NEW ORLEANS — Their signs say save the ferries, because working, reliable ferries will save them.
Like Erin French, she owns a small event venue that banks on the ferries going to and from the French Quarter.
“It drives my business,” she said. “We have a wedding tomorrow night. The ferries are down. They had to rent two buses, $1,700, the groom wanted to know if I was going to split the bill with him. It’s terrible!”
In recent weeks, the Algiers ferry has been closed more than it has been open.
“We don’t get any straight answers,” French said. “We don’t know what’s going on. We don’t know when the ferries are going to be running and the worst of it is, the brand-spankin-new ones are sitting tied up somewhere.”
Two brand new, $10 million ferry boats floating nearby that look ready to ride. But they have been sitting there since last July.
This week, WWL-TV’s Paul Murphy first reported on the assessment done of the new boats by an out-of-state inspector that spelled out safety problems with them.
“They sprung this meeting on everybody with short notice at 5:30 on a Friday and I think they didn’t expect the turnout,” French said.
That much is clear from the handful of chairs and standing room only crowd.
“My restaurant is empty tonight because all the people over there can’t get over here,” Tom Ramsey, chef at One Stone restaurant said. “All of my regulars are here trying to figure out what’s going on.”
Now, this frustrated group wants answers from the RTA and its CEO, Alex Wiggins.
“I’ve been here three months and the breakdown has been unacceptable,” Wiggins said.
He says the agency hired an engineering firm to get the new boats seaworthy and they’re searching for a more reliable boat to use in the meantime – meaning a longer wait for residents.
Editor's Note: A previous version of this report stated Tom Ramsey was the owner and chef at One Stone restaurant. The article has been updated to reflect that Ramsey is the chef. Carly Hammond is the owner.