One lane

I think people are going to regret it if RTA eventually decides to go this way.

A solid majority of the New Orleans City Council has apparently already come down in favor of giving the new streetcar line running from the Central Business District to the Marigny its own dedicated lane, one of the main sticking points in designing the new spur.

A letter dated June 28 -- before James Gray or LaToya Cantrell won election, but signed by all five other sitting council members -- lends unequivocal support for separating streetcar and automobile traffic in order to give mass transit users a quicker, more reliable ride.

Whatever advantage the streetcar gains from having its own lane is exceeded by the negative effect of reducing a key cross-town avenue to only one lane each direction.

Remember, the streetcar in this case doesn't serve the same purpose as the vehicular traffic.  The people riding the streetcar are trying to get from one tourist attraction to the next.  The drivers are trying to get from one side of town to the other.   Putting the tourist attraction in a dedicated lane makes its operation marginally more efficient but ruins traffic for people who actually live here.

The best solution would have been to put the streetcars on the neutral ground and keep the two lanes of traffic. But... reasons and whatnot.