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12/3/2020
The New Orleans Regional Transit Authority (NORTA) earlier this week welcomed three newly modified streetcars to its fleet that are now complaint with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The vehicles — retrofitted Riverfront streetcars — are equipped with wheelchair lifts at the front and rear to better accommodate riders with limited mobility and those who use wheelchairs and walkers.
The streetcars began service Dec. 1 on the St. Charles Line.
The project also included modification of 12 St. Charles Streetcar Line stops, which were regraded and rebuilt to feature platforms wide enough for streetcar operators to deploy ramps. The stops also sport tactile warning strips and protective bollards.
The project was funded by NORTA and the city of New Orleans, with $160,000 for engineering and construction administrative services and $400,000 for engineering costs, NORTA officials said in a press release.
Dating to 1835, the St. Charles Streetcar Line is the oldest continuously operating streetcar line in the United States.