New Orleans Regional Transit Authority

New Orleans Regional Transit Authority

RTA building on Canal Street
Founded 1983
Headquarters New Orleans
Service area City of New Orleans and Orleans Parish, Louisiana
Service type Public Transit
Heritage streetcar
Routes 30 (bus)
5 (streetcar)
Stops 2154 (bus)
286 (streetcar)
Annual ridership 18,634,500+ (2013)
Fuel type Diesel (bus)
Electric (streetcar)
Operator Transdev
Website
Streetcar network
Streetcar on Canal Street, April 2007

The New Orleans Regional Transit Authority (RTA or NORTA) is a public transportation agency based in New Orleans. Since 1983 it has operated bus and historic streetcar service throughout the city. With an annual ridership of over 18.6 million riders,[1] the Regional Transit Authority is the largest public transit agency in the state of Louisiana.

Hurricane Katrina

City buses were used before Hurricane Katrina hit to transport people to a refuge of last resort, the Louisiana Superdome. Much of the city flooded due to the storm. The NORTA Administration building on Plaza Drive appears to have been in 10 feet (3.0 m) of water. Almost eighty-five percent of the fleet was rendered useless and inoperative; 146 city buses were visible outdoors in the flood at the 2817 Canal St. facility, while only 22 were at 3900 Desire Pky. The 8201 Willow St. facility was one block within the flood but was built above street level. The buses at the flooded facilities were mostly written off.

All but one of the streetcars built in the 1990s and 2000s were severely damaged in the flooding resulting from the hurricane. The historic Perley Thomas-built streetcars of the St. Charles line were undamaged in the disaster. The damaged streetcars, which had been built by hand on the property by local workers, were repaired in the same facility with components from Brookville Equipment Co.[2]

Post-disaster recovery

As of 2007, service had been restored to certain areas as they became habitable again. However, there was no 24-hour service on any bus or streetcar line, except for the St. Charles streetcar line. Streetcars were returned to the full length of Canal St. and the Riverfront, initially using the historic St. Charles Line streetcars, which had not been damaged, as had the red Canal cars. In 2008, the St. Charles streetcar resumed running the entire length of its route. By early 2009, the red Canal streetcars were repaired and had taken over service on the Canal and Riverfront Lines. The buses that have been restored to operation have returned to several major thoroughfares, including Elysian Fields Avenue, Esplanade Avenue, Claiborne Avenue, St. Claude Avenue, Judge Perez Drive, General Meyer Avenue, Lapalco Boulevard, Robert E. Lee Boulevard, and the Chef Menteur Highway. And just a few express routes, Morrison Express, Lake Forest Express, Read-Crowder Express and Airport Express, serving both Eastern New Orleans, and New Orleans Louis Armstrong International Airport In Kenner, La. have been reinstated so far.

Service enhancements as of October 2, 2016:[3]

Operate the new N. Rampart/St. Claude Avenue streetcar from Elysian Fields to UPT via Rampart St. and Loyola Ave. Loyola/UPT line will no longer operate on Canal St. to the river, nor on Riverfront to the French Quarter stop.

Restore service to Canal Street on the 15-Freret and 28-MLK buses.

Increase service on the Canal and Riverfront streetcar lines.

Continue lines 57-Franklin and 88-St. Claude to Canal St. Operate 57-Franklin via Claiborne Ave. to increase service along N. Claiborne Ave. between Elysian Fields and St. Bernard Ave.

Decrease travel times for riders from farther-out neighborhoods by operating Lines 88-St.Claude and 91-Jackson/Esplanade with fewer stops along Rampart to Canal.

Improve reliability of lines 5-Marigny/Bywater and 55-Elysian Fields with new schedules.

Provide earlier daily trips and later weekend trips on line 80-Desire/Louisa.

Bus & streetcar route list

RTA Governance

The body in charge of making major decisions for the RTA is the Board of Commissioners. The board consists of appointees by the Mayor of New Orleans and of some appointees by the President of Jefferson Parish. The RTA Board has the overall authority for transit in New Orleans including setting fares, overseeing service and operations, developing operating budgets, approving each year's annual transportation development plan, and deciding upon capital purchases and expansions. Under contract to the RTA Board of Commissioners, a company called Transdev Services manages all day-to-day aspects of the transit agency on behalf of the RTA Board. Transdev handles operations and service, safety issues, vehicle maintenance, customer care, route design and scheduling, human resources, administration, ridership growth, capital planning, grant administration, communications, purchasing, and other agency functions. Transdev is under contract to and reports to the RTA Board of Commissioners. The company operates public transportation for some 5,000 transit authorities around the world.

