolling Saturday past the historic mansions of this city’s Garden District for the first time since Hurricane Katrina halted the St. Charles Avenue line more than two years ago.
While only about half of the line is reopened, many see the return of the 1920s-era green cars as a sign of progress in the city’s recovery and a morale booster.
“It’s like having another piece of the puzzle, another piece of the city” that has returned, said Melisa Rey, who rode on the first of a string of cars with her husband, Tom, and 10-month-old daughter, Jeanne-Marie. “It’s so nice to finally have some good publicity,” Tom Rey added.
Six of the 13 miles the cars once ran are now open on the St. Charles line, and officials hope to restore full service by spring.
It’s been slow-going in large part because of the cost and scope of the storm’s damage to the line’s power system, due for an upgrade before the August 2005 hurricane. Mark Major, general manager of the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority, praised federal highway officials for providing $14 million that he said was key to the resumption of the service.
Politicians and local officials were on hand, as they were in December when an initial loop of about 1.2 miles opened. But the feel was different, more festive.
On Saturday, a marching band led the streetcars down to the Lee Circle loop. Revelers dotted the oak-lined avenue – some waving or holding up drinks, others carrying signs that read “No More Bus” or “Welcome Back” or offering riders Mardi Gras beads or high-fives.
Councilwoman Stacy Head called the streetcars part of the city’s identity – “everything from the noise, the clanging down the avenue to the lights at night. The St. Charles line was the oldest continuously operating line in the world before Katrina shut it down.”
“It’s what makes New Orleans feel like home,” she said. “It’s as important as red beans and rice and Mardi Gras, and it’s hard to explain to people who aren’t part of this city how important this is as an icon and a real-life form of transportation.”
