Sots2019 Final v2 Digital

NEW LINKS & NEXT STEPS
STATE OF TRANSIT 2019

About our Organization Thank you to our 2019
State of Transit sponsors
Ride New Orleans is an independent nonprofit GOLD LEVEL
501(c)3 organization. We envision a region in
which taking transit enables full access to jobs,
education, health care, and other needs that ensure
the equitable, thriving community that all residents
deserve. Our mission is to win world-class and
equitable public transportation that works for all
residents across the New Orleans region.
Visit rideneworleans.org for more information.
Board of Directors
Lacy McManus - President SILVER LEVEL
Marcelle Beaulieu - Treasurer
Sebrina Bush Hillard - Secretary
Jacquelyn Dadakis – Past President
Buddy Boe
Robin Jones
Annalisa Kelly
Walt Leger, III
Fred Neal Jr.
Nina P. Red
Jennifer Terry
Jeff Schwartz
Judy Stevens
Ride New Orleans staff BRONZE LEVEL

Harrah’s New Orleans
Alex Posorske – Executive Director Huber, Thomas & Marcelle, LLP
Matthew Hendrickson – Policy Director and Jones Walker
Transportation Planner Wisznia Architecture + Development
Courtney Jackson – Organizer and Storyteller
A special thanks to our 2019
State of Transit in New Orleans report organizational funders
contributors
Kevin Harrison – Data collection & analysis
Ann Wanserski – Layout & design
Executive
For a decade now, Ride New Orleans has pushed the New Orleans
Regional Transit Authority (RTA), Jefferson Transit (JeT), and elected
officials throughout the Greater New Orleans region for better planning
and clearer priorities to improve regional transit service. The current
transit systems fundamentally aren’t getting the job done.
Summary
Recently, we’ve started to see real progress:
• In 2016-2017, the RTA completed a year-long public process to
produce a long-term strategic plan – the Strategic Mobility Plan
(SMP). This plan set new goals for the agency, clarified big picture
priorities for the next two decades, and implemented new metrics
such as reduced travel time and better on-time performance to
gauge progress.
• In 2018, JeT followed suit, with an agency strategic plan that laid
out the financial realities facing JeT and presented clear proposals
for how to improve service.
• In 2019, both agencies started the New Links comprehensive
operations analysis and regional network redesign that could
bring tangible changes to transit in the near future and could
fundamentally rethink New Orleans transit for the better.
But despite the progress toward better long-term planning and
prioritization, we understand why the average New Orleans transit rider
dealing with today’s realities does not feel optimism.
That average rider faces depressingly consistent problems year over
year. If they live in New Orleans, they can only reach 12 percent of
the region’s jobs in 30-minutes-or-less via transit and walking. In 60
minutes, they can only reach 42 percent of the region’s jobs.
For riders living in Jefferson or St. Bernard parishes, the experience
is even worse. On average, riders in those parishes can only reach 23
percent and three percent of the region’s jobs via transit in 60 minutes-
or-less, respectively.
Figure 1: Average percent of jobs accessible, by mode
Source: U.S. Census Bureau. 2019. LODES Data. Longitudinal-Employer

Household Dynamics Program. http://lehd.ces.census.gov/data/lodes/; Ride
New Orleans analysis
It remains very difficult for the average transit rider to get to the wide
range of services that residents with private vehicles take for granted.
While some neighborhoods may have adequate service and connection
options, for many transit-reliant riders, transportation – or the lack
thereof – is an almost-insurmountable barrier to accessing economic
and educational opportunities.
On top of this fundamental crisis, many other problems continue to
fester and make transit less pleasant, less reliable, and less useful that
it should and could be. Examples include:
• Less than 300 of the RTA’s 2,222 bus stops have shelters to
protect riders from the hot sun and powerful storms in our climate.
Even after the RTA board approved 50 new shelters in September
2018, the vast majority have yet to arrive.
• Service continues to be unreliable on many lines. According to
RTA data in 2018, RTA buses were on time only 74 percent of the
time, with streetcars performing even worse, only arriving on time
65 percent of the time. Meanwhile, Canal Street/Algiers Point ferry
service was halted due to mechanical issues for an entire day or
longer two times in the summer of 2019 alone.
• Many of the most heavily traveled lines are prone to not only
unpredictable arrival times but also slow travel times. An effort to
address this on the busy Canal streetcar lines fell apart after initial
outreach and communication stumbles.
These problems need to be acknowledged and fixed. Not only do they
hurt individual riders, they hurt the future of the system. Growing rider
frustration and disillusionment reduces community trust. It also likely
contributed to a 4.8 percent drop in ridership from 2017 to 2018 – a
worrying decline that could become a financial problem if it becomes a
trend.
But as we acknowledge that frustration and must be honest about
the problems, we also must acknowledge progress. Not only has a
foundation for a potential turnaround been laid by the long-term plans
referenced above, but further progress in the last year has built upon
that foundation.
New leadership – especially New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell and
at the RTA staff and board level – has secured important progress
that puts our region closer to fixing systemic issues and implementing
tangible improvements that make it easier to rely on transit:
• Last fall, the RTA board voted to fundamentally change the
structure of RTA operations. By the end of this summer, the RTA
will have transitioned from a system where a private contractor
controls all aspects of transit decision without direct oversight
to one with a robust public staff that reports only to the publicly-
accountable RTA board. This is a big step forward in transparency,
accountability, continuity, and – we believe – will lead to tangible
progress that will benefit riders for years to come.
• Last summer, Orleans and Jefferson parishes jointly agreed
to expand the RTA’s #39 Tulane bus line across the Jefferson
Parish line to the Ochsner Medical Center on Jefferson Highway
– directly linking the New Orleans CBD with an important and
growing jobs center, and cutting up to an hour of total commuting
time for some riders.
• Earlier this year, the RTA and JeT agreed to permanently adopt a
regional day pass that allows for unlimited travel on both systems
over a 24-hour period, making life just a little bit easier and more
affordable for riders who have to transfer between the systems.
Most importantly, the New Links regional transit network redesign
process is expected to be completed early next year.
While some might understandably tune out yet another planning
NEW LINKS IS THE REGION’S BEST
process, New Links has potential to deliver significant and tangible
CHANCE TO COMPREHENSIVELY
short-term change for the better – if decision makers allow it.
The basic concept of a network redesign is for a transit agency, a
city, or a region to rethink where bus lines go and where to prioritize
limited resources, starting from a clean slate. It is premised on the
acknowledgement that a transit system – as currently designed and
funded – is not up to the task of meeting the goals of the system. INCREASE TRANSIT RIDERS’
Peer cities like Houston, Texas, and Richmond, Virginia, have
ACCESS TO JOBS AND OTHER

redesigned their networks in recent years and seen not only reduced
travel time for many low-income households but significant ridership
gains during a time when many US transit agencies – like the RTA – are
losing customers and revenue.
Done right, the New Links process could make tangible changes to the
transit network within the next year or two that improve transit service
system-wide - especially for areas like New Orleans East, Algiers, and
SERVICES IN THE NEXT DECADE.
other neighborhoods that need it the most. With the RTA, JeT, and
St. Bernard Urban Rapid Transit (SBURT) all fully participating in the
process, it is the region’s best chance to comprehensively increase
transit riders’ access to jobs and other services – without finding
significant new revenue – in the next decade.
However, it’s important to stress that it is no way guaranteed. Decision
makers at the RTA and in Orleans and Jefferson parishes have made
smart and forward-thinking choices in the last several years to get us
to this point. But the problems we need to address are large and taking
the next steps won’t be any easier. There will be some tough calls in the
year ahead. We urge officials to maintain their focus on the things that
matter the most, specifically:
• Ensure that bold changes to the regional transit network are
thoroughly vetted with the public as part of the New Links process
and push to implement the solutions that will help us take the
biggest long-term steps toward a more equitable and effective
regional transit network.
• Leverage the New Links process to achieve more tangible steps
forward for regional transit coordination and cooperation.
• Improve the rider experience and regain rider trust with
basic quality-of-life issues like more bus stop shelters, better
communication with riders, and improved transfer points.
• Build off of the New Links findings to create a clear priority list
for future transit improvement and develop a strategy to find the
increased revenue to implement those improvements.
The New Orleans region as a whole has taken important steps toward
world-class and equitable transit in the last few years. Decision makers
have an opportunity this year to take that progress to the next level. We
urge them to take advantage of this opportunity.
Ride New Orleans The State of Transit 2019 Page 4

Forward
New Orleans transit decision makers made some smart and timely
choices over the last year, leading to some encouraging steps on
operational issues and the continued improvement of long-standing
governance and planning deficiencies.
Important steps to highlight include:
Progress
• A transition to full public control of the RTA after a decade of
private contractor control of key transit decisions
• Tangible steps forward on regional connectivity and regional
transit cooperation
• The start of a transit network redesign that could lead to
significant routing changes that could greatly increase regional
transit utility over the next several years.
A NEW MODEL FOR RTA MANAGEMENT

After a decade of using the “delegated management” model of
contracting, the RTA will move to a more accountable and publicly-led
system of management at the conclusion of the current contract on
August 31, 2019.
The positions that are most
responsible for the overall
direction of the agency are
all slated to move out of the
purview of the private contractor
and on to the public payroll.
Those positions include senior
management, planning, finance,
communications, marketing,
administrative, and support roles.
The transition is still in progress as
of the publication of this report, but
the new RTA CEO, Alex Wiggins,
started on July 1, 2019. Wiggins,
a New Orleans native, gained his
experience at a number of different
transit agencies, including, most
New RTA CEO Alex Wiggins recently, LA Metro where he
directed safety and security.
A private contractor will still have a role – but a much reduced one.
The day-to-day operations of the RTA – including vehicle operations,
maintenance, and the immediate supervision of those functions – will
continue to be contracted.
Transdev – the current contractor – won the bid for the new contract
in Spring 2019. The new contract is only for three years with an RTA
option for up to two three-year renewals before the contract legally has
to be put out to bid again.
Why does this matter?

