ACROSS THE SYSTEM.
WANDA DAVIS LIVES IN THE UPPER
NINTH WARD.
WITH NO ACCESS TO A VEHICLE, SHE
RELIES ON PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
AT LEAST 4 TIMES A WEEK.
>> IT WORKS OUT, BUT IT'S A LONG
WAIT ON BUSES AND THERE'S NOT
ENOUGH.
REPORTER: DAVIS SAYS SHE
SOMETIMES WAITS 45 MINUTES TO AN
HOUR FOR A BUS TO COME.
>> WHERE YOU CAN CATCH ONE BUS,
YOU CATCH TWO OR THREE DIFFERENT
LINES JUST TO GET WHERE YOU WANT
TO GO AND THAT IS A LOT OF TIME.
REPORTER: THAT'S DESPITE RTA
ADDING NEARLY $10 MILLION OF
SERVICES LAST SEPTEMBER.
>> IN APRIL OF 2016, WE ADDED
ALMOST $5 MILLION OF SERVICE
WHICH DECREASED WAIT TIMES,
ADDED THE AIRPORT EXPRESS -- IT
DID THINGS LIKE SERVICE IN NEW
ORLEANS EAST.
REPORTER: MORE SERVICE CHANGES
WITH THE OPENING OF THE NORTH
RAMPART LINE.
THE 4 OPTIONS BEING CONSIDERED
ARE EXPECTED TO DECREASE WAIT
TIMES AND ADD MORE BUS LINES,
INCLUDING BRINGING BACK THE
MARTIN LUTHER KING AND FRERET
STREET BUS ROUTES TO CANAL
STREET.
>> THIS STREETCAR LINE WILL GIVE
DIRECT ACCESS VIA STREETCAR FROM
NEIGHBORHOODS TO CANAL STREET
.
AND THE GOOD NEWS ABOUT THESE
PROPOSED CHANGES IS THAT WE ARE
CONTINUING BUS LINES TO CANAL
STREET THAT COME OUT OF THE
LOWER NINTH WARD.
REPORTER: DAVIS IS STILL
SKEPTICAL THE CHANGES WILL HELP
WITH THE LONG WAITS.
>> IF I HAVE TO RIDE ONE BUS AND
THEN GET OFF TO CATCH A STREET
CAR, YOU ARE NOT HELPING ME AT
ALL BECAUSE MY TIME -- I'M
CONSUMING TO GET WHERE I NEED TO
GO.
REPORTER: THE DAILY RTA
RIDERSHIP IS BETWEEN
55,000-60,000 WRITERS --
RIDERS
A DAY, OFFICIALS EXPECT THE
SERVICE CHANGES WILL INCREASE
THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE USING
PUBLIC TRANSIT TO ACCES JOBS AND
OTHER DOWNTOWN DESTINATIONS.
>> IT IS REALLY ALL GOOD NEWS
FOR THE COMMUNITY.
REPORTER: A SUMMARY OF ALL THE
PROPOSED CHANGES CAN BE VIEWED
ON RTA'S WEBSITE OR AT THEIR
MAIN OFFICE.
ALL PUBLIC COMMENTS MUST BE
COMMITTED BY THIS COMING MONDAY.
YOU CAN ALSO GO TO OUR WEBSITE
TO DO THAT.
EXPECT THE RTA BOARD OF
COMMISSIONERS TO MAKE A DECISION
ON THE PROPOSALS IN THE COMING
WEEKS.
ADRIANNA: YOU MAY NOTICE A
MASSIVE INCREASE IN FOOT TRAFFIC
TOMORROW MORNING.
25,000 YOUNG ADULTS AND FAITH
LEADERS WILL WALK TO THE
MERCEDES BENZ SUPERDOME FOR THE
CLOSING OF THE LCMS NATIONAL
YOUTH GATHERING.
THE CROWD WILL BE WALKING FROM
THEIR HOTELS ALONG POYDRAS
STREET, 7:30 AND 8:30 TOMORROW
MORNING.
DRIVERS SHOULD EXPECT DELAYS.
COMING UP WHY CROSSING THE LAKE
, PONTCHARTRAIN CAUSEWAY COULD
SOON GET MORE COSTLY.
SCOTT: AND IS THE DREW BREES
STILL ELITE AT 37 YEARS?
FLETCHER WILL LOOK AT THAT IN
SPORTS.
