Mississippi Aerial River Transit

Last updated
MART
Mississippi Aerial River Transit
NOLAGondola1984CMAkin.jpg
During the World Fair, 1984
Overview
StatusDismantled in 1994
Location New Orleans
Coordinates 29°56′40″N90°03′45″W / 29.94444°N 90.06250°W / 29.94444; -90.06250 Coordinates: 29°56′40″N90°03′45″W / 29.94444°N 90.06250°W / 29.94444; -90.06250
Termini Algiers, New Orleans
Warehouse District (the fair site)
No. of stations2
OpenApril 1984
ClosedApril 1985
Operation
No. of carriers53
Carrier capacity6 [1]
Ridership (max.) 2,000 hourly
Operating times10 am – 2 am [1]
Trip duration4 min
Fare$3.50 roundtrip [2]
Technical features
Aerial lift type gondola lift
Manufactured by Pomagalski SA
Line length2,300 feet (701 m)
No. of support towers2

The Mississippi Aerial River Transit, or simply MART, was a gondola lift transport system spanning the Mississippi River in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. It was constructed for the 1984 Louisiana World Exposition. After the fair, this served as the second urban aerial lift and the first gondola lift commuter system in the United States, [3] in operation for just a year before closing.

Contents

The system featured 53 separate cars, a 2,300 feet (700 m) cross-river cable, twin steel towers that lifted the cable 200 feet (61 m) into the air, two station houses, concrete pillars that anchored the cable and two 358 feet (109 m) steel towers. [4] Each of the two main towers were supported with 12-inch (300 mm) steel piles driven 285 feet (87 m) into the ground, with each tower weighing 200 short tons (180  t ). [4] Its twin towers were the tallest ever constructed for a gondola lift at the time. [5] (The London Cable Car in the UK, built nearly three decades later, would exceed this former record by 50%.)

History

Plans for the gondola were initially approved by the city on May 6, 1982. [6] It was developed by the Mississippi Aerial River Transit-Perez Inc., or MART-Perez, which included noted local architect August Perez III. In 1983, the Banque de l'union européenne of Paris provided financing for the project through an $8 million loan. [4] In foreshadowing the future problems the gondola would face, on its maiden crossing, after being blessed by Archbishop Philip Hannan, the ride would temporarily stall. [7]

The ride took four minutes to complete and crossed over 300 feet (91 m) above the Mississippi River, and had a maximum capacity of 2,000 passengers per hour. [4] [7]

During the fair, this was billed as the signature ride of the exhibition; however, it drew only 1.7 million riders, half as many as projected. Built to showcase a form of non-polluting commuter transit, after the fair the system was open for use by commuters traveling from Algiers in the Mississippi's West Bank to the Warehouse District across the river, where the fair was held. By April 1985, the system would shut down due to low ridership. [8]

Later in 1985, the Banque de l'union européennd would file suit against MART-Perez when they defaulted on the $8 million loan. As a result of nonpayment, in 1986, MART was ordered by a federal court to pay the bank $5 million, plus $1.2 million in interest and attorney fees. [9] However, MART never made a payment, and as a result, the gondola was seized by the United States Marshals Service in June 1989. [9] After the seizure, the system was put up for auction in August with New York City businessman Moey Segal placing the winning bid of $1.6 million. [10]

Segal intended to deconstruct the system and relocate it to Corpus Christi, Texas. [11] It was intended to transport tourists from the primary hotel area to the Texas State Aquarium across the ship channel. [11] Due to litigation, the proposal to move the system to Texas was dropped and Segal transferred its ownership to the 7349 Corp in 1990. [12]

Following the failed proposal to relocate the gondola, the system was the site of several, notable local events prior to its demolition. On January 21, 1993, Christopher Vincent base-jumped from the top of the East Bank tower twice. He completed the stunt for the first time at approximately 10:30 a.m. and again later that afternoon at approximately 2:30 p.m. Each time he was successful in landing on the Mississippi River levee. [13] (Note: There is no levee at the East Bank location; a concrete flood wall exists, but would be unsuitable for landing on, as it's only about two feet thick. There is a levee at the West Bank tower location.)

On August 19, 1993, four Greenpeace activists were successful in hanging a banner from the system that stated "Break the circle of poison" in protesting the shipment of toxic pesticides through the Port of New Orleans. [14]

One of the old MART gondola cars used as decoration outside of a shop in New Orleans Warehouse District, 2019. Poeyfarre Street, New Orleans Warehouse District at Night, Jan 2019 MART Car 3.jpg
One of the old MART gondola cars used as decoration outside of a shop in New Orleans Warehouse District, 2019.


