New Orleans Public Belt Railroad Corporation (NOPB) is in the process of implementing the Urban Railroading Initiative, a companywide program that addresses infrastructure improvements, operations practices and internal and external outreach. The purpose of the initiative is to improve community relations while increasing fluidity across the network.

“The plan is designed to be an adaptable assessment of community needs and strategies which can be amended as feedback from our neighbors shifts,” explained Brandy D. Christian, CEO of New Orleans Public Belt and President and CEO of Port of New Orleans. “This way we are able to respond appropriately to each area and situation. The initiative will take time, investment and dedication to implement, but we are on the way.”

NOPB has already installed air hoses to help ease travel delays at key crossings and the NOPB team is researching new grant opportunities to address other bottlenecks.

Internal and external outreach efforts also continue as the redesign of the NOPB website moves ahead, and a neighbor-focused poster program has begun to take shape as well. The new website will have a new URL address, and will launch in February. A new feature being built for the site is a dedicated community resource section. It will also have rail crossing safety information for both pedestrian and vehicular traffic. Direct contact options — including social media and direct phone information — will also be available should neighbors need assistance.

“We are proud to be neighbors,” noted Doug Campbell, NOPB General Manager, “and we are dedicated to building our credibility and delivering on promises made.

Published: August 2, 2018