MARAGARET: AND I WILL LET YOU
KNOW WHEN THE
♪♪
>> LIVE, LOCAL, LATEBREAKING,
THIS IS WDSU NEWS AT 10:00.
WITH SCO WALKER, ADRIANNA
HOPKINS, CHIEF METEOROLOGIST
MARGARET ORR, AND SPORTS WITH
FLETCHER MACKEL.
ADRIANNA: INCREASING SAFETY ON
THE LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN CAUSEWAY
WILL MEAN INCREASING TOLLS.
TOMORROW, A $100 MILLION
CONSTRUCTION PROPOSAL WILL BE
SUBMITTED TO THE GREATER NEW
ORLEANS EXPRESSWAY COMMISSION.
THE PROJECT WOULD TRIPLE THE
BRIDGE'S EMERGENCY SAFETY
SHOULDERS TO A TOTAL OF 6.
AND WILL RAISE CONCRETE BARRIERS
TO PREVENT OVERTURNS.
THE CONSTRUCTION WOULD BE FUNDED
BY A TOLL INCREASE.
$1 FOR TAG USERS AND $2 FOR
DRIVERS PAYING IN CASH
>> TWO THINGS WE WANTED TO DO
WAS ENHANCE THE SAFETY OF THE
BRIDGE AND MINIMIZE THE COST TO
OUR COMMUTERS.
AND I'M ABSOLUTELY POSITIVE THAT
WE'VE DONE THAT.
ADRIANNA: THE TOLLS WOULD STILL
BE COLLECTED FOR SOUTHBOUND
TRAFFIC ONLY.
THE PROPOSED INCREASE WILL BE
CONSIDERED AT THE COMMISSION'S
AUGUST MEETING.
A MORNING COMMUTE REMINDER
TOMORROW, RAMP METERS ALONG THE
PONTCHARTRAIN EXPRESSWAY WILL BE
ACTIVATE
THE METERS WENT ONLINE DURING
TONIGHT'S RUSH HOUR COMMUTE.
THEY'RE EXPECTED TO DECREASE
CONGESTION AND IMPROVE TRAVEL
TIMES ALONG THE U.S. 90
CORRIDOR
SCOTT: THE BODY OF A FREIGHT
VESSEL CAPTAIN, WHO FELL INTO
THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER, HAS BEEN
RECOVERED.
THE COAST GUARD SAYS CAPTAIN
AMBARISH PAREKH OF LAPLACE,
LOUISIANA, WAS LAST SEEN SUNDAY.
THE 69-YEAR-OLD MAN WAS
ATTEMPTING TO BOARD THE FREIGH
VESSEL, AFRICAN RAPTOR FROM A
CREW BOAT AND FELL OFF A RAMP
THAT WAS CONNECTING THE TWO
VESSELS NEAR DONALDSONVILLE.
HIS BODY WAS RECOVERED TODAY BY
A GOOD SAMARITAN.
A FAMILY FROM LIVINGSTON PARISH
WAS KILLED IN A CAR ACCIDENT IN
ALABAMA ON MONDAY.
POLICE SAY THE VICTIMS WERE 3
WOMEN AND TWO CHILDREN, AGES 4
AND 7.
ALL WERE FROM ALBANY, LOUISIANA.
THE FAMILY WAS TRAVELING IN A
CAR WHEN IT COLLIDED WITH A
SEMI-TRAILER.
POLICE HAVE RELEASED
SURVEILLANCE VIDEO OF AN ARMED
ROBBERY AT A NEW ORLEANS EAST
PIZZA HUT.
THE VIDEO FROM EARLY SATURDAY
MORNING SHOWS A MAN ENTER
THROUGH THE BACK DOOR OF THE
RESTAURANT ON CROWDER BOULEVARD.
POLICE SAY HE SNUCK IN WHILE AN
EMPLOYEE WAS TAKING OUT THE
TRASH.
THE SUSPECT WAS WEARING AN
AMERICAN FLAG BANDANA OVER HIS
FACE, AND HAD ON SUNGLASSES.
THIS IS THE THIRD ARMED ROBBERY
OF A NEW ORLEANS RESTAURANT IN
THE LAST WEEK.
POLICE DO NOT THINK THEY ARE
RELATED BUT ARE ASKING ANYONE
WITH INFORMATION ON THE
INCIDENTS TO GIVE THEM A CAL
ADRIANNA: BALIFFS AT THE
TERREBONNE PARISH COURTHOUSE ARE
GETTING A SHOWING OF SUPPORT
FROM A LOCAL LAW FIRM.
