Passenger Trains > Amtrak, New Orleans "reach agreement" over fence

New Orleans loses lopsided court fight with Amtrak over 'prison' fence
The Times-Picayune
by Robert McClendon
December 17, 2014

> An attempt by New Orleans officials to block Amtrak from building a
> chain fence along a stretch of boulevard in the heart of the city
> has failed, though the passenger-train company won't top it with
> razor wire as previously planned.
>
> Amtrak said in a news release that it had "reached agreement" with
> the city on a fencing plan that will the company build the fence two
> feet higher than originally proposed, eliminating the need for
> barbed wire, according to the release.
>
> The city declined to answer questions related to the putative
> agreement.
>
> The city actually owns the property on which Amtrak's rail lines
> sit, a stretch of land that begins at the company's terminal on
> Loyola Avenue and extends toward the lake, ending just north of the
> Broad Street overpass. The city's long-term lease with with Amtrak,
> however, gave the company the right to build a fence.
>
> In an attempt to block Amtrak, Head initiated the creation of a
> special zoning overlay along the Earhart corridor that would forbid
> such fences, a creative means of providing the city legal grounds to
> issue a stop-work order against the company and prevent the fence's
> completion.
>
> The city issued the order, and Amtrak ignored it, the city claimed
> in court documents it filed in a successful attempt to secure an
> injunction in Orleans Parish Civil District Court.
>
> Amtrak countered by immediately moving the legal battle to federal
> court. At that, the city appears to have given up on the fight.
>
> Noting in his decision that city attorneys hadn't filed a motion
> opposing Amtrak's move, U.S. District Judge Martin Feldman dissolved
> the injunction...
>
> ...Amtrak declined to say how much the fence cost or how much the
> cost is set to increase as a result of its deal with the city.

Full story:

New Orleans loses lopsided court fight with Amtrak over 'prison' fence

In an earlier story, New Orleans city councilwoman Stacy Head is reported (but not quoted) as stating that the vague claim of security needs for a fence is ludicrous. The public should know better than to stand in the path of an oncoming train, she said.

Unfortunately, she's giving the general public too much credit. It has been demonstrated over and over again that people do NOT know better than to stand in the path of an oncoming train.

As I remember, the purpose of this fence was to control crime and vandalism against Amtrak property.

Just wondering how many millions this case cost Amtrak to defend. Yes, Amtrak won the case; but the lawyers for both sides were the REAL winners. Amtrak simply won the right to do what they originally intended to do; but at much higher cost.

Joe

As a small business owner at times I would have a grievance with neighbors on issues. I always found a way to either ignore or mitigate the problem.

You can never underestimate how long a grudge will be carried. You can win the battle but the war can continue.


Bob

I hope it is an iron vertical fence, like they have in the Bronx on the NEC. It is quite sturdy and not easily bypassed or destroyed.

The station, originally the New Orleans Union Public Terminal, once had several railroad tenants. And, for a while in the early Amtrak era, had a switcher in the NOUPT livery.

I believe the city still owns the terminal as well as the track area etc leading to it.

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The station, originally the New Orleans Union
> Public Terminal...
>
> I believe the city still owns the terminal as well
> as the track area etc leading to it.

========================================================

It is still owned by the City of New Orleans; and it was always
the New Orleans Union PASSENGER Terminal. Management of the
facility is by the New Orleans Building Corp.

There once was, but is no more, a New Orleans Union Station. It and
several other stations in New Orleans were replaced by NOUPT in 1954.
New Orleans Union Station was demolished.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/18/14 14:24 by GenePoon.