New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell and the RTA board deserve credit
for the hard but necessary decision to significantly change the agency’s
governance structure.
With the delegated management model, a single private company
– Transdev – had effective control of all aspects of RTA service and
planning. Through most of the delegated management contract,
the RTA had only one actual employee – the board secretary. other examples of problems through the delegated management
That meant the all-volunteer RTA board was charged with the years.
oversight of a large multi-national private corporation without
For example, In September 2017 the RTA board nearly agreed
being given sufficient tools to do the job.
to pay an additional $750,000 to unnecessarily expedite the
From a purely operational standpoint, there is nothing inherently delivery of new ferry boats without seeming to realize what they
wrong with contracting. Transdev was able to accomplish the were approving. It took a member of the audience to raise the
basics of the job – gradually returning transit service to a city issue – something a professional finance team working directly
devastated by Katrina. But the delegated management model for the RTA board would have been able to easily make clear.1
presented real issues with transparency, accountability, and
continuity. Those issues led to problems for transit riders which
would have continued to worsen if the existing system had been Continuity
left in place. Continuity is key for an agency like the RTA where the status quo
is not acceptable. It is desirable that, as much as possible, there
Transparency is carryover in the team that creates and implements long-term
plans for improvement. In-house expertise and accumulated
A lack of transparency is a problem for an agency that has an knowledge should combine with fresh perspective and new
entire goal in its strategic plan devoted to building trust with the ideas to help move an agency forward.
public. A snapshot of various issues includes:
With a delegated management model, that continuity is always
• Difficulty for anyone outside of Transdev to see and at risk. The entire point of the model is that a transit agency
understand cost breakdowns – a problem for an agency must always be looking for a better deal as a lower cost. Even if
that consistently ranked among the highest in costs for a transit authority were to stay with one contractor over a long
revenue hour over the last decade (see Page 23) period of time, the agency would ultimately be putting itself
• Public records requests from advocates and the regional in a situation where it is more and more reliant on a particular
press that were often held up for long periods of time company over the years and in danger of a rude awakening if the
economics and assumptions of the private sector change.
• Little consultation with the community on important transit
decision, with only slow and isolated progress over the last But moving to a publicly-controlled model greatly increases
10 years. the chances for the kind of continuity that can lead to a more
consistent and accountable focus on achieving the goals of a
Accountability long-term plan over a number of years.
With the RTA board the body formally responsible to the public, Next steps
but unequipped to challenge the technical expertise of the
contractor, there was a lack of accountability to the public Moving forward, there is no guarantee that the new model
around important decisions. Exacerbating this, the contractor’s will assure the future success of the agency. Potential flash
profit was primarily tied to the total amount of vehicle platform points of prioritization, strategy, transparency, public trust, and
hours (the amount of time a transit vehicle is on its route or effectiveness will always hover over any large public agency.
traveling to/from its route), with no contractual obligation to But RIDE firmly believes that taking needed steps forward on
examine why the service was going there or whether it would improved service, regional connectivity, and increased revenue
make more sense elsewhere. could not happen without the RTA’s move toward a more publicly
A proponent of the delegated-management model might counter controlled governing structure. Thus, we believe the decision
that a better-structured and more publicly understood contract to shift to a truly public agency was the most momentous step
could lead to more accountability around improvements. But forward thus far for public transit in the last several years and
even assuming a more accountable contract could be forged look forward to seeing the results of that decision in the coming
without a public professional staff deeply familiar with RTA years.
operations to negotiate said contract, there were a number of Ride New Orleans The State of Transit 2019 Page 6
RIDER PROFILE: JUDY STEVENS STEPS FORWARD ON REGIONAL TRANSIT
Regional transit connectivity and cooperation continue to be one of the
areas most in need of improvement. Fortunately, there were important
steps forward in both regional connectivity and coordination over the last
year.
#39 Tulane regional expansion

One of the biggest factors contributing to the poor access to jobs
figures for transit-reliant residents is the lack of true regional transit
options. Outside of some infrequent direct connections from the
Jefferson Parish West Bank to the New Orleans CBD and the limited
JeT Airport/New Orleans CBD connection, inter-parish trips generally
require a transfer to an entirely different transit system.
“Now that the #39 Tulane has been extended to
Ochsner it saves me both time and money and There was progress last year, however, as Orleans and Jefferson
has made a huge difference in my life. Because I parishes both agreed to extend the RTA’s #39 Tulane bus line to the
don’t have to transfer between agencies means Ochsner Medical Center on Jefferson Highway. The bus line previously
I save $1.50 per trip, $3 every day, and $60 stopped just inside the Orleans parish line and riders were forced to
a month. It also saves me time—at least 30 transfer to JeT’s E-3 Kenner Local at Claiborne and Carrollton.
minutes each way, every day which means less The route was extended nearly a mile and half and was able to maintain
stress having to get to work on time and I even its 30-minute headway schedule by simply adding an additional bus
get home in time to watch the 6 o’clock news to service. The service change also corresponded with an extension of
now.” 24-hour service on the RTA’s #16 Claiborne line.
Judy Stevens is an employee at Ochsner Medical The #39 Tulane now directly connects the expanding Ochsner Medical
Center on Jefferson Highway and Ride New Center – with an estimated $360 million of investments and more than
Orleans board member. She lives in New Orleans 3,000 new jobs anticipated in the next ten years – with the region’s
East and makes the commute via bus to and from largest jobs center. In addition, the change also saves riders time and
work every day. money as they now do not have to pay an additional one-way fare.
It also saves some riders more than 60 minutes in their total daily
commute time.
Figure 2: #39 Tulane New Route
Source: New Orleans

Regional Transit Authority
Maps and Schedules
Page 7 The State of Transit 2019 Ride New Orleans

Regional ride pass
In September 2018, Jefferson Transit
and the RTA launched a six-month
pilot to test the return of a regional
transit “day pass” good for 24
hours that allows unlimited trips and
transfers between the New Orleans
RTA and Jefferson Transit (JeT).
The two agencies offered a similar
regional pass from 1999 to 2004 but
it was discontinued after Hurricane
Katrina. Since then, riders had to
pay separate, full fares if transferring
between RTA and JeT – with a $1.25
and $1.50 base fare respectively.
After several years of conversation,
the agencies agreed to test a price
of $6, with each agency receiving $3
from each sale. During the pilot, the
agencies sold 16,000 Regional Ride
passes, with 63,000 total trips taken
on the passes.
Riders generally responded well
to the Regional Ride pass and the
change generated positive media coverage. Traveling between the
JeT and RTA systems previously required multiple fares or passes so
the convenience of one 24-hour pass for unlimited trips between the
two systems is very helpful. It also saves some riders money, as the
Regional Ride pass costs six dollars while two day passes from the
RTA ($3) and JeT ($4) combined would normally cost seven dollars.
In spring 2019, the RTA and JeT decided to make the pilot permanent
– a small, but important step toward improved regional coordination
and making day-to-day travel a little easier for riders who rely on both
systems.
Jefferson and Orleans councils jointly

call for more regional transit routes
In August 2018 the Orleans and Jefferson parish councils both
unanimously passed joint resolutions supporting and expanding
regional transit connectivity with specific mention of the need for more
regional routes
Resolutions are symbolic, but given the history of distrust between
the two parishes – especially on transit issues – gestures of solidarity
can be extremely helpful. It is encouraging that in the resolutions, both
councils formally recognized that to ensure economic prosperity for
the region and its residents, an effective, regionally interconnected
transportation system is a must.
The resolutions are only one step on the way to tangible transit
improvements. But with the regional transit network redesign – detailed
in the next section – taking form over the next year, even symbolic nods
to increased regional cooperation can take on larger meaning.
MAKING BUS LINES MORE USEFUL TO RIDERS
What is New Links?
New Links is a joint study and planning process by the RTA, Jefferson Transit,
and St. Bernard Parish Urban Rapid Transit, managed by the Regional Planning
Commission (RPC), the New Orleans region’s designated metropolitan planning
organization (MPO) (responsible for coordinating regional transportation planning).
The goal is to redesign the regional transit network. This likely will involve
major and minor changes in where transit lines begin, end, and travel through.
Timeline These changes can provide more reliable and frequent service that significantly
increases access to jobs and other places people want and need to go.
New Links will unfold in three phases: The basic idea of a network redesign is to rethink where bus lines go, starting
from a clean slate. Through extensive public dialogue and focused data-
• Phase I (January – July 2019):
Introduce the basis process; gathering, transit agencies propose comprehensive changes that create greater
community engagement and utility throughout a transit network to fulfill specific goals like increased ridership
education; rider origin/destination and greater access for marginalized communities. A network redesign redeploys
survey; internal data analysis existing resources to areas of greatest need or demand.
• Phase II (August – December 2019): Peer regions that have tried a network redesign have seen impressive results:
Draft different network scenarios • Houston, Texas ridership grew by 6.8 percent in the year after an August
that show potential changes to the 2015 network redesign was implemented2
regional transit network; present
and receive feedback during • Richmond, Virginia implemented a network redesign in June 2018 and
a second round of community ridership grew by 17 percent over the following year3
engagement
• Ridership in Columbus, Ohio grew by three percent in 2018, after a May
• Phase III (Early 2020): Utilizing 2017 network redesign was implemented.4
community feedback, data analysis,
and transit agency priorities, In New Orleans, a network redesign might provide more crosstown routes or
propose specific changes to propose specific new regional transit connections. It might redesign the transit
the regional transit network and network in specific areas like New Orleans East or Algiers to move riders from
present those to transit agencies those areas to the New Orleans CBD or other important job centers more
quickly and reliably. It could bring back and put more emphasis on many of the
After Phase III, the New Links process pre-Katrina express routes that used to whisk New Orleanians across town.
will formally be over, but there will be an It could ask current riders and community members to consider tradeoffs like
unofficial fourth phase at the RTA and transferring an additional time or walking a little further to stops – in return for
Jefferson Transit determine whether more frequent and rapid service.
to actually implement the New Links Most importantly, a network redesign should be able to increase connectivity
recommendations. and reliability for people who rely on transit.
Why is this needed?

