<p>hi there!</p>
<p>first off, thank you so much to fallenchemist for your recommendation to stay at the maison st. charles. it is incredible here!</p>
<p>i'm hoping someone can answer a few questions about the streetcar.</p>
<p>how long would it take to ride from, say, my hotel to tulane? i've heard 20 minutes and then someone else said 45! i want to know because i just got my apartment (!!) and it's very close nearby.</p>
<p>i've seen that most streetcars seem quite full. are there any capacity issues? will i have a hard time getting on one when i'm commuting to school at around 8 am?</p>
<p>the other option i have is to bike to school but there's not a ton of room on st. charles to bike (maybe it looks that way to me because i'm used to country roads) so do people bike in the road there or on the sidewalk?</p>
<p>also, i thought different streetcars had their own tracks, but someone told me you can hop on a streetcar and it will take you in a circle, basically- it'll go through uptown and downtown, etc. in a loop. is that right? or do they have designated areas they go through?</p>
<p>can someone set me straight about the streetcar? we've met our quota for calling up and harassing the front desk lady with questions lmfao. thanks.</p>
<p>You can’t bike on the sidewalk because there isn’t a ‘ramp’ or whatever you call it at each street. There’s simply a 5 inch or so curb. Most people bike on the street, on the side. New Orleans is adding bike lanes to the city as we speak. I noticed a new one on Camp Street a few weeks back. Your other option for biking is to bike on a side street parallel to St. Charles. Not Prytania though, as it’s as busy as St. Charles. </p>
<p>The street car line you are referring to is infact a circle up until a point. Not all of the tracks are though. For instance, you could get on infront of Tulane’s Gibson building and ride that downriver all of the way until you got into downtown and Canal street. Then it will take you around Lee’s circle and back up towards Tulane (upriver). If you kept riding it though, you would end up where Carrolton meets Claiborne. </p>
<p>The problem with the street cars post Katrina is simply that for the longest time, there weren’t enough people living in the service areas so they didn’t run often to save on costs. They have started to get better and run more. </p>
<p>Here is a map of the routes with the stops listed. Trust me, it’s really not that difficult and is much less scary than riding a subway or taking a city bus. You can see where you are at all times and they don’t exactly veer off the tracks. Just remember to keep your arms and legs inside the vehicle at all times. I’m actually not joking. There are trees and lamp posts RIGHT along side the track. Don’t think because you can raise and lower the windows it’s safe. </p>
<p><a href=“http://www.lsuhsc.edu/no/images/streetcar.jpg[/url]”>http://www.lsuhsc.edu/no/images/streetcar.jpg</a></p>
<p>Also, please, please, please, use the word streetcar as you have already. It is not a trolley no matter how many times tourists use that word. lol. It’s a great identifier of non-locals. It’s right up there with wearing Mardi Gras beads when it’s not Mardi Gras (or another big festival.)</p>
<p>Another map:<a href=“Photo and Video Storage | Photobucket”>Photo and Video Storage | Photobucket;
<p>wow, thank you!! those maps are incredibly helpful, especially the last one. i definitely have the st. charles one down pat as i road almost the whole way. my final question is how to tell which streetcar is which when you’re on canal because all four go there. does it say so on the streetcars or maybe on signs somewhere? 'cause the st. charles one drops you right off by bourbon and there were at least two other streetcars in the middle of canal at the time as well.</p>
<p>seriously, thanks SO much! you’ve helped me a lot. you’re right, this is waaay easier than other modes of public transportation.</p>
<p>I am almost certain that the colors of the streetcars are different for the different routes. The St. Charles line is green, the others are red. Double check, but I think that is right.</p>
<p>To go back to the conflicting times you were given, I suspect that the 20 minutes is how long it takes once you are on the streetcar (because that is how long it takes from there to Tulane), and the 45 minutes is telling you “you could easily have to wait 25 minutes to catch one”. And that can be true even during the day sometimes, although it usually isn’t.</p>
<p>thanks so much!</p>
<p>you’re right; the st. charles one is green. i think all the others are red… so i’d just have to figure out the rest when i’m there (which is which at canal.)</p>
<p>i forgot to time it but from the hotel to tulane, it took ~25 minutes, so to be safe i’ll leave my place about 45 minutes before class. i read online that the st. charles streetcar comes every eight minutes and that seemed to be accurate.</p>
<p>The streetcar system, while it’s cheap and can be fun, is not the most timely transportation. I’ve often had to wait 45 minutes to an hour…and VERY rarely have I waited 8 minutes. They’re a nice, relaxing way to get around, however if you’re looking for strict, to-the-minute transportation, they can be stressful.</p>