Rosters

Fleet number(s) Thumbnail Year Manufacturer Model Engine Transmission Notes
H001–H005 2010 NFI DE60LFR Cummins ISL Allison EP50
hybrid system		 Equipped with streamlined roof and rear window.
H006–H015 2012 NFI DE60LFR Cummins ISL9 Allison H 50 EP
H016 2013 NFI DE60LFR Cummins ISL9 Allison H 50 EP
1–68 1960 GMC TDH-5301 Detroit Diesel 6V71N Allison VH9
69–142 1961 GMC TDH-5301 Detroit Diesel 6V71N Allison VH9
100–126 1986 MAN Americana
(SL-40102L)		 MAN D2566 MLUH Renk-Doromat 874B
127–139 1990 OBI Orion V
(05.501)		 8 units written-off after damages from Hurricane Katrina.
140–142 2004 OBI Orion V
(05.504)
143–181 2008 OBI Orion VII NG
(07.502)		 Cummins ISL
192–266 2010 Orion Orion VII NG
(07.501)		 Cummins ISL
267–274 2012 Orion Orion VII EPA10
(07.501)		 Cummins ISL9
410–517 1974–1975 AMG 10240-8 Detroit Diesel 8V71N Formerly NOPSI 410–517.
518–702 1979 GMC RTS-03
(T8H-203)		 Detroit Diesel 8V71N Allison V730 Formerly NOPSI 518-702.
703–761 1981 Grumman Flxible 870
(40102-8)		 Detroit Diesel 8V71N Allison V730 Formerly NOPSI 703–761.
762–867, 872 1985–1986 MAN Americana
(SL-40102L)		 MAN D2566 MLUH Renk-Doromat 874B
868–871, 873–899 1986 MAN Americana
(SL-40102L)		 MAN D2566 MLUH Renk-Doromat 874B
1008–1023 1983 Carpenter CBW300
1024–1041 1986 Crown Supercoach
1042–1049 1989 Crown Supercoach II Used on Vieux Carre Trolley.
4501–4505 2005 MCI D4500
94006–94078 1994 NFI D40 25 units written-off after damages from Hurricane Katrina.
97200–97299 1997 OBI Orion V
(05.501)		 18 units written-off after damages from Hurricane Katrina.
97300–97376 1998 OBI Orion V
(05.501)		 73 units written-off after damages from Hurricane Katrina.
98400–98467 1998 OBI Orion V
(05.501)		 52 units written-off after damages from Hurricane Katrina.
98500–98529 1999 OBI Orion V
(05.505)		 26 units written-off after damages from Hurricane Katrina.

Paratransit roster

Fleet number(s) Thumbnail Year Manufacturer Model Engine Transmission Notes
1–6 2000 Corbeil Minibus Formerly NOPSI same #s.
11–22 2000 Corbeil Minibus
23–28 2011 Arboc SOM26D
30–32 2003 Blue Bird Micro Bird
L4001–L4005 2012 Arboc SOM27D

Post-Katrina leased bus roster

Fleet number(s) Thumbnail Year Manufacturer Model Engine Transmission Notes
20, 24, 29, 32 ? Orion Orion I
(01.507)		 6 units
143-160, 173? 1995 Nova Bus RTS-06
(T80-206)
163-171, 1733, 1737, 1761 ? Gillig Phantom 12 units
2612-2621, 2720 ? NABI 416 6 units
3271-3470 1990 Motor Coach Industries Classic 20 units
8226-8536 1990 Motor Coach Industries Classic 12 units
9001-9006 2011 Transplus Sunny 5 units

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://www.apta.com/resources/statistics/Documents/Ridership/2013-q4-ridership-APTA.pdf PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION RIDERSHIP REPORT – Fourth Quarter 2013
  2. ↑
  3. ↑ "October 2, Service Changes for Bus And Street Car Lines". Retrieved 2 October 2016.
  4. ↑
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