River Rail

[skirby]

The last stop on the new extension.

[skirby]

My first time to ride the new extension. There are two loops now with the LR loop and the NLR loop that includes the extension. The total time for the NLR/Phase II is 50 minutes. The trolley driver said there has been an increase in locals riding the trolley. A couple stops after he said that a woman got on at 2nd and Cumberland. She had walked the one block from the River Cities Travel Center. She had ridden the from the Harvest Foods on Main and was taking the trolley back to NLR. She knew the driver and she is one of the regular riders. One thing I don't understand is that CATA is still using the free bus/trolley along Markham/President Clinton Blvd. With trolley service now to the Library the only reason I see the use of the bus/trolley is that it stops at the Clinton Library Store.

Trolley stopping at the River Market stop.

With the free bus trolley right behind it.

There is construction along the track on both sides of the river. This is the turn at 3rd and Commerce where River Market Place will be located.

[skirby]

The Arkansas Democrat Gazette reported that for the opening night of Dickey-Stephens there were several trolleys full of passengers riding from LR to NLR. They were parking on the LR side and riding over on the trolley. It will be interesting to see if this continues. For the riders they had a chance to see the redevelopment going on in downtown NLR.

[EJC]

The Arkansas Democrat Gazette reported that for the opening night of Dickey-Stephens there were several trolleys full of passengers riding from LR to NLR. They were parking on the LR side and riding over on the trolley. It will be interesting to see if this continues. For the riders they had a chance to see the redevelopment going on in downtown NLR.

My son and I will be using the trolley tomorrow for the Sunday game. Just seems like the "fun" thing to do.

[Aporkalypse]

My son and I will be using the trolley tomorrow for the Sunday game. Just seems like the "fun" thing to do.

It was freezing on Sat night when I went but that will be my usual plan as well, to ride across. I bet a lot of people do this before going to the bars on the LR side after the game.

I just hope the trolleys come frequently enough to make this feasible.

That said, for the moderate crowd of 3-4000 Saturday (because of the cold) parking was not an issue at all. We paid $3 and got a block from the stadium.

[skirby]

Went to a ballgame tonight at Dickey-Stephens. My wife and I parked on the LR side and took the trolley across the river. Until the first stop in NLR it was standing room only on the trolley. On the way back there were about 15 people waiting at the Maple St. stop to go back across the river. Because the Twisters were playing at Alltel the shuttle bus was running and it stopped and picked us up and took us back to LR. The shuttle bus was free and the trolley lost a number of paying riders. I have a question for CATA. Why do you offer free service along the same routes as the trolley? There are a number of people who make a point about no one riding the trolley and when people are there to ride it CATA offers another service to take away the riders. This makes no sense to me.

[skirby]

It has been announced that the Trolley Barn will be expanded to hold 8 streetcars. Right now the barn holds 4 of the 5 streetcars. One car is stored at the bus yard a few blocks away.

[Sammy00]

Sounds good...I guess they are going over very well.

[turboturtle]

Sounds good...I guess they are going over very well.

I took a couple of out-of-town guest to the Flying Fish tonight. One is from Chicago the other is from Boston... They are staying in the Embassy Suites. They loved the Flying Fish and the RiverMarket. I pointed out the Courtyard by Marriot. They'll be returning to LR. It'll be interesting to see what hotel choice they make next time.

The Chicagoan commented that Chicago "needs a trolley system like Little Rock." I couldn't believe it, but he was serious.

[abdintp]

I took a couple of out-of-town guest to the Flying Fish tonight. One is from Chicago the other is from Boston... They are staying in the Embassy Suites. They loved the Flying Fish and the RiverMarket. I pointed out the Courtyard by Marriot. They'll be returning to LR. It'll be interesting to see what hotel choice they make next time.

The Chicagoan commented that Chicago "needs a trolley system like Little Rock." I couldn't believe it, but he was serious.

I was at the Flyish Fish last night, too! Small world.

I wonder what Chicago would do with a trolley...

[Architect]

I was at the Flyish Fish last night, too! Small world.

I wonder what Chicago would do with a trolley...

I wonder what LR would do with a 110 story skyscraper!

[Aporkalypse]

I took a couple of out-of-town guest to the Flying Fish tonight. One is from Chicago the other is from Boston... They are staying in the Embassy Suites. They loved the Flying Fish and the RiverMarket. I pointed out the Courtyard by Marriot. They'll be returning to LR. It'll be interesting to see what hotel choice they make next time.

The Chicagoan commented that Chicago "needs a trolley system like Little Rock." I couldn't believe it, but he was serious.

It would be nice to get up and down Michigan Ave, though you can do that in other ways - taxi or rail.

The "el" in Chicago can get you anywhere. I really liked it.

[skirby]

River Rail ridership for the period February 1, 2007 through June 30, 2007 was up by almost 15,000 over the same period last year.

Also, I was on the trolley yesterday and there was a man on it who said he rides it every day from NLR to work in the River Market. The driver also said that construction would begin next month for an extension to the airport. I don't know if there is any truth to this or not but I find it interesting that the driver would be talking about it.

[Architect]

River Rail ridership for the period February 1, 2007 through June 30, 2007 was up by almost 15,000 over the same period last year.

Also, I was on the trolley yesterday and there was a man on it who said he rides it every day from NLR to work in the River Market. The driver also said that construction would begin next month for an extension to the airport. I don't know if there is any truth to this or not but I find it interesting that the driver would be talking about it.

I seriously doubt he is correct, but it is interesting that the streetcar driver would say that. I would expect to hear that from someone that wasn't in the know...perhaps he's heard that they are to announce an initiative next month to fund that route. I have no doubt that eventually that will happen.

