RIDE THE ZYDECO SPECIALS!

[festivalgirl]

So, the #91, #42 & Streetcar will be $5.00 each way. If it's going to cost us $20/day, I'd rather give it to a Cab Driver than NORTA.

9:45A cabs from the HI???

GOING TO THE JAZZ FEST! AVOID THE HASSLES! RIDE THE ZYDECO SPECIALS!

RTA IS GOING YOUR WAY!!

Come and enjoy the 39th Anniversary New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival!!

Avoid the hassles of traffic and parking, take the convenient RTA streetcars and buses to the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. As a special service to those going to Jazz Fest, the Regional Transit Authority is providing safe, inexpensive alternatives to taking your car to the Fest. Look for the RTA ZYDECO SPECIAL.

The Zydeco Special City Park/Museum Canal Street Streetcar can be boarded along the Riverfront between the French Market and Canal Street, or at any stop on the line between the Mississippi River and Carrollton Avenue. Ride to the end of the line at Beauregard Circle near the Fairgrounds.

RTA ZYDECO SPECIAL buses will also provide service to the Fest, bringing you so close you can almost hear the music: the Esplanade and the Canal Street ZYDECO SPECIAL buses, using the Carrollton spur route, will go to Esplanade and Grand Route St. John.

And if you want to park your car in a safe spot and ride to the Fest, the special-service Zydeco Park-and-Ride will depart from the parking lot under the I-610 at Elysian Fields and bring you directly to the Fest. The Zydeco Park-and-Ride will run Friday, Saturday, and Sunday both weeks of Jazz Fest.

The RTA ZYDECO SPECIAL Esplanade, Canal buses and the streetcars will operate every day of the Fest.

Fares on all Zydeco Special vehicles are $5.00 each way; exact fare required; no change is available.

Call RTA Rideline (504) 248-3900 for additional information.

[tabasco]

$5.00??? Wasn't it $2.00 last year? Looks like a cab for us too!

[festivalgirl]

$5.00??? Wasn't it $2.00 last year? Looks like a cab for us too!

$1.25 - regular transit fare!

[swag]

Even in 2006, when the regular buses were free, the zydeco specials were $3.

I'm not sure what they were thinking - it's hard to imagine any reason to ride the special buses to fest now, as opposed to a taxi. The taxi will cost the same including a nice tip, will take you directly to/from your hotel, and will be quicker (fewer stops, can avoid traffic).

The bus might makes sense if you're solo, but if you walk to the bus stop, you could find others waiting and just share a cab with them. Going home, the dispatcher will join you into a group, so no worry there.

But, the 610 & Elysian park & ride is an interesting option, compared to Marconi. It's probably easier to get in and out of, parking at both is free, it's $10 vs $16 for the ride to fest, and you can still hang out pre/post fest at Liuzzas.

[swag]

I'm also curious about the logistics of charging $5 for the streetcar. Will a local, not going to fest, who rides up Canal to Carrollton be charged 4 times his usual fare?

[festivalgirl]

Even in 2006, when the regular buses were free, the zydeco specials were $3.

I'm not sure what they were thinking - it's hard to imagine any reason to ride the special buses to fest now, as opposed to a taxi. The taxi will cost the same including a nice tip, will take you directly to/from your hotel, and will be quicker (fewer stops, can avoid traffic).

The bus might makes sense if you're solo, but if you walk to the bus stop, you could find others waiting and just share a cab with them. Going home, the dispatcher will join you into a group, so no worry there.

But, the 610 & Elysian park & ride is an interesting option, compared to Marconi. It's probably easier to get in and out of, parking at both is free, it's $10 vs $16 for the ride to fest, and you can still hang out pre/post fest at Liuzzas.

They weren't thinking. $3 was okay - they needed the money & it was still less than a cab. Oh well, so much for public transpo.

Is it still $4/person for cabs?

[mdfest]

bite the hand that feeds you

wonder the fare for the canal streetcar?

[swag]

Cabs rates are unchanged since last year: $4/person, or the meter, whichever is higher. Meter fare from the Quarter is usually pretty close to $12, depending where exactly you start from. With 3 in the cab, most cabbies don't seem to bother with the meter. With 2 in the cab, they will.

Plus tip.

[swag]

They weren't thinking.

I actually traded a few emails with their cust. svc. department about this earlier in the week. They seemed to regard their main competition as being the $16+ Fest Shuttles, not cabs, despite my attempts to point out the error of their ways...

[festivalgirl]

I actually traded a few emails with their cust. svc. department about this earlier in the week. They seemed to regard their main competition as being the $16+ Fest Shuttles, not cabs, despite my attempts to point out the error of their ways...

