Public Transportation

The fleet has dwindled over the past few years, but leaders say change is on the horizon.

A fleet of new buses has rolled onto the streets of New Orleans over the past few months, marking a step forward in the Regional Transit Authority’s push to modernize its aging fleet and reduce widespread route delays.

Aging buses are breaking down more often and being pulled off the street for repairs, causing major headaches for the approximately 30,000 people who rely on the RTA every day.

Lona Edwards Hankins, who took the helm at the Regional Transit Authority in March, joins us to talk about bus shelters, rider communications, and rapid transit plans.

Community advocates called on the City Council to spend some of the millions of dollars in federal pandemic aid sitting in city coffers on affordable housing and youth development programs, which are aimed at easing the structural problems at the root of the city’s struggle with violence and crime.

The Thursday vote came after a delay last month, when council member Freddie King raised concerns that the new route could increase traffic. Now, the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority will be able to seek federal funding to help advance the line.

The Gulf South is not known for its great public transit systems. Some believe Bus Rapid Transit could solve lingering issues and lead to a better future.

Lona Edwards Hankins was selected for the agency's top job, after serving as interim CEO since December. But some transit leaders said the agency's hiring process lacked transparency.

Plans for a faster bus line that could connect New Orleans East to the west bank were dealt an early blow on Tuesday, after a city council committee moved to delay a vote on the rapid transit proposal.

As parades pick up, we polled our newsroom staff on their best advice for navigating the alternate universe that is New Orleans during Mardi Gras.