While forward progress on connectivity and regional cooperation is important,
only a big-picture approach can provide benefits to all riders. As needed as
the #39 Tulane extension was, it was an isolated decision. You cannot reform
and improve an entire regional network like that. With only a finite amount of
resources available for transit there would be a severe imbalance in results.
The RTA’s Strategic Mobility Plan (SMP), approved in 2017, started a framework
and road map for these big picture improvements. But fully implementing every
recommendation in the SMP would more than double the average annual RTA
operating cost – a huge practical hurdle and possibly a political impossibility.
There needs to be a way to prioritize improvements and ensure the region is
spending limited transit dollars in the most effective way.
New Links can do this. New Links can recommend comprehensive changes
that benefit the entire system – not just riders on one line – while setting the
regional transit for continued improvements by prioritizing specific future service
Page 9 The State of Transit 2019 Ride New Orleans increases to be implemented as funding becomes available.
Figure 3: Houston before network redesign Figure 4: Houston after network redesign
TRADE-OFF 2: TRANSFERS
Source: Metropolitan Transit of Harris County (Houston METRO)
Figure 5: Transfer Tradeoff Activity—Prefer faster trip plus a transfer or a longer one-seat ride?
Connecting Routes Single Route
More trips per day Fewer trips per day
Shorter overall commute Longer overall commute

Routes on a network designed with fewer connections make
A transit network designed with many connections can make it easier to
longer trips to get people where they need to go.
get more places more quickly. This means transferring more often.
TRIP ORIGIN TRIP ORIGIN
DESTINATION DESTINATION
Walking distance Vehicles Transfer Transit Routes Walking distance Vehicles Transit Routes
TRADE-OFF 1: WALKING DISTANCE

Prefer Connecting Prefer Single Route
FigurePREFER
6: WalkingCONNECTING
Tradeoff Activity—Prefer faster trip but longerPREFER
walk or longer trip but ROUTE
SINGLE shorter walk?
Direct Route Circuit Route
Longer walking distance Shorter walking distance
More trips per day Fewer trips per day
Shorter
New Links is a partnership between the Regional overall
Planning commute
Commission and the Regional Transit Authority, in Longer overall commute
collaboration with Jefferson Transit and St. Bernard Urban Rapid Transit, with support from the City of New Orleans.
Direct routes travel in straight lines and do not meander to reach This route winds through an area to allow for shorter walks to and from
areas outside a corridor. This means walking farther to get to and from transit stops. The lengthier route means fewer trips and longer commute
transit stops. times.
TRIP ORIGIN TRIP ORIGIN
DESTINATION DESTINATION
Walking distance Vehicle Transit Route Walking distance Vehicle Transit Route
Prefer Direct Prefer Circuit
PREFER DIRECT
Source: The New Orleans Regional Planning Commission PREFER CIRCUIT
Ride New Orleans
The State of Transit 2019 Page 10
Challenges
While we’ve seen important steps forward over the last year, the
average transit-reliant New Orleans region resident remains at a
significant disadvantage compared to a resident who has access to a
private car.
That must be a fundamental concern to anyone interested in
to Overcome
increasing social justice in our region.
19.1 percent of New Orleans residents do not have access to a private
vehicle – more than twice the national average. That means nearly
1/5 of the population has a significant disadvantage in accessing the
services that many residents take for granted.
And, with the average cost of owning and maintaining a private
vehicle at $8,8495, simply buying a vehicle is not an option for many.
26 percent of Orleans Parish residents – more than twice the national
average – are at or below the poverty line. The Jefferson Parish figure
Methodology notes
is lower at 17 percent, but still above the national average and creeping
up in recent years.
Job Access Analysis: The methodology used for this
study strongly reflects the cumulative opportunity This is also not just a social justice issue – it is a huge problem for our
metric that is utilized in the “Access Across America” region’s economy. A noticeable percentage of the regional workforce
report produced by the University of Minnesota’s cannot reliably access job opportunities, significantly reducing the
Accessibility Observatory. Data is obtained from potential workforce pool for New Orleans region businesses and hurting
the U.S. Census Bureau’s Longitudinal-Employer our overall competitiveness.
Household Dynamics Program 2015. The
calculations are based on the travel times observed
between every US Census Block Group (CBG) in
Jefferson Parish, Orleans Parish, and St. Bernard
ACCESS TO JOBS REMAINS STAGNANT AND POOR
parishes. To calculate the trip origin and destination Table 1: Average percent of jobs accessible, by mode
for a particular CBG, the population- and job-
weighted centroid was used.Travel time is calculated
using OpenTripPlanner based on graphs composed
of data from OpenStreetMap and published transit
timetables. Driving times assume that the vehicles
do not encounter any congestion and travel at the
speed limit. The transit travel times operate on an
assumption of perfect schedule adherence. The Source: U.S. Census Bureau. 2019. LODES Data. Longitudinal-Employer
observed travel times further make the assumption Household Dynamics Program. http://lehd.ces.census.gov/data/lodes/; Ride
that portions of a trip that are not on-board a transit New Orleans analysis
vehicle take place by walking at a speed of 3 miles
per hour along designated pedestrian facilities such As we measure the usefulness of transit, it’s not enough to ask if it’s
as sidewalks, trails, etc. To reflect the influence of easy to get to a transit stop or even how often a transit vehicle comes
transit service frequency on accessibility, travel times to a given stop - though both are important.
are calculated repeatedly for each origin-destination
To truly measure effectiveness, we have to look at how helpful a
pair every ten minutes between 7:00 and 8:59 AM
particular bus stop, a specific transit line, and an overall transit
as the departure time. Accessibility is averaged
network are at getting people to the places they may need to go – in
across the three parishes Orleans Parish, with the
a reasonable amount of time. Time is ultimately the most important
number of jobs accessible from each CBG weighted
commodity to a transit rider. If you can’t get to a destination – a job
by the percentage of workers residing in that
opportunity, community college class, doctor’s appointment, etc. – in
CBG. The result is a single metric that represents
a reasonable amount of time you either won’t go or you will have to
the accessibility value experienced by an average
sacrifice something else important. There are only so many hours in the
worker in each of the three parishes. The following
day.
formula describes how the weighted average is
calculated: The best way to measure this is to look at how many jobs the average
transit-reliant New Orleanian can reach in different intervals of time.
Weighted Average = (w1/a)j1 + (w2/a)j2 ... wn/a)jn To give those numbers greater context in an equity setting, it’s
w = workers residing in CBG also important to compare access for the average car-owning New
a = all workers residing in Orleans Parish Orleanian.
j = jobs accessible from CBG
n = Each CBG in Orleans Paris
Figure 7: Percentage of jobs reachable in 30 minutes using public transit and walking, by Census Block Group
Figure 8: Percentage of jobs reachable in 30 minutes driving, by Census Block Group
Source: RTA, Jefferson Transit, OpenStreetMap, US Census Bureau: LODES (2015). Map
Data: US Census Bureau, OpenStreetMap Contributors
Figure 9: Percentage of jobs reachable in 60 minutes using public transit and walking, by Census Block Group
Figure 10: Percentage of jobs reachable in 60 minutes driving, by Census Block Group
Source: RTA, Jefferson Transit, OpenStreetMap, US Census Bureau: LODES (2015). Map Data: US Census Bureau, OpenStreetMap Contributors

Unfortunately, what we find is that the average transit- Table 2: Percentage of jobs accessible in 30 and 60 minutes using
reliant New Orleanian operates at a severe disadvantage. public transit and walking, by parish
The average New Orleanian with a car can reach 89
percent of the region’s jobs in 30 minutes-or-less and
over 99 percent of the region’s jobs in 60 minutes-or-
less. But if that same New Orleanian is reliant on transit,
they can only reach 12 percent of the region’s jobs in 30
minutes-or-less and only 42 percent of those jobs in 60 Source: RTA, Jefferson Transit, OpenStreetMap, US Census Bureau: LODES
minutes-or-less. (2015). Map Data: US Census Bureau, OpenStreetMap Contributors
In Jefferson and St. Bernard parishes, transit riders fare

even worse. In Jefferson Parish, transit riders can only
reach 5 percent of the region’s jobs in 30 minutes-or-less
and only 23 percent in 60 minutes-or-less. In St. Bernard
Parish transit riders can only reach one percent of the
region’s jobs in 30 minutes-or-less and only three percent
Table 3: Percentage of jobs accessible in 30 and 60 minutes using
in 60 minutes or less. Residents who have access to a
car obviously fare much better. Jefferson Parish residents public transit and walking from New Orleans East and Algiers
can reach 78 percent of the region’s jobs in 30 minutes-
or-less by car and 99 percent of the region’s jobs in 60
minutes-or-less. Geography limits even car-owning St.
Bernard Parish residents – in 30 minutes-or-less they
can only reach 23 percent of the region’s jobs. But at the
60-minute mark, St. Bernard Parish residents can reach
96 percent of the region’s jobs via car. Source: RTA, Jefferson Transit, OpenStreetMap, US Census Bureau: LODES
(2015). Map Data: US Census Bureau, OpenStreetMap Contributors
Outlying communities fare worse

