While opinions varied widely, almost everyone in the Treme, 7th Ward, and surrounding neighborhoods had something to say about New Orleans’ Rampart streetcar expansion, which completed in the fall of 2016. The majority of those opposed to expanding the former Loyola streetcar east from Canal Street to Elysian Fields, a distance of about 1.5 miles, cited displacement as their primary reason.

Displacement due to rising housing costs has become a hot topic in New Orleans in the decade following Hurricane Katrina. As investors swooped in and bought up flood-damaged property in formerly low-income, predominantly Black neighborhoods, rents and racial disparity have increased.

According to Ohio University, gentrification is one of the primary causes of a nationwide increase in suburban poverty; in New Orleans, the city-wide poverty rate of 26 percent hovers well above the national average, and gentrification isn’t helping to reduce those numbers.

The streetcar in question, the Regional Transit Authority’s newest, hugs the lakeside edge of the French Quarter and Marigny, two of the most tourist-heavy destinations in Orleans Parish. Many residents claim that the Rampart streetcar line was built primarily to serve tourists rather than locals, according to a report from the advocacy group Ride New Orleans.

Ride New Orleans also found that “the average New Orleanian can only reach 12 percent of region’s jobs in 30 minutes or less via a combination of transit and walking.” That’s unacceptable, and streetcars aren’t doing anything to alleviate the problem.

History of NOLA’s streetcar and tourism

The New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau reports that nearly 18 million tourists contributed $8.7 billion to the economy in 2017, a record-breaking year. While exact numbers aren’t available as there’s no ticket-based distinction between local RTA riders and visitors, millions of tourists rode streetcars during their time in New Orleans. Some rode to must-see destinations, such as The National World War II Museum, the city’s most popular attraction. Others rode a streetcar just for the sake of riding it.

The Regional Transit Authority’s four streetcar lines run on about 25 miles of track, with no service east of Elysian Fields. And its most famous, the St.Charles line, is the oldest continually operating streetcar in the world (its three-year hiatus following Hurricane Katrina notwithstanding).

Map of the streetcar system from RTA. The Rampart line is yellow.

Even the line’s green streetcars themselves are historic, earning National Historic Landmark designation yet lacking in-car air conditioning, heating, and accommodations for disabled riders. The red streetcars seen on the Canal, Rampart, and Riverfront lines are fully equipped.

The St. Charles streetcar’s intended ridership is tourists, if the RTA’s “Facts from the Streetcar Tracks” video is any indication. The one-minute video is clearly tourist-oriented, laying out several interesting facts before highlighting features of the St. Charles line.

The St. Charles line runs from Canal Street just across from Bourbon through popular tourist destinations including the Garden District and the Warehouse Arts District. No other streetcar line is mentioned in the video.

And speaking of videos and streetcars…

Kiki, are you riding?

Public transportation often doubles as a set in music videos, and the RTA isn’t left out of the fun. A ruby red Rampart streetcar has a cameo in Drake’s 2018 summer hit “In My Feelings,” which has garnered more than 148 million views since its August release.

But while the streetcar shines in the music video, it’s not serving New Orleans residents as well as the YouTube audience. In 2014, CityLab reviewed streetcars across the country and found that they fall below good transit and mobility standards, declaring streetcars to be “more a tool for tourism than city mobility.” Streetcars are painfully slow, typically operate for a much shorter line distance than buses, and run at infrequent intervals, reports CityLab.

Three years later, NOLA residents echoed that sentiment, arguing that the RTA was spending money on transportation catered to tourists rather than meeting the needs of locals. New Orleans is a 24-hour city, and workers in the hospitality industry frequently utilize public transportation. And those riders argued that the expansion of bus lines in New Orleans East should be a higher priority than streetcar expansion.

Hospitality workers cited numerous issues with service in and around the Quarter, including extremely long wait times and heightened safety issues, especially for workers carrying cash at night who may be forced to wait at poorly lit stops. The RTA responded with the expansion of its Canal streetcar line, which runs from the French Market to Carrollton Avenue in Mid-City. The expansion didn’t help late-night workers headed home to New Orleans East.

Long commutes are part of the NOLA transit experience

In its State of Transit 2018 report, Ride New Orleans identified key areas where improvement is needed. It found that the Rampart streetcar didn’t help reduce commute times among residents getting to and from work — in fact, few locals even utilized the line.

The typical speed of a streetcar is around 18 to 20 mph, lengthening commutes for regular riders. But streetcars are just a small part of the overall picture: No matter the type of public transportation used, RTA riders face long rides and overall wait times.

Streetcars are integral to the culture of New Orleans, yet tourists account for a large chunk of their ridership. NOLA residents could be better served by expanding late-night service and prioritizing the improvement of bus lines in areas that are underserved, including the Lower 9th Ward and New Orleans East.

Featured photo of Canal Street streetcar by Kent Kanouse. Homepage photo by Mike Gifford.