RTA: The St. Charles Avenue Streetcar Line

History of the St. Charles Line

Streetcars of the St. Charles Line

Care and Upkeep of the Streetcars

The streetcars of the St. Charles line are maintained at the RTA's Carrollton Barn facility, on Oak St. uptown. The craftsmen at the Carrollton Barn are some of the nation's foremost experts in streetcar preservation and maintenance. Because these streetcars are over 70 years old, parts have to be fabricated from scratch. Brake systems had to be re-engineered to meet stricter modern safety standards, and the cars were renovated almost completely from top to bottom before going out on the line. Like the St. Charles cars return daily to the Barn when not onduty, and undergo regular periodic maintenance there.

The St. Charles Route

Stop #1 for the St. Charles Streetcar is at the corner of Canal and Carondelet Streets. The streetcar turns onto Canal Street, then back around again on St. Charles for the trip uptown. The car travels the length of St. Charles Avenue, turning onto Carrollton Avenue at the Riverbend. The line continues up Carrollton to Claiborne Ave., where the line terminates.

The return trip is the opposite of the outbound trip up to St. Charles Ave. and Lee Circle. St. Charles Ave. becomes one-way outbound at Lee Circle, so the final leg of the inbound trip takes Carondelet St. to get back to Canal St.

How to Ride the Streetcar

The one-way fare for the Riverfront line is the standard $1.00 for all regular RTA Lines (The Riverfront Streetcar line is $1.25). Transfers are an additional ten cents. Fares must be paid and transfers obtained when boarding. You can also use your VisiTour one-day or three-day pass to ride the St. Charles Line. Board the Perley Thomas cars and pay your fare at the front; exit at the rear. Pull the bell cord running the length of the car before your stop to signal the driver you want to get off.

Regular RTA rules are in effect on the Riverfront line.

Back to Getting Around New Orleans

Back to the VNO Home Page

This World Wide Web document is provided as a public service by Yatcom Communications, Inc. Yatcom Communications is a consulting/public relations company dedicated to using computer technology to promote the City of New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.

Comments are welcome: e-mail to vno@yatcom.com