Advocates have reason to be concerned about the performance of the two newest streetcar lines in New Orleans—both the largest transit projects after the destruction of Hurricane Katrina.
"A public transit advocacy group is calling into question the city's return on investment in two new streetcar lines completed in recent years at a cost of $75 million, reports Beau Evans.
The report by Ride New Orleans criticizes the results for the new 1.6-mile, roughly $40 million streetcar line that runs along Rampart Street from Canal Street to St. Claude Avenue, as well as the slightly older 1.5-mile, roughly $35 million streetcar line on Loyola Avenue. The main complaint for the two lines: that they've actually slowed travel times for transit users commuting to some 1,000 jobs located along the routes.
"Both lines were realized by a $75 million federal grant and marked the biggest capital projects undertaken by the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority since Hurricane Katrina wrecked the city's transit system in 2005," according to Evans.
It's not the first time Ride New Orleans has criticized the city's post-Katrina transit planning efforts. A report in July 2014 found inefficiencies in spending by the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority.
FULL STORY: New streetcar lines have hindered residents' access to jobs, report says
New Orleans Weighs Regional Transit Plan
A new proposal would improve wait times for area buses and bring more households within walking distance to transit stops.
What Was Lost When Streetcars Stopped Still Hasn't Been Found
City's don't need vintage streetcars; cities need the frequency and convenience of service delivered by the streetcar lines from days past.
Speeding Up Trips on the Canal Street Streetcar in New Orleans
Big changes are in store for one of the busiest transit lines in New Orleans.
Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?
In Both Crashes and Crime, Public Transportation is Far Safer than Driving
Contrary to popular assumptions, public transportation has far lower crash and crime rates than automobile travel. For safer communities, improve and encourage transit travel.
Report: Zoning Reforms Should Complement Nashville’s Ambitious Transit Plan
Without reform, restrictive zoning codes will limit the impact of the city’s planned transit expansion and could exclude some of the residents who depend on transit the most.
Judge Orders Release of Frozen IRA, IIJA Funding
The decision is a victory for environmental groups who charged that freezing funds for critical infrastructure and disaster response programs caused “real and irreparable harm” to communities.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Clanton & Associates, Inc.
Jessamine County Fiscal Court
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service