Oh, and nice to hear ridership is up. It should increase as development continues and (hopefully) as service expands.

[Aporkalypse]

I seriously doubt he is correct, but it is interesting that the streetcar driver would say that. I would expect to hear that from someone that wasn't in the know...perhaps he's heard that they are to announce an initiative next month to fund that route. I have no doubt that eventually that will happen.

Oh, and nice to hear ridership is up. It should increase as development continues and (hopefully) as service expands.

I ate at Wasabi last night and every car that passed us was 2/3 full or more. Granted it was Friday evening but I was still impressed. Pedestrian traffic downtown is really spreading West down Markham with some of the new businesses as well.

[theman]

I ate at Wasabi last night and every car that passed us was 2/3 full or more. Granted it was Friday evening but I was still impressed. Pedestrian traffic downtown is really spreading West down Markham with some of the new businesses as well.

I'm also glad to here that trolley ridership is increasing. River Rail gets bad mouthed a lot because many see it as a waste of money. As more people move to the downtowns of Little Rock and North Little Rock, many will use it as transportation to get to and from destinations or work like the guy skirby mentioned.

Apork, how was Wasabi. Did it have a decent crowd?

[Aporkalypse]

I'm also glad to here that trolley ridership is increasing. River Rail gets bad mouthed a lot because many see it as a waste of money. As more people move to the downtowns of Little Rock and North Little Rock, many will use it as transportation to get to and from destinations or work like the guy skirby mentioned.

Apork, how was Wasabi. Did it have a decent crowd?

The food was good, not spectacular but good. The specialty rolls seem to be the big thing - we had a Volcano Roll and 3-on-2 Shrimp Roll that were really good.

When we got there around 6:30 it was dead, just a few tables. It was 2/3 full when we left.

Parking is a bear. You pretty much have to park at the Block 2 lot and pay $3 to park. It's really tough to find street parking there because of the Block 2 residents.

[johnnydr87]

Wow, I thought I typed a long reply about my Saturday experience on the trolley here. I guess I exited the screen early or something....

Anyways, like I said, Block II has an underground parking garage. Those in the parking lot were visitors of some sort.

[turboturtle]

Wow, I thought I typed a long reply about my Saturday experience on the trolley here. I guess I exited the screen early or something....

Anyways, like I said, Block II has an underground parking garage. Those in the parking lot were visitors of some sort.

Parking problems are good problems to have in downtown lr. I parked on Main across from the Capital Hotel renovation to walk to Flying Fish. I was with my family. We stopped by the Korean Gate and Garden on the way down President Clinton Ave. When we came back we came up 3rd Street. Got to see the tile artwork by the Main Library and the turn of the century homestead on across from the Arkansas History museum. Walking around Downtown LR with my 3 and 5 year old, gives me pleasure. Leave the super-capacity parking lots for WLR.

[EJC]

Parking problems are good problems to have in downtown lr. I parked on Main across from the Capital Hotel renovation to walk to Flying Fish. I was with my family. We stopped by the Korean Gate and Garden on the way down President Clinton Ave. When we came back we came up 3rd Street. Got to see the tile artwork by the Main Library and the turn of the century homestead on across from the Arkansas History museum. Walking around Downtown LR with my 3 and 5 year old, gives me pleasure. Leave the super-capacity parking lots for WLR.

And for the ballparks on the other side of the river.

...or any other place where large quantities of people want to go...

[turboturtle]

And for the ballparks on the other side of the river.

...or any other place where large quantities of people want to go...

that's a good point. The Presidential Library generally has ample parking. The walk to the River Market from there on the north side of the building is nice with the River view and sculptures. The distance is probably 1.5 New York City blocks.

How much cooler could the River Market be had ground floor retail been built into the public parking deck at Third and Commerce? Probably 75 percent of the foot traffic in the River Market walks by this building during the Farmers Market on Saturday. What about a sit-in breakfast place that could be open 4 or 5 a.m. till 1 p.m.?

[Mith242]

I ate at Wasabi last night and every car that passed us was 2/3 full or more. Granted it was Friday evening but I was still impressed. Pedestrian traffic downtown is really spreading West down Markham with some of the new businesses as well.

Any ideas on how it compares to the one in Fayetteville?

[johnnydr87]

that's a good point. The Presidential Library generally has ample parking. The walk to the River Market from there on the north side of the building is nice with the River view and sculptures. The distance is probably 1.5 New York City blocks.

How much cooler could the River Market be had ground floor retail been built into the public parking deck at Third and Commerce? Probably 75 percent of the foot traffic in the River Market walks by this building during the Farmers Market on Saturday. What about a sit-in breakfast place that could be open 4 or 5 a.m. till 1 p.m.?

I agree on the 3rd and commerce parking deck. The travesty is that they're building another parking deck by the capitol hotel. Way to create deadspace.

It's interesting, I went to NYC like 3 weeks ago. There are around 180 blocks going down the length of Manhattan. All of them are filled with high rises or skyscrapers. In LR, you get about ten blocks before you hit I-630, many of them populated by parking lots, suburban type fast food chains, etc. I really wish my digital camera wasn't broken, because there's dozens of shots that would show a clear clash between suburan and urban Little Rock. The La Quinta Inn/Wendy's at the foot of the Metropolitan Tower come to mind.

[LIT uPP]

The travesty is that they're building another parking deck by the capitol hotel.

If you're talking about the lot immediately to the east of the Capital Hotel, that's actually going to become a well-appointed surface parking lot, per Warren Stephens' wishes - at least for the next few years.

[Architect]

If you're talking about the lot immediately to the east of the Capital Hotel, that's actually going to become a well-appointed surface parking lot, per Warren Stephens' wishes - at least for the next few years.

Then, hopefully, something grand.