With many regional stakeholders rightly asking how to
better support underserved communities – especially in
New Orleans East and Algiers – we took a closer look
at those two neighborhoods. Unfortunately, our analysis
RIDER PROFILE: JERRY RUFFIN
confirms that transit-reliant residents in both areas are at “In the morning the bus
a disadvantage. is fine, but the evening
commute is a different
In New Orleans East the average resident can only
story. The bus is always
access 2 percent of the region’s jobs – less than 8,000
packed, there’s no place
jobs – in 30 minutes-or-less and only 21 percent in 60
to sit, and it’s just not
minutes-or-less.
comfortable for people.
Algiers residents don’t fare much better, despite the It will be even worse
closer proximity to the New Orleans CBD jobs center. after summer and when
The average Algiers resident can only reach 3 percent all the kids go back to
of the region’s jobs in 30 minutes-or-less via transit and school. This and long
approximately ¼ of the region’s jobs in less than an hour wait times are a problem
via transit. for the #114 / #115
This is especially noteworthy in New Orleans East, as General DeGaulle-Sullen
New Orleans East riders make up a growing percentage and Tullis buses. I’d
of total ridership – at least 9 percent of the entire system like to see more buses
in 2018*. on those two lines to better serve the West Bank, especially
during peak hours.”
Not only do New Orleans East riders make up a large
percentage of riders, but ridership is growing in New Jerry Ruffin works in the Central Business District of New
Orleans East at a time when ridership is dropping system- Orleans and commutes from his home in Algiers via bus to and
wide. From 2015 to 2018, New Orleans East ridership from work every day.
grew by 5.1 percent, while system-wide ridership
dropped by 4.1 percent in the same time period.
*In fact, the number is likely even higher as our calculations do not include the
#94 Broad, the highest ridership bus line in the city, that serves a variety of
neighborhoods, including almost the entire length of Chef Menteur Highway. Ride New Orleans The State of Transit 2019 Page 14
Table 4: Number and percentage of jobs accessible to
households in poverty within 60 minutes, by parish Low-income households
have slightly better access,
but need improvements
As low-income households are less likely to
have access to a reliable vehicle, effective
transit to connect low-income individuals to
economic opportunity and other important
destinations is especially important.
Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2017 5-year estimate On this account, the results are mixed. On
the one hand, the average access to jobs via
Figure 11: Households in poverty with regional transit line frequency overlay transit for households below the poverty line
is slightly better than the average access
for all households in Orleans and Jefferson
parishes. This may be due to the fact that
even as overall housing prices accelerate
past what many in New Orleans can afford,
there are still concentrations of low-income
housing in centrally located neighborhoods
like Central City and the 7th Ward. This is a
good reminder of how important land use
decisions are when discussing the future
location of low-income housing.
But on the other hand, the RTA’s stated
goal is that low-income households within
its service area are able to access 65
percent of the region’s jobs in 60 minutes-
or-less via transit by 2027. With low-
income households in the RTA service area
(including Kenner) able to access only 40
percent of the region’s jobs in 60 minutes-
or-less currently, the RTA is still far from
achieving this particular goal.
Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2017 5-year estimate; Ride New
Orleans analysis of RTA, JeT, SBURT maps and schedules in 2019.
Access to major jobs centers

Another way to get a sense of transit access in the region is to look at how accessible two of the major jobs centers of our region are –
the New Orleans CBD and Veterans corridor in Metairie (see Figure 9 and 10).
Both are more transit accessible than many places in the region, which is good – the more we cluster important destinations together,
the easier it is for transit service to effectively serve the region.
But even the New Orleans CBD – the most transit-accessible place in the region – has problems. 15 percent of New Orleanians can’t
reach the New Orleans CBD in less than 45 minutes. Much worse, 66 percent of Jefferson Parish residents can’t reach the New
Orleans CBD in less than 60 minutes via transit and the vast majority of St. Bernard Parish residents can’t reach the New Orleans CBD
in less than 90 minutes.
New Orleans residents, meanwhile, have a hard time reaching job opportunities in Metairie. Over ¾ cannot reach the Veterans corridor
in less than 60 minutes on transit. Even in Jefferson Parish, over 50 percent of residents cannot reach the Veterans corridor in less
than 60 minutes on transit.
In most regions, there would be a direct transit connection between two jobs centers of comparative importance. But for transit riders
to get from the Veterans corridor to the New Orleans CBD, riders have to take JeT’s E1 Veterans bus to the Cemeteries Transfer
Center and then take the very slow Cemeteries streetcar line to the New Orleans CBD, a trip that Google maps estimates at over 75
minutes of travel time.
Page 15 The State of Transit 2019 Ride New Orleans *Includes Orleans Parish and Kenner
Figure 12: Transit access to New Orleans CBD
Figure 13: Transit access to Veteran’s corridor
Source: U.S. Census Bureau. 2019. LODES Data. Longitudinal-Employer Household Dynamics Program.
http://lehd.ces.census.gov/data/lodes/; Ride New Orleans analysis
Methodology notes TRIP RECOVERY RATE DECLINES
Trips and Total Trip Volume: A “trip” is a single round trip made by a single RIDE annually counts total weekly RTA bus and streetcar trips
vehicle, like a bus or streetcar, from the time it leaves its first station until it
returns to that station at the end of its route. Ride New Orleans’ analysts relied and compares them to pre-Katrina 2005 weekly trips in order
on the RTA’s maps and schedules from 2005 and 2019 to count total weekly to compare pre-storm and post-storm service and gauge
trips on each route. We added all the routes together to get the “weekly trip transit system recovery.
volume” or total number of weekly trips available in a normal week during 2005
and 2019. Our trip volume analysis does not include paratransit trips; it focuses We also measure each route’s peak time frequency as another
on the scheduled service available to the majority of transit riders. metric to determine the quality of that service. Generally,
This year, we made a one-time alteration to our trip volume methodology frequencies of 15-minutes-or-less are considered the cut off
to provide a fair snapshot of 2019 streetcar service. The RTA temporarily for the “high frequency” transit most riders say they want.
eliminated the #2 Riverfront Streetcar from its schedule due to
construction at the Four Seasons Hotel, causing a drastic decrease in the
total number of streetcar trips. The #47 Canal Cemeteries and #48 City
Park lines’ service were also affected and extended to the French Market,
Weekly trip count
serving parts of the Riverfront line. To account for these changes, we There was a slight decrease in total weekly RTA trips
counted the #2 Riverfront equally to the adjusted service of the #47 Canal
Cemeteries and #48 City Park so that each line accounted for 532 total recovered between 2018 (52.3 percent) and 2019 (50.8
weekly trips. percent). This is the first time the total number of trips has
decreased since RIDE began tracking this benchmark.
Route Frequency: To determine the frequency of the region’s 2005 and
2019 transit service, we calculated the headway – or number of minutes The primary reason appears to be that the total number of
wait between transit trips – on each bus and streetcar route during weekday
morning peak hours (from 6:30AM to 10:00AM) and weekday evening peak
streetcar trips dropped in 2019. The two factors that led to
hours (from 3:30PM to 7:00PM), based on official RTA, JeT, and SBURT this decrease are the temporary incorporation of the Riverfront
schedules. The total number of trips departing during these hours was divided line – due to construction at the former World Trade Center
by 420 minutes to calculate minutes per trip within the seven hours of peak building – into the #47/48 Canal Street lines, and a decrease
periods. The results organized into the following categories: Headways of 15
minutes or less; 15.1 to 30 minutes; 30.1 to 50 minutes; and greater than 50
in late night and early morning frequency for the Canal Street
minutes. and St. Charles streetcar lines.
It is worth noting that, despite the decrease in trips this year,
total post-Katrina streetcar service recovery is still higher
Figure 14: Total weekly trips, by mode than total bus service recovery because of previous years’
increases. Even with the drop, the RTA streetcar service has
recovered 116 percent of the existing pre-storm service.
Weekly RTA bus trips decreased slightly. Currently, the RTA
offers 40.4 percent of the existing total pre-Katrina bus trips,
down from 40.6 percent in 2018. This appears to be due to
minor route and service adjustments. Overall bus revenue
hours – an important metric of overall service – slightly
increased (see Page 21).
Frequency
Frequent service, or transit vehicles arriving every 15 minutes-
or-less, is one of the most important aspects of a quality
transit system. Pre-Katrina, our region had 19 high frequency
routes, with most of them within the RTA system. 14 years
Source: Ride New Orleans analysis of Regional Transit Authority schedules
after the storm, the region has only three high frequency lines,
all within the RTA system (see Figure 11).
In Figure 11 (frequency map), we indicated higher frequency
Table 5: Number of routes by frequency, 2005 & 2019
among the Canal and St. Bernard corridors than the schedules
for individual lines would suggest. That is because in those
corridors, riders can rely on increased frequency because
the RTA staggers service equally between two lines in each
corridor (the Cemeteries and City Park streetcars on Canal
and #51 and #52 bus lines on St. Bernard). Due to this
interpretation, the map indicates there are four 15-minute-or-
less, high-frequency corridors, when technically only three
individual lines provide that frequency level. Similarly, there
is an additional 15.1 to 30 minute corridor on the map, when
Source: Ride New Orleans Analysis of RTA, JeT, and SBURT schedules in 2005 technically only 15 individual lines provide that frequency
and 2019 level. This shows how the RTA and JeT could provide de
facto higher frequency service along key corridors without
increasing operational costs - something the New Links plans
Page 17 The State of Transit 2019 Ride New Orleans should look at carefully.
PLAN TO IMPROVE CANAL STREETCARS STALLS
The better use of existing resources is part of solving the region’s
fundamental transit challenge – clear deficiencies but finite funding to
address them.
Thus, an internal RTA study this year looking at way to improve
the reliability and efficiency of the Canal Street streetcar lines was
encouraging. But it was worrying to see the idea quickly stall in the face
of localized, but vocal opposition.
The RTA study that looked at reliability and travel time problems on the
Canal Street streetcar lines. The study focused on the section of Canal
Street from Carrollton to Harrah’s Casino, where the Cemeteries and
City Park streetcar lines overlap. The Canal lines are an important part
of the transit network – they connect with almost every RTA line and 17
percent of all 2017 RTA boardings were on one of the two lines.
But while the lines are supposed to provide frequent service to major
transfer points and downtown, they are unreliable. On paper, a streetcar
comes every 7.5 minutes, but streetcar bunching leads to much longer
waits and very slow travel times.
The RTA study concluded that current stop spacing – with stops every
two blocks through most of Mid-City and every block through much of
downtown – and unrestricted vehicle crossings led to slow trip times
and frequent delays, hurting riders’ ability to rely on the Canal lines.
RIDER PROFILE: SARAH DAVIS