By late January 1993, the United States Coast Guard demanded that the system be demolished if it were not being used. In November 1993, the New Orleans City Council approved the demolition of the system [15] and its demolition was complete by February 1994. [16] Prior to its demolition, several of the cars were sold off and reused elsewhere. Some of these reuses included fishing huts, a deer stand, and conversion to a bus-stop shelter. Most notably, The Olde N'Awlins Cookery briefly utilized five of the cars as restaurant booths. [17]

Stations

Companies involved in its construction

Poster for the film French Quarter Undercover French Quarter Undercover.jpg
Poster for the film French Quarter Undercover

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aerial tramway</span> Aerial lift in which the cars are permanently fixed to the cables

An aerial tramway, sky tram,cable car, ropeway, aerial tram, telepherique, or seilbahn is a type of aerial lift which uses one or two stationary ropes for support while a third moving rope provides propulsion. With this form of lift, the grip of an aerial tramway cabin is fixed onto the propulsion rope and cannot be decoupled from it during operations. In comparison to gondola lifts, aerial tramways generally provide lower line capacities and higher wait times.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arabi, Louisiana</span> Census-designated place in Louisiana, United States

Arabi is a census-designated place (CDP) in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana, United States. It lies on the eastern bank of the Mississippi River, between the Lower 9th Ward of New Orleans and Chalmette within the Greater New Orleans metropolitan area. The population was 4,533 at the 2020 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gondola lift</span> Aerial transport by cable

A gondola lift is a means of cable transport and type of aerial lift which is supported and propelled by cables from above. It consists of a loop of steel wire rope that is strung between two stations, sometimes over intermediate supporting towers. The cable is driven by a bullwheel in a terminal, which is typically connected to an engine or electric motor. It is often considered a continuous system since it features a haul rope which continuously moves and circulates around two terminal stations. In contrast, an aerial tramway operates solely with fixed grips and simply shuttles back and forth between two end terminals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aerial lift</span> Method of cable transport

An aerial lift, also known as a cable car or ropeway, is a means of cable transport in which cabins, cars, gondolas, or open chairs are hauled above the ground by means of one or more cables. Aerial lift systems are frequently employed in a mountainous territory where roads are relatively difficult to build and use, and have seen extensive use in mining. Aerial lift systems are relatively easy to move and have been used to cross rivers and ravines. In more recent times, the cost-effectiveness and flexibility of aerial lifts have seen an increase of gondola lift being integrated into urban public transport systems.

Mart may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1984 Louisiana World Exposition</span> Worlds Fair in New Orleans

The 1984 Louisiana World Exposition was a World's Fair held in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. It was held 100 years after the city's earlier World's Fair, the World Cotton Centennial in 1884. It opened on Saturday, May 12, 1984, and ended on Sunday, November 11, 1984. Its theme was "The World of Rivers—Fresh Waters as a Source of Life".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort St. Philip</span> United States historic place

Fort St. Philip is a historic masonry fort located on the eastern bank of the Mississippi River, about 40 miles (64 km) upriver from its mouth in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, just opposite Fort Jackson on the other side of the river. It formerly served as military protection of New Orleans, some 80 miles (130 km) up the river, and of the lower Mississippi River.

From 1890 through 2006, the Orleans Levee Board was the body of commissioners that oversaw the Orleans Levee District (OLD) which supervised the levee and floodwall system in Orleans Parish, Louisiana. The role of the OLB has changed over time. Prior to Hurricane Betsy in 1965, the OLB developed land and sold it to raise money to build and improve levees. After 1965, Congress directed the Army Corps of Engineers to be responsible for design and construction of the hurricane flood protection system enveloping New Orleans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2005 levee failures in Greater New Orleans</span> Flood wall failures

On Monday, August 29, 2005, there were over 50 failures of the levees and flood walls protecting New Orleans, Louisiana, and its suburbs following passage of Hurricane Katrina. The failures caused flooding in 80% of New Orleans and all of St. Bernard Parish. In New Orleans alone, 134,000 housing units — 70% of all occupied units — suffered damage from Hurricane Katrina and the subsequent flooding.

Drainage in New Orleans, Louisiana, has been a major concern since the founding of the city in the early 18th century, remaining an important factor in the history of New Orleans today. The central portion of metropolitan New Orleans is fairly unusual in that it is almost completely surrounded by water: Lake Pontchartrain to the north, Lake Borgne to the east, wetlands to the east and west, and the Mississippi River to the south. Half of the land area between these bodies of water is at or below sea level, and no longer has a natural outlet for flowing surface water. As such, virtually all rainfall occurring within this area must be removed through either evapotranspiration or pumping. Thus, flood threats to metropolitan New Orleans include the Mississippi River, Lake Pontchartrain, canals throughout the city, and natural rainfall. Artificial levees have been built to keep out rising river and lake waters but have had the negative effect of keeping rainfall in, and have failed on numerous occasions.

