LarryK's post was quite useful. Good perspective on what has happened.

Peter, this conversation has moved forward. They do that. The focus shifts. Go back to the beginning and read through and maybe you'll see what I mean. Introduction of new aspects of an argument is a logical way to proceed.

Carol, of the two, the Times-Picayune article is very good and the most useful. That's the kind of documentation needed here.

Truehill, Wilkins and others said emergency preparedness officials still plan to deploy some Regional Transit Authority buses, school buses and perhaps even Amtrak trains to move some people before a storm.

An RTA emergency plan dedicates 64 buses and 10 lift vans to move people somewhere; whether that means out of town or to local shelters of last resort would depend on emergency planners' decision at that moment, RTA spokeswoman Rosalind Cook said.

But even the larger buses hold only about 60 people each, a rescue capacity that is dwarfed by the unmet need.

These are the buses that I was referring to, the municipal variety, that have established routes that could be modified to take riders to the evacuation site, in this case, the SuperDome. Finding out what actually happened regarding this system that was discussed will no doubt be part of the investigation into this disastrous evacuation.

Only someone acquainted with NOLA and it's neighborhoods and bus and streetcar lines will know if any or all of this could/should have been pressed into service:

http://www.neworleanscvb.com/listings/index.cfm/catID/12/hit/1/sectionID/1/subsectionID/353/

Getting Around


New Orleans is one of the world's busiest ports and the cultural capital of the South, yet the city is remarkably compact and easy to navigate. Visitors are always pleasantly surprised to learn that many of the city's attractions, accommodations and event venues are within walking distance of each other; in fact, "hoofing it" (in New Orleans' case, translated as walking or grabbing a mule-drawn carriage) is a favorite means of transportation in the Crescent City.

But, if you prefer wheels to legs, New Orleans has a very accessible and reasonably priced public transportation system, too. It only costs $1.25 to take an RTA bus . . . or one of the city's famed streetcars, which travel St. Charles Avenue, the Riverfront and Canal Street. Where else can you actually ride on a historic landmark? Grab a free VisiTour Guide, a city map with hundreds of landmarks and attractions along with bus and streetcar schedules, and you are on your way in no time.

Of course, as one of the world's top convention and meeting destinations, New Orleans also has a range of national car rental agencies, and taxi and limousine services are available around the clock. Many of the city's hotels and attractions offer free shuttle services, and there are a great variety of guided tours throughout the city and its environs.

Being surrounded by water is not a complication in New Orleans; in fact, it offers one more reason to travel in style. Several luxury cruise lines call New Orleans a home port, and riverboats go rollin' on the river just like they've done for more than a century. If street traffic is tight, you can always take a ferry to Algiers or a river shuttle between Audubon Institute attractions!



http://www.neworleanscvb.com/static/index.cfm/contentID/543/sectionID/1/subsectionID/0/

Bus: $1.50 will get you from the airport to Tulane Avenue near Elks Place, a few blocks from the Superdome and Canal Street. Departs every 10 minutes from 6-9 am and 3-6 pm and every 23 minutes otherwise. Operating hours: 6am-6:30 pm.


St. Charles Avenue streetcar: Have you ever ridden in a national historic landmark? Shell out just $1.25, board a streetcar, and you, too, can answer "yes" to that question. Streetcars have been rumbling along St. Charles Avenue since 1835. The current route runs over 13 miles downtown from Canal Street along St. Charles, past Greek Revival mansions and raised cottages, Tulane University and Audubon Park and beyond the shops at the Riverbend, where it takes a right-hand turn onto Carrollton Avenue. The St. Charles Avenue streetcar made its inaugural run as the Carrollton Railroad, which shuttled passengers between the French Quarter and the resort town of Carrollton. Thousands of residents still commute to work on the 35 olive-green electric cars.

Riverfront streetcar: For $1.25, you can ride the new red streetcars, handcrafted in New Orleans by woodworkers and metal smiths. The two-mile route of the Ladies in Red includes stops at all the right places: the Convention Center at Julia Street, Riverwalk, the Aquarium of the Americas, the French Market and the Old Mint on Esplanade.

Canal Streetcar: After a 40-year absence, streetcars have returned to Canal Street in 2004, a central artery of New Orleans that forms one of the boundaries of the French Quarter. On the Canal streetcar line, passengers can ride over four miles from the Mississippi to the city's famed cemeteries, with a "spur" near the end leading to the New Orleans Museum of Art in City Park. The 24 new streetcars on the line closely resemble the historic Perley Thomas 900 Series cars that currently operate on the St. Charles Avenue line, and which ran on Canal Street until that line was discontinued in 1964. Traditional in appearance, they will offer two welcome updates: wheelchair accessibility and air conditioning.