WHAT: Virtual public meeting to discuss pedestrianization plans for the French Quarter
WHEN: Monday, August 17, 5:30 PM to 7 PM
WHERE: ZOOM
Please note: Due to the expected high number of participants, questions will only be allowed through the Zoom chat feature and text messages. You can also submit your questions and feedback in advance by emailing tiffaney.bradley@nola.gov .
The City of New Orleans has begun to sound out their ideas around creating more pedestrian-only malls in the French Quarter through some contact with residents and through the media. Part of their idea seems to be spring from the idea that those using the Quarter need more room in this era of 6′ safe spacing, and another aspect seems to be that since we lack the millions of tourists that our Quarter businesses depend on for revenue, we need to realign our 80+ blocks to bring our neighbors to use it and add more local-focused businesses.
If those are the actual goals, then I am for this idea, although with strong reservations. Those reservations include all City department’s ability to listen and learn from the varied number of Quarterites which includes more than those who are full-time homeowners or business owners who have easy access to the decision makers on Loyola. It also must include workers, culture bearers, unhoused people and their advocates, renters, and those part-time homeowners who do love it and care for it (so not the illegal Airbnb-ers of which there are dozens and no obvious recent enforcement to keep them from becoming unchecked again.) And of course, to take in consideration the ideas and concerns of residents in Treme, Marigny, CBD, Central City too because they are clearly impacted by decisions made for the FQ.
Because these ideas have seemed to come out of very recent, very serious COVID-era needs and so haven’t run the usual years-long cycle of public meetings, some folks have suggested that this new ped-focused design is going to become another Riverfront Expressway-type issue. Although the comparison seems a little overwrought to me, I can certainly see part of their point. For those new to this, the Riverfront Expressway was a 1940s-1960s elevated elevated six-lane expressway project, 40 feet off the street and 108 feet wide along the Mississippi River. It was added to the planned I-10 design which (contrary to a local legend) was always planned for Claiborne* and was not moved there when the FQ residents successfully fought the Expressway spur. The Expressway suggestion was made via a 1940s consultant’s report on New Orleans by the infamous Robert Moses who thought by keeping auto traffic flowing through (over?) the Quarter it would actually benefit it. Of course he and other planners didn’t understand the Quarter, but back in those days people like Moses were unelected kings and their opinions became policy without the need of any other input.
(*However, even though the story of it being moved to Claiborne from the riverfront is incorrect, the reality of the I-10 being built on Claiborne did happen for exactly those same racist policies: that the historic and beautiful tree-lined Claiborne Avenue was sacrificed because it was the Black St. Charles Avenue and therefore had no political power. So whether or not FQ residents saved their neighborhood by sacrificing another is or isn’t precisely true doesn’t really matter, as it does seem be true that they did little to nothing to stop their neighbors in Treme in getting carved up again and again, before the I-10 and after it, and is still happening.)
So to some, the idea of the City throwing an idea out that is hastily designed at City Hall or only takes in some of the needs of some seems familiar. And that the I-10 and Riverfront experience suggests that someone or many someones will bear some negative brunt of the idea through what many sociologists and others like to call “the unintended impacts” of these multi-level decisions.
The truth is any solution that assists our world-class (what probably should be a UNESCO site!) historic neighborhood and its surrounding area will only work if the input is tremendous, dynamic, and sensitive to the needs of many. Yet what anyone who has been in these discussions can see is that everyone is coming to this with a lot of assumptions; for residents, its often assuming the City is not acting in good faith; for the City, its often assuming that Quarterites are inflexible or not interested in benefits that help others. And I also suspect based on my interactions that many at City Hall don’t believe we actually have residents here or serve other needs than as the main corridor for tourism.