RTA planners recommended consideration of a six-month pilot to close
certain stops and vehicular crossings on Canal. Options ranged from
slight variations from the status quo – closing just a handful of stops
and u-turn crossings – to big changes, with stops spaced out every six
to seven blocks and the closure of most non-signalized street crossings
along Canal on the lake side of Claiborne. The pilot would be a real
life and affordable way to test the effects on reliability and travel time,
gauge rider reaction, and definitively determine any traffic impacts.
Testing these structural changes on the route would give the RTA, the
City, and the community a clear sense of the benefits and drawbacks.
With the resulting data and lived experience, the community could then
determine if the changes should be made permanent in the future. The
concept has successfully helped the public weigh similar changes in
other US cities – notably Boston, Massachusetts.
Unfortunately, the concept was not introduced to the public in an
effective way.
“For the most part I like the Canal streetcar but
Most community members first heard about the idea from a New it can be a headache. Often, it’s overcrowded,
Orleans Advocate front-page story in mid-February, rather than through running late, slow, and/or unreliable. I would like
direct outreach.6 That resulted in a lot of confusion and consternation to see the streetcar run more often, making less
– especially in Mid-City. Many residents believing the specific changes stops between Harrah’s and the Claiborne which
were about to be implemented permanently. Other residents said they is the area I think causes most of the delays. I
felt betrayed because the RTA had not introduced the project to the wouldn’t even mind losing a few stops close to
community directly before the Advocate story. Others just didn’t like my house and walking if it meant my travel time
the concept – denying there was a need to improve streetcar service, went down.”
or saying the closure of street crossings or certain stops would be too
disruptive or harmful to riders with mobility impairments. A small, but Sarah Davis is an employee at Harrah’s in
vocal group of opponents began attending every RTA meeting in the downtown New Orleans on Canal Street. She
spring of 2019. lives in Mid-City and makes the commute via
streetcar to and from work every day.
The RTA scrambled to put together an actual outreach plan and,
without ever really establishing a clear engagement process, pulled
the plug on the idea in April. The door was left open to restart the
discussion after the New Links process is complete.
With the mistrust the botched rollout engendered, it may have been
impossible to move forward at the time. But the decision by the RTA board to
halt the conversation was still disappointing. The conversation about how to
make existing transit service better – through road priority or stop spacing or
other tools – is a critically important one.
It will be hard to establish the level of frequency, on-time performance, and
reduced travel time that transit riders repeatedly say they need without at
least targeted prioritization of transit vehicles on public roads. And while the
discussion around stop consolidation and the appropriate distance between
transit stops can be an emotional conversation, it’s an important conversation
that can have a real effect on reliability, frequency, and travel time.
By retreating from the conversation in its initial phases, the RTA missed an
important opportunity to address both of these issues.
RTA OPERATIONAL ISSUES

The lack of major progress improving system-wide connectivity and
frequency is exacerbated by lingering RTA operational issues that adversely
affect daily riders’ quality-of-life and ability to rely on transit.
Unreliable ferry service

RTA ferry operations have been inconsistent and unreliable for riders, and
have grown worse in recent months. Ferry service has been suspended twice
for a full day or longer in the last two months for maintenance repairs.
In early June 2019, one of the two boats that usually service Algiers Point/
Canal Street was taken out of operations because of an expiring Coast Guard
certification. The second boat had several mechanical issues that hindered
its ability to provide service. RTA operations staff decided it would be better
to take the boat completely out of service for several days to address all the
issues at once.
The gravity of these issues led to the firing of the general manager of ferry
operations. One month later, the boats were again out of service for an entire
day due to maintenance issues.
Meanwhile, two new boats purchased by the RTA have been sitting in
drydock for more than a year because of unresolved disputes with the
contracted builder Metal Shark. This, combined with the day-to-day delays,
has eroded the public’s trust in the agency’s ability to provide ferry service.
It also creates doubt that the new boats, once in service, will avoid similar
issues.
RTA bus stop shelters

The City of New Orleans changed regulations in May 2018 to make it easier
for the RTA to install bus shelters. But riders have yet to see progress where it
actually matters –the installation of new bus stops.
As of publication, only 264 of the 2,222 total stops in the RTA system – or
11.9 percent – have shelters, according to RTA records.
The RTA board approved the purchase of 50 new shelters in September 2018,
but as of June 2019 only seven of these new shelters have been installed.
Even with a streamlined process, permitting approvals can be slow, making
some delay understandable. But a lack of proactive communication about
the delays has left riders in the dark. A clear and transparent plan for future
shelter purchases and location prioritization also does not exist, adding to
Page 19 The State of Transit 2019 Ride New Orleans rider frustration.
Figure 15: Common RTA communication on delays
Communication “delayed”
In transit operations, it’s inevitable that something will go wrong at some
point – a bus will break down, construction will mandate a detour, etc. Riders
understand and accept that, but need reliable and detailed information to
make informed choices about what to do next. The RTA has improved its
communication from previous years and the GoMobile app has made a
difference. However, the RTA still needs to implement information-sharing
improvements.
Typical RTA digital communications on delays merely note, “There is a delay”
on a particular route (see photo), never giving information on whether riders
should expect a delay of a few minutes or much longer. This is better than
nothing but leaves a lot to be desired.
The RTA’s Strategic Mobility Plan (SMP) also rightly indicates that digital
communication alone is not sufficient. One action item specifically calls for
unplanned disruptions to be communicated at the stop level within two hours
by 2019. The RTA says that a process has been put in place to accomplish
this, but riders still complain that information is slow to arrive – if it does at all
– at the stop level.
On-time performance
In 2018, RTA buses were on time only 74 percent of the time. Streetcars
performed even worse, arriving on time only 65 percent of the time. The
problem appears to be worsening as well – 18 out of 39 routes had a worse
RIDER PROFILE: DAVID GREEN

