New Orleans — Construction On Track

December 2015

New Orleans public radio station WWNO reports that construction of the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority Rampart-St. Claude streetcar line skirting the French Quarter tourism district now is halfway finished.

Currently North Rampart Street is rough as motorists find uneven pavement, dust storms, and traffic diversions. Construction on the new Rampart streetcar line is is expected to be done on time so that the line can open in summer 2016.

The Rampart streetcar line is an extension of the Loyola line, which opened in 2013. The Loyola line cost $60 million in public funds and officials report it led to $2 billion in private investment in the six block radius around the new route.

Nonetheless, some residents feel the new lines favor tourists over local residents, as their bus routes were re-routed to connect with the streetcar, lengthening some commutes.