Wow, you're a brave man trading emails with civil servants. Thanx for trying!! :)

[duende]

thanks for catching this - I was already thinking about buying tokens on arrival, and being the knuckle-head who was $3.75 short! You've got to hand it to local government and their ability to reach into a bucketful of opportunities and pull out a lose-lose solution.

I'm from Missouri on this one - show me incontrovertible proof that a bus (with room on-board) will actually run before 11 a.m. on the Esplanade route AND stop for me at Esplanade & Rampart, and I may consider it over a cab. But not if the cab stops first.

[festivalgirl]

thanks for catching this - I was already thinking about buying tokens on arrival, and being the knuckle-head who was $3.75 short! You've got to hand it to local government and their ability to reach into a bucketful of opportunities and pull out a lose-lose solution.

I'm from Missouri on this one - show me incontrovertible proof that a bus (with room on-board) will actually run before 11 a.m. on the Esplanade route AND stop for me at Esplanade & Rampart, and I may consider it over a cab. But not if the cab stops first.

We've always taken the Esplanade bus and been @ Liuzza's for 10:15A Bloody Marys. We'd get on at St. Ann and always got a seat. I always prefer to give money to a private citizen over the govt. My uncle was a NYC cab driver - worked his butt off his whole life.

I've got left over tokens from last year ... I guess we can use them Tues. & Wed.

[BillericayDicky]

Perhaps we should start a Taxi pool. I know that there are many TH's staying at HIFQ. We (Me and Mrs. BD) are staying round the corner at Astor Crowne Plaza and are willing to share a cab each morning of second week.

[swag]

Wow, you're a brave man trading emails with civil servants. Thanx for trying!! :)

Well, to their credit, I sent the email 8:30 pm on Sunday night, and was astonished to receive a reply (from a person) within 2 hours.

[festivalgirl]

Perhaps we should start a Taxi pool. I know that there are many TH's staying at HIFQ. We (Me and Mrs. BD) are staying round the corner at Astor Crowne Plaza and are willing to share a cab each morning of second week.

That's going to be the way to go! The best is to find a good cab driver with a van and get his/her phone number. When they know they have a reliable, good tipping fare, they've always been great.

[festivalgirl]

Well, to their credit, I sent the email 8:30 pm on Sunday night, and was astonished to receive a reply (from a person) within 2 hours.

Wow.

What moves faster after fest, the bus line or taxi line?

[perstephone]

One year we did the visitour passes (http://www.norta.com/passes/visitour.php). Worth a shot?

stephanie

[festivalgirl]

One year we did the visitour passes (http://www.norta.com/passes/visitour.php). Worth a shot?

stephanie

We've done that in the past as well but will they be accepted on the Festival Buses?

[Chas_P]

Are they crazy, $5.00 for the streetcar, each way!!!!!

I've already set aside the stack of dollars and quarters to cover the rides, but if this is true, I'd pay extra for a cab.

I don't know if anyone called them directly to confirm this, but I plan to tomorrow.

[seadog]

Can a person still just hop the public Canal Street Streetcar and go for regular fare. I am assuming Zydeco special is non stop at some point...(

[Chas_P]

Can a person still just hop the public Canal Street Streetcar and go for regular fare. I am assuming Zydeco special is non stop at some point...(


I hope so. We enjoyed the streetcar last year. Had some great conversations with others on the car.

[Chas_P]

Perhaps we should start a Taxi pool. I know that there are many TH's staying at HIFQ. We (Me and Mrs. BD) are staying round the corner at Astor Crowne Plaza and are willing to share a cab each morning of second week.


If it does come to that, we're in!

[BillericayDicky]

If it does come to that, we're in!

Next stop Liuzza's.:D

Talk to you soon Chas.

[festivalgirl]

Are they crazy, $5.00 for the streetcar, each way!!!!!

I've already set aside the stack of dollars and quarters to cover the rides, but if this is true, I'd pay extra for a cab.

I don't know if anyone called them directly to confirm this, but I plan to tomorrow.

Swag traded emails with NORTA.

[Festnfreida]

Cabs rates are unchanged since last year: $4/person, or the meter, whichever is higher. Meter fare from the Quarter is usually pretty close to $12, depending where exactly you start from. With 3 in the cab, most cabbies don't seem to bother with the meter. With 2 in the cab, they will.

Plus tip.

Errrr..... Did you get a contract on that? Not trying to be a smart-a$$ but the laws of supply and demand tell me that when the cab companies and/or independent drivers get wind of the new bus fare, the cost of cabbing will go up to, especially with the price of gas. The fare increase will prolly be identified as a "fuel surcharge". I would definitely ask, before getting into a cab, what the approximate cost will be for the ride, just in case.

By the way, I noticed that the door-to-door shuttle from the airport has gone from $13 to $15 this year, plus tip. Still reasonable though, provided it stays at that.