on-time performance in 2018 than in 2016.
Improving on-time performance typically competes with increased frequency
for the top rider improvement priority, so riders definitely notice this problem.
When the majority of routes have a frequency of 30 minutes or greater, on- “I take paratransit
time performance is essential – a bus that is too early or very late can lead to to and from work
a long wait at the stop or, even worse, a missed transfer down the line and a using the RTA
cascading set of delays. Lift subscription
program.
The RTA SMP rightly identifies better reliability as a top priority – setting Depending
agency goals of 80 percent on-time performance by 2020 and 85 percent by on how many
2022. The RTA has significant ground to make up to hit the first performance passengers
goal by the end of next year. there are on my
paratransit ride
Downtown transfer center issues my trip time can
range from 30
The RTA has identified building a true downtown transfer center – with shelter minutes to 90
from the weather, bathroom facilities, information booths, and other features – minutes. I think paratransit has improved
as an agency priority for a number of years. The transfer center would replace and it works but we need to see continued
the sprawling and confusing area that currently serves as a de facto hub – the improvements to both paratransit and fixed
block bordered by Canal Street, S. Rampart, Common/Tulane, and Elk Place. route services. Especially for people with
Thousands of riders travel through that area daily. disabilities including implementing voice
While RIDE applauds the focus on a new transfer center, there has been little capabilities to the GoMobile app to improve
attention to the current transfer area. There are still only two formal shelters accessibility and mobility for myself and for
with protection from the elements for bus riders. There are no bathroom all riders.”
facilities, nor is there any wayfinding signage to help riders figure out where to
find connections to different parts of the region. Many riders report cleanliness David Green is an employee at Lighthouse
and safety concerns. for the Blind located Uptown near Audubon
Park. He lives in Mid-City and makes the
The current state of the transfer area makes current riders feel disrespected. It commute to and from work every day via
neither encourages riders to continue using RTA and JeT services in the future paratransit or bus.
or makes potential riders feel welcome. Focusing on basic improvements to
make the area more pleasant could make a big difference in day-to-day rider
quality of life. Ride New Orleans The State of Transit 2019 Page 20
RTA BY THE NUMBERS UPDATE
Vehicle revenue hours
Recent trends have seen vehicle revenue hours (VRH) slowly
progressing upward on an annual basis. However, VRH in 2018 slightly
decreased, as bus VRH decreased by 2.3 percent - the first time slight
annual decline in bus VRH since 2010. All other modes held steady or
slightly increased.
In July 2019, the RTA board approved small service changes that will
add frequency to the #63 New Orleans East Owl (late night bus), #64
Lake Forest and #65 Read Crowder in New Orleans East, and the #114
and #115 General De Gaulle buses in Algiers. Those changes will start
in September 2019 and should help the 2019 VRH totals to increase.
Operating budget
For 2019, the agency’s budgeted expenses for daily operating
expenses are $100.6M, an increase of $5.8M over the 2018 (unaudited)
actuals. The 2019 budgeted expenses for daily operating expenses
are an increase of $4.6M over the 2018 budgeted expenses for daily
operating expenses.
In addition, to the daily operating expenses, the RTA also must factor in
two additional expenses outside of capital costs:
• Annual pension costs for employees from the prior contractor
– Transit Management of Southeast Louisiana, Inc. (TMSEL)
($3.5M budgeted in 2019)
• Annual debt service costs to pay off bond that were raised
for past projects like the Loyola/Rampart/St. Claude streetcar
($14.8M budeted in 2019)
Since those expenses are ultimately considered part of the overall
operating costs for the RTA, the true budgeted operating costs for
the RTA in 2019 are $118.8M. That is $6.2M over the 2018 unaudited
actuals.
The increase in budgeted expenses is due to several factors, including
the effects of a full year of the changes associated with the #39 Tulane
extension, annual increases in salary for staff - including drivers and
mechanics - and budgeting for the cost uncertainties associated with
the first months of the new public staff.
Operating revenue
69 percent of the RTA’s budgeted revenue comes from a city-collected
sales tax. Farebox revenue makes up the next largest portion, followed
by the RTA’s portion of the Hotel/Motel tax (see Page 34), funding from
the state motor vehicle sales tax, and assorted other small sources of
revenue.
In addition, transit agencies typically receive “preventative
maintenance” financial assistance via the federal government that can
be used for maintenance that is typically associated with operational
expenses. In 2019, the RTA budget assumes $14.9M in this type of
funding.
Overall, the operating budget is well below pre-Katrina spending.
In 2004, total operating expenses were $116.3M. When accounting
for inflation using the Bureau of Labor and Statistics’ CPI Inflation
Calculator, the equivalent operating budget would be $156.2M in 2019.
Page 21 The State of Transit 2019 Ride New Orleans That is a difference of $39.9M.7
Figure 16: VRH by mode
Source: NTD 2000-2017 and Regional Transit Authority 2017 NTD Filings
Figure 17: 2019 budgeted operating revenue sources
Source: RTA CY2019 Proposed Budget Statement of Revenue and

Expenses
Figure 18: Total operating expenses per VRH, 2017 - peer
agencies High cost of service
The high cost of service remains a concern. The RTA again ranks
highest in total operating expenses per vehicle revenue hour
among peer cities. Transit operations costs in New Orleans are
still significantly more expensive than in comparable systems but
the RTA has made attempts to reduce costs. The total operating
expenses per VRH decreased to $139 in 2017 from $145 in 2016.
Low farebox recovery

Among peer cities, the RTA’s base fare - $1.25 – is comparatively
very low. Fares have not risen since 1999 and if keeping pace with
inflation would be $1.90 today.8
Source: Urban Integrated National Transit Database and National This is one reasons for the RTA’s low ‘farebox recovery rate,’
Transit Database (NTD) 2017 meaning passenger fares only supported 19.2% of the 2018 daily
operating expense budget, just over half the national average of
35.0%.
Figure 19: Bus operating expenses per VRH, 2017 - peer
agencies In 2018, the RTA collected, on average, $1.05 for every boarding. If
fares had kept up with inflation, the RTA could have, hypothetically,
collected as much as $11.5M more to be used to for service
increases. Collecting that revenue would of course be subject to
many different variables in real-life, so the true number might be
much lower. But there clearly would be more additional revenue,
demonstrating one effect that lower-than-average fares have on
local transit service.
However, those lower-than-average fares also have a positive
effect on equity. In a city and region with high poverty rates, a low
fare rate has enormous importance. Any fare increase could hurt
equitable access for our most vulnerable residents. Therefore,
before any consideration of a fare structure shift is seriously
considered, decision makers must also present a plan to show
how low-income residents would be protected. We can’t fund
service increases on the backs of low-income residents.
Source: Urban Integrated National Transit Database and National
Transit Database (NTD) 2017 In considering future strategies, it’s important to note that an RTA
discounted fare program already exists to build upon. Currently,
seniors and individuals with disabilities are able to buy individual
Table 6: Farebox recovery ratios, 2017 rides for $0.40 – a $0.85 discount from the regular rates.
Source: NTD 2017 and NTD 2017 National Transit Summary & Trends

Figure 20: Total annual RTA boardings
Ridership drops
Downward national trends caught up with the RTA last year, with
the first ridership losses since 2015. In 2018 ridership dropped
by 901,234 boardings or a 4.8% decline. The total number of
17,698,635 boardings is the lowest since 2012.
Only four RTA routes that saw improved ridership in 2018:
• The #15 Freret – continuing its strong performance after the
RTA returned the route’s terminus at the major Canal Street
Source: Regional Transit Authority
transfer point – had 12,359 additional boardings, a 10.4
percent increase.
Figure 21: Total RTA boardings by mode
• The #114 Gen. De Gaulle - Sullen line had 14,007 additional
boardings, a 3.9 percent increase.
• The #106 Aurora – serving Algiers during the AM and
PM peak – had 1,179 additional boardings, a 2.8 percent
increase.
• The #60 Haynes – running from New Orleans East
to Delgado Community College – had 421 additional
boardings, a 0.3 percent increase.
While the ridership decline is troubling, there is reason for optimism
in the future. A number of factors including a tradition of transit
usage, a high carless rate, walkable neighborhoods, and a higher
propensity for transit usage in the general population provide a
strong opportunity to grow ridership. Cities that have bucked
the nationwide negative ridership trend have recently redesigned
transit networks, have invested in additional service, or done both.
The New Links network redesign gives the New Orleans region the Source: Regional Transit Authority
opportunity to do the first and set up a plan for the second.

TRANSIT CAN BUILD A HEALTHIER REGION
Two of the more innovative metrics in the RTA’s 2017 Strategic Mobility
Plan (SMP) are intended to measure and plan improvements to New
Transit and health care access Orleans region residents’ access to health care. Those two metrics are:
Reliable and affordable public transportation • Percentage of households in the RTA service area within 30
enables residents to access to a range of health- minutes by transit of a major hospital during typical office hours.
This target is important because it measures equitable access to
promoting destinations, including:
specialists that often cluster at major hospitals. The target in the
• Facilities that offer primary or specialty SMP is 80% by 2022.
healthcare services • Percentage of households in the RTA service area within 30
• Pharmacies minutes by transit of a community health center by 2022
• Safe and welcoming spaces for physical
Table 7: Households transit access to healthcare facilities within 30
activity, such as parks, recreation facilities, and
other green space minutes or less
• Businesses or organizations that offer healthy

and affordable foods
• Employers, schools, churches, and other
locations that contribute to economic
opportunity and social cohesion
In both the health and transportation sectors, there
is increasing awareness of the mutual benefits of
Source: RTA, Jefferson Transit, OpenStreetMap, US Census Bureau: LODES
having a transit system that considers the region’s
(2015). Map Data: US Census Bureau, OpenStreetMap Contributors; Ride New
health. The RTA Strategic Mobility Plan (SMP) goal Orleans Analysis
to “support a sustainable, healthy region” is an
important acknowledgement of the need for both The community health center goal has already been met – 89 percent
sectors to work closer together. of households within the RTA’s service area are within 30 minutes of a
Since lower-income residents are more likely to rely health center by transit. However, only 65 percent of households within
on public transportation to get around, our transit the RTA’s service area can access a major hospital and its associated
system can play an important role in tackling health specialists in 30 minutes-or-less.
inequities and ensuring that all New Orleanians have The map on the opposite page (Figure 22) shows where many of the
the opportunity to be healthy. gaps exist. Pre-existing equity issues – like the lack of major hospitals
The Greater New Orleans region continues to exhibit on the downriver side of Canal Street – play a role in creating the gaps,
poor health outcomes, such as high rates of heart but the New Links network redesign process can help by rethinking the
disease and obesity, in spite of 89% of households transit network in the following areas:
in Orleans Parish residing within 30 minutes of • New Orleans East neighborhoods like Little Woods where
transit access to community health centers. This residents can drive to New Orleans East Hospital in relatively
may be partially explained by the well-established little time but can’t access it in 30 minutes-or-less on transit
fact that much of what affects an individual’s health
happens outside of a doctor’s office. Additionally, • Multiple areas of Gentilly that lack frequent service to the New
Orleans CBD and other key destinations
while the number of community health centers
greatly increased in the years following Hurricane • Most areas of the Lower Ninth Ward and Holy Cross
Katrina, and these centers provide access to neighborhoods
much-needed primary care, many of the chronic
• Most of Algiers.
conditions prevalent in the region also require
engagement with specialty care. With much of In addition, the New Links plan should look at how to increase access
the region’s specialty care provided by hospitals, to healthcare facilities for transit-reliant Jefferson Parish residents.
enhancing access to hospitals via transit could help While the Jefferson Transit strategic plan does not specifically reference
meet riders’ health needs. this, JeT riders—particularly those without other transportation
alternatives—would benefit from better access to healthcare facilities.
Currently, only 35 percent of Jefferson Parish residents can reach a
major hospital in 30 minutes-or-less via transit.

