I believe that there needs to be an improvement in public transit in New Orleans. An improvement means more jobs both at the RTA, but in the city as a whole.
Many recovery dollars should be or should have been spent to make sure proper systems were installed rather than just old style antiquated systems. — I’m talking mostly about the traffic lights; any new bus can be computerized. We now have electronic payment systems including day passes –. Heck, the entire Canal & Tulane Ave systems probably had to be replaced. I sure hope they are compatible with smart systems or we can use them somewhere making room for smart system.
Anyway, on with the needed improvements. Many cities across the country have changed the way the buses and trains interact with the lights. Rather than the lights controlling the buses, the buses control the lights.
If a bus can head down canal and make it through the light just before it turns rather than after, you can acheve many things.
- Improved and controlled bus timing
- Buses don’t have to wait through an extra light cycle because.
- They can’t make it to the bus stop before the light turns red
- Riders are still boarding/disembarking when the light turns red
- Buses can take off before the light turns green. Thus they don’t fight with traffic, and can make it to the next light quicker.
- Vehicles can actually turn right on red because they are not going around and in front of a stopped bus.
All of which improves the reliability and timing of the buses. With these improvements, ridership improves, and more employees can be hired further improving the system and ridership. Finally a better transportation system means more businesses in town, and more locals at work both for the RTA and other businesses.
EDIT: I don’t even mind if the extra lane is a public transit lane i.e. bikes + buses, and possibly cabs. (if they earn it)