We had a Kentucky Derby event here last weekend and the price of gas went way up all over town. Expect it will do the same in New Orleans.

[swag]

Well, cab rates are set by the taxi commission, and in the past, approval for an increase seems to take months. Not to say some drivers might not try to charge more, especially for an off-meter ride like the flat rate to fest. But I'd hold firm. If they insist on $5, then no tip, and it comes out the same.

There are also unlicensed vehicles, they are free to charge what they want, I suppose.

Yes, the airport shuttle is now $15, which makes it a bad deal unless you're solo - a cab for 2 people is only $29 + tip and is a lot quicker.

[Carolina Beadhead]

Somebody explain to me how it should work when you share a cab (on the meter) and the riders get out at different destinations? How do you figure what your particular fare should be?

[festivalgirl]

Well, cab rates are set by the taxi commission, and in the past, approval for an increase seems to take months. Not to say some drivers might not try to charge more, especially for an off-meter ride like the flat rate to fest. But I'd hold firm. If they insist on $5, then no tip, and it comes out the same.


I do the same.

BTW, I wrote NORTA to ask if the Visitour Passes would be accepted on the Fest Buses. I'll post when I get a response.

[festivalgirl]

Somebody explain to me how it should work when you share a cab (on the meter) and the riders get out at different destinations? How do you figure what your particular fare should be?

I've never had two cabbies charge the same way. Some will reset the meter, some will tell you when you get in the cab how much they're charging each passenger. Method #2 is usually a better & fairer deal.

[VWGal]

I've never had two cabbies charge the same way. Some will reset the meter, some will tell you when you get in the cab how much they're charging each passenger. Method #2 is usually a better & fairer deal.

I like the second method better too.

[Festnfreida]

Somebody explain to me how it should work when you share a cab (on the meter) and the riders get out at different destinations? How do you figure what your particular fare should be?

I was just about to bring that up (at the risk of sounding argumentive) in answer to Swags good news about the cab from airport being cheaper for 2 people. During late-night transportation, the drivers have always started the meters over on me resulting in no savings at all for shareing. I have no idea what the meters start at now but that would be a significant factor in figuring the cost advantage of a cab from airport. I guess it's always a good idea to engage in the fine art of negotiating the deal before entering the cab if one can do it in a nice way.

We're lucky we have someone who was just there and is up-to-date on all those details. :)

One thing I have figured out is when going to Frenchmen, it's a lot cheaper to have the driver take you to Decatur & Esplanade rather than driving you onto "the street" in all that stop & go traffic.

[Carolina Beadhead]

I was just about to bring that up (at the risk of sounding argumentive) in answer to Swags good news about the cab from airport being cheaper for 2 people. During late-night transportation, the drivers have always started the meters over on me resulting in no savings at all for shareing. I have no idea what the meters start at now but that would be a significant factor in figuring the cost advantage of a cab from airport. I guess it's always a good idea to engage in the fine art of negotiating the deal before entering the cab if one can do it in a nice way.

We're lucky we have someone who was just there and is up-to-date on all those details. :)

One thing I have figured out is when going to Frenchmen, it's a lot cheaper to have the driver take you to Decatur & Esplanade rather than driving you onto "the street" in all that stop & go traffic.

Swag was referring to the fact that cabs from the airport are a flat rate to downtown and to the Quarter.

[Festnfreida]

Swag was referring to the fact that cabs from the airport are a flat rate to downtown and to the Quarter.

That would be to two different destinations in the Qtr?

[Carolina Beadhead]

That would be to two different destinations in the Qtr?

Ahhhh, I follow you now.

Good question...

[linza22]

$1.25 - regular transit fare!

yeah! what happened to a 1.25?

[Festnfreida]

Ahhhh, I follow you now.

Good question...

Whew! I'm glad we're together on that one. I was worrried. And as others have pointed out, I expect there is more than one answer.

Some day I'm gonna go on vacation again without having to worry about money....but it won't be soon. :)

[swag]

The official policy is this (I think)
- For special events (returning from fest), the $4 flat rate applies even to separate destinations.
- For metered rides, if one person pays for it all at the end, then the meter should not be reset and the extra drop-off is free.
- If you're riding with a stranger and paying separately, then not sure, the meter may be reset, or maybe each pays the full fare shown when they get out?
- Not sure about multiple stops on the flat-rate airport ride.

[Festnfreida]

That helps some Swag, thanks.

[aardy90210]

ahhh, makes me even happier to have my gypsy cab driver secured for the fest again...she picked us up the first time in '05 and has been driving us to and from the fest ever since...while we can often get there faster by hailing a cab outside the hotel, you cant beat the ride home...i just get out of the fest, grab a beer on the street, and call her cell phone and tell her the intersection i am at...

GOD BLESS ROBIN!