What is the purpose of the riverfront streetcar?

It's just a ride.  I can't think of anyone actually needing to take that to get across the Quarter. Not when you have to walk all the way out of your way just to get over to where the tracks are in the first place. Might as well just walk to your destination.  Does anybody actually use it?  I mean does anybody who is not a tourist use it to actually get somewhere they need to go?  

Anyway I think this means they're making a better use of it.

Streetcars running down Canal Street will soon take a turn and run 24-hours a day on the Riverfront line flanking the French Quarter, in a move that New Orleans transit officials say should help ease commutes for late-night service workers.

In a news release Tuesday (Sept. 25), the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority announced it's extending the two streetcar lines that normally end at the foot of Canal Street, to instead take a turn on the Riverfront tracks and end at the French Market. The transit agency also said the Canal streetcars will run 24-hours a day along the Riverfront line from Canal Street to the French Market, replacing the Riverfront streetcars that usually stop service at midnight

So if you're trying to get to Mid City from Decatur Street late at night, you can go get the streetcar now.  Of course anyone who has had to rely on the late night St. Charles streetcars before will know they run so infrequently that you might be better off walking anyway.   This probably won't be much different.

Still it's good to see service extended.  These 24 hour buses should help.

The service changes take effect this Sunday, the RTA's news release says. They will add to existing late-night "owl" bus routes that run to New Orleans East (63-line) and Algiers (100-line).

Additionally, the RTA said the 16-Claiborne bus line will run 24-hours a day starting at the end of this month, matching the 24-hour service the 39-Tulane bus line now running to Causeway Boulevard past Ochsner Medical Center on Jefferson Highway.

More buses would help even more, though.