The Catch-22 of New Orleans Transit

Since the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, public transit in New Orleans has struggled to rebound. With few riders, service expansions can't be justified. But with diminished service, fewer view transit as a viable option.

2 minute read

October 5, 2008, 7:00 AM PDT

By Nate Berg


"One of the difficult truths America learned when Katrina's floodwaters receded is that a sizable chunk of the city's population--one in four according to the 2000 census--lacks access to cars, filling the worn plastic seats of buses and streetcars instead. Even before post-Katrina revelations, however, it was no secret that the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority (RTA) lacked the resources to transport its riders reliably, many of whom worked in the hotels, restaurants, and hospitals at one end of the city's sprawling 350-square-mile footprint and lived at the other. Riders would be held captive in the thick hot heat of summers, waiting hours at a time for a single transfer. On rainy days, entrepreneurial peddlers worked the crowds of soggy commuters at the uncovered bus stops, selling umbrellas held together with electric tape.

The storm and the resulting exodus only exacerbated the RTA's woes. After flooding destroyed 200 buses and miles of streetcar track, the RTA had to deploy aging commuter castoffs from other cities. The city's historic, olive-green streetcars became no more than a symbol used by the city's tourist board. Riders who could afford to buy or borrow cars began to do so. Others took up biking or walking. Many did not return.

Three years after Katrina, the 124,000 daily riders who fed the system the coins it needs to keep running have dropped by 75 percent, to 31,000 daily riders. The RTA now finds itself caught in a chicken-or-egg conundrum, funded by a combination of farebox returns, local tax revenue, and federal grants tied to a large ridership. Until more people return home to New Orleans, the city can't improve the transit routes to get them there."

Wednesday, October 1, 2008 in Next American City

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Use Code 25for25 at checkout for 25% off an annual plan!

Redlining map of Oakland and Berkeley.

Rethinking Redlining

For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

May 15, 2025 - Alan Mallach

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

May 21, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Rendering of California High-Speed Rail station with bullet train.

California High-Speed Rail's Plan to Right Itself

The railroad's new CEO thinks he can get the project back on track. The stars will need to align this summer.

May 19, 2025 - Benjamin Schneider

Connecticut Capitol Building

Connecticut Just Cause Eviction Bill Dies in State House

The bill would have protected tenants from unfair evictions by requiring landlords to provide a reason for ending a lease.

30 minutes ago - The Connecticut Mirror

Red SF Muni ticketing machine.

San Francisco Muni Raises Fares a Second Time

A 10–cent fare hike for adults is part of the agency’s plan to chip away at a growing budget deficit.

May 21 - San Francisco Examiner

Electric car charging station with several Chevy Bolts charging in parking lot of store in Bellingham, Washington

Electric Grid Capacity Could Hamstring EV Growth

Industry leaders say the U.S. electric grid is unprepared for the increased demand for power created by electric cars, data centers, and electric homes.

May 21 - GovTech