Figure 22: Travel time to nearest hospital on public transit and walking
Figure 23: Travel time to nearest community clinic on public transit and walking
Source: RTA, Jefferson Transit, OpenStreetMap, US Census Bureau: LODES (2015). Map Data: US Census Bureau, OpenStreetMap
Contributors; Ride New Orleans Analysis
COSPONSORED BY
DOWNTOWN HOTEL WORKER SPOTLIGHT

Figure 24: Number of times hotel workers late, within
previous month Transit challenges for hotel workers
In 2019, Ride New Orleans partnered with the Greater New Orleans
Hotel and Lodging Association to survey the transportation needs and
experiences of the hotel industry workforce. Over 500 hotel workers
from 32 different hotels in the French Quarter and New Orleans CBD
took the survey. 48 percent of the survey takers said they regularly
commuted to work via public transit – demonstrating how important
effective transit service is for the industry.
The New Orleans hospitality and tourism industry is an important driver
of the local economy, and employs over 72,000 people – 12% of the
area’s total workforce. Unfortunately, the report findings show that,
similar to other industries, unreliable transit service greatly impacts
workforce reliability:
• 62% percent of transit riders were late to work at least once within
the previous month because of unreliable transit.
• More than 1/3 of transit riders were late three times or more.
• 12% of transit riders were late six times or more within the
previous month.
Like transit-reliant riders in general, the transit-reliant hotel industry
Source: Ride New Orleans Hotel Worker Survey 2019
workforce is at a disadvantage when compared to employees with
access to a personal vehicle.
• The average “door to door” commute time for transit riders is
46-minutes - twice the average New Orleans commute time
• Nearly one of every three transit riders has a one-way commute of
60-minutes-or-longer
• 76% of employees who are reliant on public transit are “time-
burdened” – defined as having a one-way commute time of
30-minutes-or-more.

Table 8: Mode transit riders use to and from Elk Place
Importance of Elk Place/Canal transfer transfer hub
area
During their daily trips, two out of three transit-reliant hospitality
workers travel through the main transfer site at Elk Place at Canal. This
is where the majority of buses from New Orleans East and the West
Bank unload passengers.
While there are transit options from the Elk Place transfer point to the
French Quarter and CBD (primarily the Canal Street streetcar lines), 68
percent of these riders say they walk from the transfer site.
In recent years, various RTA and City stakeholders have discussed
building a more traditional transit center to better serve regional transit
riders. The high number of riders who walk to work from the current
transfer point illustrates the importance of location in the discussion.
Any decision to move the location of the transit center needs to take Source: Ride New Orleans Hotel Worker Survey 2019
that into account and not inadvertently make life harder for transit riders
and add time to their commute by making it more difficult or impossible
to walk to work. Figure 25: Hotel worker commute times, transit riders
and non-transit riders
Hotel workforce improvement priorities
At the end of the survey, we asked all hospitality workers to prioritize
their most important transit improvements. Their top priorities are
ranked below in descending order of importance:
1. More frequent transit service
2. More reliable, on-time service, including better coordinated
transfers
3. Better early morning, late-night, and weekend service
4. Better customer service and an improved overall rider
experience
Source: Ride New Orleans Hotel Worker Survey 2019

Getting It
The RTA and Jefferson Transit have made important steps forward
on addressing governance and long-term planning issues and have
implemented an important regional connection – the extension of the
#39 Tulane across parish lines.
But in too many cases key elements of a thriving regional transit system
Right
– connectivity and reasonable travel time, high frequency and reliable
on-time performance, and consistent day-to-day quality amenities – are
still lacking.
With the expected completion of the New Links planning process in
early 2020, regional decision makers have an important opportunity to
fulfill promises they have made during recent planning efforts.
No one should be under the illusion that it will be easy – it will take
focus, determination, and concentrated political support. But decision
makers have the chance in the next year to secure a legacy as
champions for equitable transit.
When we look back one year from now, Ride New Orleans will be
focused on whether decision makers have been able to:
• Start implementation of a redesign of the regional transit network
to increase equitable access to jobs and opportunity
• Leverage the New Links process to forge regional agreement
on new regional transit routes and increased cooperation and
coordination
• Make continued steps forward on basic rider experience/quality-
of-life issues
• Leverage the New Links process to craft a vision to increase
revenue to pay for enhanced service in the next five years.
IMPLEMENT A NETWORK REDESIGN

New Links regional transit network redesign The basic concept of a network redesign is for a transit agency,
timeline: a city, or a region to rethink where bus lines go and how to
prioritize resources, starting from a clean slate. It’s premised on the
• Phase I (January – July 2019): Introduce the acknowledgement that the current transit system is not adequately
basis process; community engagement and meeting the goals of the system. Those goals could be access
education; rider origin/destination survey; to destinations, travel time, frequency, reliability, better serving
internal data analysis marginalized communities, or a combination therein.
• Phase II (August – December 2019): Draft Furthermore, a network redesign process acknowledges that due to
different network scenarios that show potential finite resources, an agency needs to rethink how to spend available
changes to the regional transit network; present dollars in order to accomplish its goals.
and receive feedback during a second round of
community engagement As Ride New Orleans has consistently detailed – and the RTA’s
Strategic Mobility Plan (SMP) confirms – our transit network does not
• Phase III (First Quarter 2020): Utilizing provide the reliable, widespread access to jobs and opportunities
community feedback, data analysis, and transit that the region’s residents and businesses need. Raising additional
agency priorities, propose specific changes to operating revenue is an important priority but unlikely in the short-term.
the regional transit network and present those Thus, there is a clear need to better allocate existing resources through
to transit agencies for approval a network redesign process.
While the need for a network redesign is clear, regional decision
makers need to understand that implementation will not be simple. As
the Canal Street pilot concept showed earlier this year, discussions
around changing transit service or priorities on public streets can
be controversial. Some may view new ideas with skepticism or
suspicion. That is especially true in the local context where many in the
community do not trust transit officials – especially at the RTA.
Figure 26: Regional job centers and employment density
Direct transit connections between regional

jobs centers could be a smart strategy for
improving transit.
Source: New Orleans Regional Planning Commission (RPC)
The need for transit improvements is great enough that Ride

New Orleans believes the network redesign could be one
of the most important decisions to be made on regional
RIDER PROFILE: SEBRINA HILLARD
transit this decade. To ensure that it moves forward with “I think transit in
community support and is not watered down to the point of the east needs to
ineffectiveness, we urge decision makers to maintain a focus improve—there’s no
on the following important items: connectivity. All the
1. Consider scenarios that make transit more frequent, buses from the east
reliable, and less time-burdened, even if it means have to go to Elk
moving bus stops, changing where transit lines go, or and Canal and must
creating additional transfers. transfer. I work in the
Marigny and there are
Transit planners and regional decision makers should be
no connections to or
open to all ideas and not dismiss anything out of hand
through the Ninth Ward.
based on their own assumptions of what is politically
We need to rethink
feasible. Many other regions have shown that implementing
how our bus lines
big changes to transit networks can yield significant
connect to different
benefits. Planners must be encouraged to keep all options
neighborhoods. If
on the table as New Links moves into its second phase this
fall. That’s not to say that all of these changes ultimately we redesign our transit lines it could greatly decrease my
have to be implemented, but riders and the public need to overall travel time—that would be ideal because what we
have the full range of options on the table as New Links have now is convoluted and infrequent.”
planners ask the community to consider tangible changes. Sebrina Hillard works in the Marigny and commutes from her
home in New Orleans East via bus to and from work every
day. She is a RIDE board member.
Figure 21: Bus queue jump
2. Determine where transit priority on roads can have the 4. Use New Links to determine future spending priorities
most effect
While a network redesign should be revenue-neutral, the
Identifying specific areas where transit vehicles are constantly JeT and RTA strategic plans both made it clear that more
delayed by traffic and implementing solutions to reduce transit operational revenue is needed. New Links can help set this up
delays in those areas could pay big dividends for riders with in two ways. First, it can ensure taxpayers that both agencies
very little cost. Solutions like traffic signal priority for buses and are using existing resources as cost-effectively as possible.
streetcars, bus-priority lanes on the highway, or bus only lanes at Second, it can help prioritize what service enhancements will
busy intersections can result in service improvements and time be the priority when new revenue is identified. Planners should
savings for riders. However, it will require a serious coordination consider both the natural growth of existing revenue sources
between agencies and careful work with neighborhoods. The like the RTA’s sales tax as well as envisioning a larger package
Canal Street pilot shows that discussions around priority on of enhancements to be at the core of a future push for new
public streets must be deliberate and well-planned. revenue sources.
3. Send help where help is needed the most 5. Use New Links to push for increased regional
connectivity
RIDE data shows that Algiers and New Orleans East residents
can only reach 26 and 21 percent of the region’s jobs in 60 See the next section for elaboration.
minutes-or-less, respectively. 66 percent of Jefferson Parish
6. Continued strong public engagement and outreach
residents can’t reach the New Orleans CBD in less than an hour
around New Links
via transit. Areas with high ridership and high need for transit
but where riders are particularly time-burdened are the areas Change is a political impossibility without extensive community
that a transit network redesign can help the most. Planners must engagement that builds trust and belief in the process. Transit
present options that imagine big network changes – and big riders are willing to accept change, but need to understand why
improvements – for transit-reliant residents in these areas. the change is happening and how it’s going to benefit them.
Outreach that clearly explains the benefits of significant change
is essential for community buy in for a significant network
Figure 27: Transit priority on the roadway redesign.
INCREASE REGIONAL COORDINATION