Based on all of that, even though I am more in favor of these ideas than others, I’d suggest that the City might start with simpler ideas and then ask a lot of questions. Maybe start with adding protected bike lanes in and out of the Quarter, work on safer bike parking (more and more business owners are cutting bikes locked up for a shift from their gallery posts and few employers offer safe parking), add many more public transportation options for workers and locals, come up with some dynamic parking ideas for residents and workers, deal with illegal STRs and noise infractions- and maybe start to test these ideas by using their French Market property first. A French Market property project could do a lot to calm residents fears and can also test out ideas before those unintended impacts across a larger area cripple and divide the residential and business community of the Quarter. I’ve jotted down many ideas on my blog previously for the French Market space that including adding a storefront library, community health agencies, maybe an evening Louisiana-id carrying-only splash pad, pop up food truck events, and lots more of what we saw this week: the sheds and public space used for sharing regular city departments information and health work as it was for the COVID site this last week with hundreds in line in the market space to get their free test.
Once successful, the City can then quickly move to testing out single or 2-3 block ped areas, such as some I have noted previously include Wilkinson Row, Madison Street, the 1100 blocks of Chartres (which has St, Mary’s the Old Convent, Keyes museum, a boutique hotel) and adding local-friendly partnerships to activate those such as those NOMF musicians You Got This events, other health screenings, walking circuits similar to the Big Lake at City Park, or just rows of potted trees to add shade and beauty.
In any case, let’s all take a deep breath, do some homework, create some short term pilots, check our own assumptions and privilege, and listen as much as we talk.
Oh, we’ll be watching!
Some thoughts this morning about what happened last night in New Orleans (yes, it’s going to be a thread): Before the confrontation on the bridge, there was a two-hour rally in Duncan Plaza and a two-hour march that took us up St. Charles Avenue, down Jackson and then turning onto Magazine Street. I saw organizers calmly address a few who were unruly. Throughout the march, there were calls to maintain discipline, periodically they would stop and raise one finger in the air as a sign to the crowd to regroup. I saw no violence or damage. Crowd was taking care of each other. Throughout the march, the NOPD blocked traffic by stationing their cars one block back from the protesters.
When we reached the onramp to the Crescent City Connection, the ramp was clear and it appeared that NOPD had stopped traffic. I’ve heard people say the protesters should not have been on the Crescent City Connection bridge. I don’t understand that argument, but I’m open to hear the reasoning. If it was appropriate for them to take St. Charles Avenue or Magazine Street, what makes the bridge different? The CCC also has a history that gives it weight as a site of protest. After Katrina, Gretna police blocked the bridge and fired weapons to prevent a group of black evacuees from crossing. The Justice Department decided that the officers did not break the law.
4 I don’t understand NOPD’s decision to block bridge. I hope they explain today. The standoff lasted an hour. If they let protesters passed, I believe it would have caused a shorter disruption to traffic. Other than as a show of force, I don’t know what the NOPD accomplished by confronting the protesters. I can say NOPD endangered the protesters with their actions. By stopping the movement of the march, people start bunching up closer. Social distancing was not happening, although nearly everyone in the march was wearing a mask. My colleague and I were trying to stay toward the edge, both to observe better and maintain more distance. The guardrail on the CCC, however, is low and that would be a hell of a fall. I moved us into the crowd, since it felt safer. I was worried that if there was a panic in the crowd, people could be shoved over the edge and die. The NOPD’s use of teargas could have set off that panic. The NOPD tweeted “the crowd refused to comply with three orders not to attempt to walk across the CCC.” This is not true. Maybe leaders at the front were given orders, but the crowd was told nothing by NOPD. Before we fell back, I was a few yards from the police line. I could see the row of helmets. I heard no orders from the police. Nor did I hear anything when we moved farther back. After the tear gas was fired, most of the protesters retreated. Many people were encouraging people to slow down, walk and not do anything that might cause panic or chaos. I was surprised as we left that the NOPD allowed traffic to enter the CCC while it was occupied by protesters. When we arrived, the onramp was clear. When we left, it had a line a vehicles with a semi in the front. Although the cars were stopped and many seemed supportive of the protesters, allowing traffic onto bridge seems like it would endanger both the protesters and the officers. I asked Mayor Cantrell’s office about this, but they still haven’t responded to my email from last night. At the base of the bridge, the organizers had stationed bike taxis to take away anyone who was injured. (End thread)
