 Many American cities once had streetcars, but not anymore. Yet streetcars have been running in New Orleans for over 150 years. Anthony Falls has been driving streetcars for 10 years and plans to keep doing so. First of all, it's one of the oldest rail lines in the world. Second of all, it's just part of being part of history because at one time, they didn't have people of color driving the streetcar. I think that's a big part of my job. The St. Charles Avenue streetcar is said to be the oldest continuously operating streetcar in the world. I've been riding the streetcars ever since I started high school. Sometimes we would go out to lunch, grab the top on the streetcar. It's convenient, it's cheap, and it gets you where you need to go. I think they're pretty cool. They're fun. They're unique and different. Like I said, we don't get that in California where we are. So everything is on a rush to get in the car and hurry up and get to A to B. It's a really neat way to see the site. The reason why I like it, I don't know, it's a piece of history. They have these old cars and they respect them and they keep them running. We can ride down here and be part of the living history of New Orleans. This year the city is opening new streetcar lines. New Orleans is just one of about 20 American cities that are expanding or developing streetcar systems. In 2001, a streetcar line opened in Portland, Oregon. About 12,000 people ride Portland's 6.5 kilometer streetcar system every day. Dominic Mancada is a transportation official in New Orleans. With gas prices constantly increasing, a lot of public transit agencies are trying to find ways to modernize their systems. Anything that has a better cost benefit for an agency. I'm Steve Ember.