TODAY, ST. MARTIN AND BOURQUE OF
HOUMA ANNOUNCED THE DONATION OF
BULLETPROOF VESTS FOR ALL
BAILIFFS
THE DONATION COMES JUST DAYS
AFTER 2 BALIFFS WERE KILLED BY A
GUNMAN IN MICHIGAN.
AND HANNO IS EXPANDING FAIR
HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES.
TONIGHT, A CROWD GATHERED FOR A
PUBLIC HEARING, IT CONSISTED OF
ADVOCATES AND RESIDENTS.
>> WE ARE HERE T DISCUSS WHAT
THE RESIDENTS SEE A BARRIERS TO
OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM AND HOW
THEY CAN BECOME MORE INVOLVED.
AND WE WANT TO KNOW WHETHER
CONCERNS AND HOPES -- WE WANT TO
KNOW WHAT THEIR CONCERNS AND
HOPES ARE HERE -- R.
ADRIANNA:
OFFICIALS SAY THAT THE
FAIR HOUSING PLAN WILL ENSURE
THE ELIMINATION OF HOUSING
DISCRIMINATION AND SEGREGATION.
ORLEANS PARISH SCHOOL BOARD
PRESIDENT SETH BLOOM WILL NOT
SEEK RE-ELECTION.
THE ANNOUNCEMENT WAS MADE AT
TONIGHT'S BOARD MEETING.
BLOOM SAYS HE PLANS TO EXPLORE
NEW WAYS TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY
WITH A PARTICULAR I TOWARDS
-- EYE TOWARDS CRIMINAL JUSTICE
REFORM.
SCOTT: TALKING ABOUT THE WEATHER
NOW.
HAVE YOU BEEN OUTSIDE TO SEE THE
AMAZING MOON?
MARAGARET: THE THUNDER MOON.
SCOTT: IS THERE A WOLF MOON?
MARAGARET: THERE IS, BUT IT IS
NOT NOW.
BUT YOU CAN GUESS WHY.
SCOTT: IT COMES WITH A
THUNDEROUS APPROACH?
MARAGARET: NO, IT IS BECAUSE WE
HAVE THUNDERSTORMS THIS TIME OF
YEAR.
YOU COULD NOT SEE IT RIGHT AWAY
BECAUSE WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF
A POLLUTION DECK.
BUT ISN'T THIS GORGEOUS?
I LIKE TO ZOOM IN ON THIS.
AND JAY SENT THIS.
YOU CAN SEE IT OVER THE VERIZON.
-- OVE THE HORIZON.
AND THERE YOU CAN SEE THE CITY.
GO OUT AND CHECK IT OUT.
IN FACT, WHAT I DID WAS FACEBOOK
LIVE, YOU CAN GO BACK AND LOOK
AT IT.
WE TALKED ABOUT THE DIFFERENT
MS. -- DIFFERENT MOONS.
HERE IS WHAT HAPPENED TODAY.
WE HAD RAIN AND STORMS THIS
MORNING, THEN THEY DIMINISHED AS
THEY MOVED TO THE WEST AND
SOUTHWEST.
LOOK AT WHAT IS HAPPENING NOW.
THERE IS NOT A RAIN DROP OUT
THERE.
IT IS A GREAT NIGHT.
LOOKING TO THE NORTH, THERE IS
CLOUDINESS AND THAT IS WHERE WE
HAD THE RAIN EARLIER.
THIS COULD SET UP A BOUNDARY AS
IT GOES TO THE SOUTHWEST.
AND IT COULD HELP WITH RAIN
CHANCES TOMORROW.
AND WE WILL HAVE HIGH PRESSURE
TO THE NORTH.
THOSE ARE THE HEAT ADVISORIES
THAT ARE POSTED.
IT IS POSSIBLE WE COULD HAVE A
HEAT ADVISORY POSTED FOR LATER
IN THE WEEK.
FRIDAY AND SATURDAY WE WILL
WATCH THAT.
AND WE HAVE A COLD FRONT TO THE
NORTHEAST, THAT WILL NOT BE
MOVING THROUGH.
WE WILL HAVE PLENTY OF HOT
WEATHER FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS.
HERE ARE THE UPPER LEVEL HIGHS.
WITH HIGH PRESSURE, YOU HAVE A
CLOCKWISE FLOW.
AS YOU LOOK, THERE ARE THESE
LITTLE AREAS OF DISTURBED
WEATHER THAT ARE MOVING AROUND