ING 4727

ING 4727 was a barge belonging to Ingram Barge Company that became infamous when it went over or through a levee and landed in a residential neighborhood of New Orleans, Louisiana during Hurricane Katrina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Morganza Spillway</span>

The Morganza Spillway or Morganza Control Structure is a flood-control structure in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is located along the western bank of the Lower Mississippi River at river mile 280, near Morganza in Pointe Coupee Parish. The spillway stands between the Mississippi and the Morganza Floodway, which leads to the Atchafalaya Basin and the Atchafalaya River in south-central Louisiana. Its purpose is to divert water from the Mississippi River during major flood events by flooding the Atchafalaya Basin, including the Atchafalaya River and the Atchafalaya Swamp. The spillway and adjacent levees also help prevent the Mississippi from changing its present course through the major port cities of Baton Rouge and New Orleans to a new course down the Atchafalaya River to the Gulf of Mexico. The Morganza Spillway, operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, was opened during the 1973 and 2011 Mississippi River floods.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metrocable (Medellín)</span> First urban transit cablecar

Metrocable is a gondola lift system implemented by the City Council of Medellín, Colombia, with the purpose of providing a transportation service that complements the Medellín Metro. It was designed to reach some of the city's informal settlements on the steep hills that mark its topography. It is largely considered to be the first urban cable propelled transit system in South America. The transportation infrastructure is already established and has been in service since 2004, although there are currently no official links between the gondolas themselves and the Metro line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metrocable (Caracas)</span> Gondola lift system in Caracas, Venezuela

The Metrocable de Caracas is a gondola lift system integrated with the city's public transport network, which provides quick and safe transportation for those who live in the neighbourhoods situated on Caracas' mountainous regions. The system was built as a tool for social reform with stations set up to accommodate a variety of services such as daycares, libraries, police stations, markets and theatres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2011 Mississippi River floods</span> Major floods in the United States

The Mississippi River floods in April and May 2011 were among the largest and most damaging recorded along the U.S. waterway in the past century, comparable in extent to the major floods of 1927 and 1993. In April 2011, two major storm systems deposited record levels of rainfall on the Mississippi River watershed. When that additional water combined with the springtime snowmelt, the river and many of its tributaries began to swell to record levels by the beginning of May. Areas along the Mississippi itself experiencing flooding included Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Riverfront Streetcar Line</span>

The Riverfront Streetcar Line is a historic streetcar line in New Orleans, Louisiana. It is operated by the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority (RTA). It was built along the east bank of the Mississippi River, in an area with many amenities catering to tourists. It opened August 14, 1988, making it the first new streetcar route in New Orleans in 62 years. The line runs 2 miles (3.2 km) from Julia Street at the upper end of the New Orleans Convention Center to the downriver (far) end of the French Quarter at the foot of Esplanade Avenue. Unlike the other three lines, it travels on an exclusive right-of-way, along the river levee beside New Orleans Belt Railway tracks, making it more akin to a light rail line. The line was regauged in 1997 from standard gauge to broad gauge. Officially, the Riverfront Line is designated Route 2 and is designated with a blue color on most RTA publications.

August Perez III was an architect based in New Orleans, Louisiana.

References

  1. 1 2 Louisiana Office of Tourism (1982). Louisiana: A State of Excitement (PDF). Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism. p. 72.
  2. ↑ Cotter, Bill (2009). The 1984 New Orleans World's Fair. Arcadia Publishing. p. 34. ISBN   978-1-4396-4217-7.
  3. ↑ The Roosevelt Island Tramway, which opened in 1976 in New York City, was an aerial tramway system not a gondola lift system as the MART was. See also "Aerial gondolas planned for New Orleans transit". Engineering News-Record. May 12, 1983. pp. 17, News.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 "Fast-track tram over river". Engineering News-Record. May 3, 1984. pp. 25, Features.
  5. ↑ POMA. "POMA Group: History". Archived from the original on November 6, 2002. Retrieved October 17, 2006.
  6. ↑ New Orleans Public Library. "New Orleans Building Plans – Street Names beginning with C". Archived from the original on 2006-10-03. Retrieved 2006-10-17.
  7. 1 2 Jensen, Lynne; Bruce Eggler (January 15, 1994). "Goodbye gondola: It's the end of the line". New Orleans Times-Picayune. pp. A1.
  8. ↑ AP Reports (August 25, 1986). "Gondola won't operate when Riverwalk opens". The Advocate. pp. B2.
  9. 1 2 Cannizaro, Steve (June 2, 1989). "Gondola may reopen, be sold to another city". New Orleans Times-Picayune. pp. B1.
  10. ↑ Gyan, Joe Jr. (August 11, 1989). "Mississippi River gondola purchased". New Orleans Times-Picayune. pp. B3.
  11. 1 2 Cannizaro, Steve (October 4, 1989). "Gondola move likely". New Orleans Times-Picayune. pp. B1.
  12. ↑ Gyan, Joe Jr. (August 19, 1992). "Court finds float builder didn't interfere in gondola sale". The Advocate. pp. B7.
  13. ↑ Lee, Vincent (January 29, 1993). "Chuting stars caught: Base jumpers get adrenaline high". New Orleans Times-Picayune. pp. A1.
  14. ↑ Metro Reports (August 20, 1993). "Hanging tough". New Orleans Times-Picayune. pp. B4.
  15. ↑ Eggler, Bruce (November 6, 1993). "Gondola finally has destination: demolition". New Orleans Times-Picayune. pp. B1.
  16. ↑ Staff Reports (January 22, 1994). "Gondola tower removal delayed". New Orleans Times-Picayune. pp. A25.
  17. ↑ Grady, Bill (November 15, 1993). "Lord saved the cars, but the gondola will go". New Orleans Times-Picayune. pp. B4.
  18. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uv2XmPGve68
  19. ↑ IMDb
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.