The possible arrival of a new tourist attraction called "Ride the Ducks" on the streets of the French Quarter hit a roadblock Tuesday (May 28) as the City Council's Transportation Committee raised questions about the tour vehicles' safety, their impact on traffic congestion and whether approval would open the floodgates to bigger and more outlandish tours that would forever...
The possible arrival of a new tourist attraction called "Ride the Ducks" on the streets of the French Quarter hit a roadblock Tuesday (May 28) as the City Council's Transportation Committee raised questions about the tour vehicles' safety, their impact on traffic congestion and whether approval would open the floodgates to bigger and more outlandish tours that would forever alter the fabric of the Vieux Carre.
Also at issue is which city agency has final say over whether the converted World War II transport vehicles can roll down the streets of New Orleans.
Councilwoman Kristin Gisleson Palmer pushed back against claims by Gray Line Tours attorney Scott Whittaker that the City Council does not have any official say in the permit approval process.
The Taxicab Bureau is responsible for issuing certificates of public necessity and convenience, or CPNCs, that are required for tour vehicles to operate. However, Palmer pointed to a section of the City Charter that states, "no assignment of any franchise, privilege or permit shall be valid without the approval of the council."
Palmer gently pushed Eric Granderson, an aide to Mayor Mitch Landrieu, into a "gentlemen's agreement" in which the city agreed it won't issue permits to the duck tours until these issues are resolved.
Gray Line Tours is seeking permits for three "ducks," which are based on amphibious World War II supply transport vehicles. Each duck has a capacity of up to 37 people. They would operate four tours a day during the busy season for an estimated total of 50,000 people per year.
The duck tours would start at the Toulouse Street wharf on the Mississippi River, take North Peters Street to Canal Street to City Park Avenue, jump on Interstate 10, and exit on Bonnabel Boulevard to access the boat launch on Lake Pontchartrain. The entire trip would take up to two hours including a 25-minute ride on the lake.
Other cities that offer "Ride the Duck" tours include Philadelphia, Boston, Seattle and San Francisco.
New Orleans has issued 136 "sightseeing and general charter" CPNCs for vehicles that include passenger vans, minibuses and double-decker buses. There is no limit to the number of these types of CPNCs the city can issue.
Leaders of the Vieux Carre Property Owners, Residents and Associates have called for a moratorium on the issuance of additional permits in the French Quarter until the impact of the tours currently operating in the historic neighborhood can be studied.
The administration has rejected calls for a moratorium.
During Tuesday's committee meeting, representatives of New Orleans' tourism and business communities hailed the proposed tours as a family-friendly option that would show off one of the region's most important natural resources, Lake Pontchartrain.
Robert Watters, chairman of the French Quarter Management District, said his group is opposed to the tours, but he asked for a series of provisos to be included should the city grant approval to the venture.
Watters asked that the city cap the number of vehicles at three, limit the tour's route to the path outlined in Gray Line's proposal, keep the vehicles out of the interior of the French Quarter, prohibit the use of public announcement systems and noisemakers called "quackers" in the French Quarter, and change the name of the tour and the color of the vehicles to something more fitting to the history and culture of New Orleans.
Councilwoman Susan Guidry praised Gray Line Tours and its history of being a good corporate citizen. But she expressed concern that if the city approves the Gray Line duck tour, there would be no way to keep out other tour companies that might not be as willing to follow the rules.
Many French Quarter residents who spoke Tuesday in opposition to the duck tours said that many of the tour companies operating in the French Quarter already ignore noise and road restrictions.
Guidry questioned whether there was anything the city could do, however, to cap the number of duck tour operators allowed to do business in New Orleans. She pointed to a case in Key West where Duck Tours Seafari sued the city over an exclusive agreement that gave Historic Tours of America control over all sightseeing tours. The courts ruled that constituted a monopoly and awarded Seafari $8 million in damages.
"We have quite a ways to go," Guidry said.