Big jumps in access to economic opportunity via transit
requires moving beyond our current balkanized regional public
transportation system. The region must provide seamless transit
options between Orleans, Jefferson, and St. Bernard parishes. A
regional economy demands true regional transit connectivity.
With each parish effectively operating its own, separate system,
current riders must deal with inefficiencies and inconveniences
that add significant time and cost. Routes frequently end at
jurisdictional boundaries instead of major destinations or logical
transfer points. Even with the Regional Ride pass, riders going
between parishes still often pay the equivalent of two full fares
for what might be a simple 15-minute trip in a car. Branding,
marketing, and communication are completely separate, leading
to inconvenience for existing riders and confusion for new
riders.
The New Links process can start to put an end to this by
Giving transit vehicles priority in certain areas – for example
proposing the direct regional connections transit riders
at congested intersections with bus queue jumps – can
need. With each agency constrained by limited funding, New
increase reliability and frequency.
Links can also make proactive suggestions on how to share
responsibilities and resources for regional lines to provide the
Source: National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) greatest improvements in access and service.

Figure 28: The RTA SMP identified needed regional and high-capacity transit corridors
Source: Regional Transit Authority “Strategic Mobility Plan: Mobility Options and Corridors”
The RTA SMP used regional travel data and travel-demand modeling to highlight the need for several high frequency routes. The New
Links team may have additional suggestions, but, based on the SMP, it’s clear that better regional connectivity is needed in at least the
following corridors:
• Veterans/Canal/Tulane (connecting the Veterans corridor and New Orleans CBD)
• West Bank Expressway (connecting both parishes on the West Bank and providing rapid access to the New Orleans CBD)
• Jefferson Highway/S Claiborne/Tulane (where the #39 Tulane was recently extended and where we could create a direct transit
connection from Elmwood with over 20,000 jobs to New Orleans CBD
• Airport to New Orleans CBD
• Chalmette to New Orleans CBD.
Even with strong proposals from New Links, political will and leadership will be key. New Links will only be a proposal – the transit
agencies and parish governments will have to formally implement it.
True regional integration may also be worth discussing. Certainly, there is a case to be made that integration can save significant
money for both Jefferson and Orleans parishes. Even if that is not feasible in the short-term, there are plenty of intermediate steps
- unified branding, joint operation of lines, and further technological and mechanical integration - that could make service cheaper
overall and easier for riders to use.

Riders wait for the bus at the main
downtown transfer area in July 2019.
RIDER QUALITY-OF-LIFE IMPROVEMENTS

New Links and comprehensive improvements are critical, but it’s important to remember that riders need to see quality-of-life
improvements as well. Few and ineffective bus shelters, poorly marked bus stops, unsafe conditions, and poor communication with
riders are among the many complaints the region’s transit riders regularly voice – especially those using RTA services.
Riders deserve a dignified and respectful experience when they take transit – that’s reason enough to prioritize improvements. But
making transit easier to take and more pleasant can also attract new riders. That’s a necessity for continued growth and further
development of a strong regional constituency for transit.
Additionally, quality-of-life improvements can build up a reservoir of good faith and trust from current riders. That will be important for
the RTA in the next few years as they ask riders to support potential changes to the transit network and as the region looks for new
revenue to support transit.
A few selected quality-of-life focus areas that would make a difference include:
• Communication with riders: Better communication around unexpected and expected delays – both via digital methods like
the RTA’s GoMobile app and physically at stops – would go a long way toward reducing rider frustration and making it easier to
navigate the system when things don’t go as planned. Jefferson Transit will soon have real-time tracking technology similar to
the RTA so there is also an opportunity to provide more unified regional transit information digitally.
• More bus stop shelters: As noted in the previous section, riders are frustrated by the slow pace of putting up new bus stop
shelters. While many of the delays are due to policies outside the direct control of the RTA, the RTA can make a big difference by
creating a clear policy around future bus stop shelter installation. Communicating the priority list for shelter installation, how that
list is put together, annual targets for new shelter installation, and recent progress are all smart ideas that will improve the day-to-
day rider experience.
• Downtown transfer hub improvements: While RTA and City officials have often talked in recent years about building a state-of-
the-art transfer hub facility, the existing downtown transfer area (the area bounded by Canal and Common/Tulane and Elk Place
and S Rampart) has been neglected. While any decision on major infrastructure investments will have to come in coordination
with the New Links network redesign process, a short-term focused effort to put up more shelters, wayfinding signage, and
improve perceptions of cleanliness and safety in the area would improve the daily rider experience.

INCREASE REVENUE FOR REGIONAL TRANSIT
Finally, our region must find new revenue for expanded operations. The RTA SMP called for more than doubling the annual operations
budget to achieve its ambitious goals. That level of revenue increase may not be politically feasible – at least in one referendum or
appropriation – but it shows that more revenue is a necessity.
Hotel tax
While the RTA is supposed to get one penny of sales tax for every dollar spent in New Orleans, the original 1985 referendum to
establish that sales tax excluded hotels, due to an interpretation of state law at the time. In the 1990s, the RTA argued that the 1974
Louisiana State Constitution permitted the collection of sales tax from hotels and went to court to try and secure the additional
revenue.9 Many observers believed the RTA was in position to win that case, but, before it was decided, then-New Orleans Mayor
Marc Morial brokered an agreement between the RTA and the local tourism industry. The two sides agreed that the RTA would get
approximately ½ of the hotel/motel sales tax* and the New Orleans Tourism and Marketing Corporation (NOTMC) and the Ernest
N. Morial Convention Center would split the other half. NOTMC agreed to use its share to promote RTA service and the Convention
Center’s share was intended to support Phase IV of Convention Center expansion.
This year RTA announced that they believed the agreement violated the original intent of the 1985 referendum and that the other
agencies weren’t living up to the agreement that money would be spent promoting transit and toward Phase IV of Convention Center
(which was put on hold in 2007).10 Based on that interpretation, the RTA said they would no longer pass along money as part of the
agreement. (The formal mechanism for revenue distribution is that the sales tax revenue comes from the City to the RTA. Per the
Morial-era agreement, the RTA is then supposed to pass along the tourism industry portion.)
The issue had not been resolved as of the press time for this report. Tourism officials say the agreement is still valid and that they are
owed the money. As part of the May 2019 infrastructure agreement forged with the state legislature, NOTMC would be dissolved and
its functions and staff would be absorbed by New Orleans and Company (formally the Convention and Visitor’s Bureau (CVB), the
umbrella group for New Orleans tourism promotion), so it’s also unclear what would happen to the ¼ cent that had been earmarked
for NOTMC if that plan is implemented.
Current estimates are that the additional ½ cent in sales tax could mean as much as $6 million in additional annual revenue for the
RTA.
Next five years

The additional hotel sales tax revenue is important. It could be critical for the RTA and regional transit – especially if it can be deployed
as part of an increase in service associated with the rollout of a network redesign. That can help to maximize the potential of the
network redesign and potentially ease the transition for some low-ridership lines.
But that increased revenue by itself won’t be enough. And while a network redesign will mean a significant increase in transit utility for
riders and a stronger base to build on, it won’t be enough by itself to build the kind of transit service that can close our equity gap and
provide the workforce access to opportunity that can make a difference for our regional economy.
Both the RTA and JeT strategic plans make the case for the need to expand services – and both acknowledge that will require
increased revenue.
The RTA board as well as elected officials in Jefferson and Orleans parishes must make this a priority to accomplish in the next five
years. New Links should be used to not only redesign the regional transit network, but set a clear list of priorities for future expansion.
Following the completion of New Links, transit decision makers should use that document to put together a strategy to go to voters
with a request for new transit revenue to implement expanded service.
*The agreement states that the RTA receives 60 percent of the hotel sales tax up
to $7.2 million and 40 percent of revenue after that. Ride New Orleans The State of Transit 2019 Page 34
ENDNOTES
1. Williams, Jessica. “New Orleans transit officials dust-up over 6. Adelson, Jeff. “RTA plan would eliminate many stops, close
contract for new ferries raises questions on RTA contracts.” Nola. intersections along Canal Street streetcar line.” Nola.com, The
com, The Advocate. 20 October 2017. Accessed 29 July 2019. Advocate. 14 February 2019. Accessed 30 July 2019. https://
https://www.nola.com/news/article_ca95e769-9d56-5712-b969- www.nola.com/news/article_7bc6319f-50b9-5204-abda-
9c1014434b73.html 24083168ae10.html
2. Binkovitz, Leah. “A Year After Bus Redesign, METRO Houston 7. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Data.bls.gov, United States
Ridership is Up.” Urban Edge Blog, The Kinder Institute for Department of Labor. Accessed 29 July 2019. https://data.bls.
Urban Research. 16 August 2016. Accessed 29 July 2019. gov/cgi-bin/cpicalc.pl
https://kinder.rice.edu/2016/08/16/a-year-after-redesign-metro-
8. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Data.bls.gov, United States
ridership-is-up
Department of Labor. Accessed 29 July 2019. https://data.bls.
3. Hobson, Jeremy. “A Year Ago, Richmond Debuted A New Bus gov/cgi-bin/cpicalc.pl?cost1=1.25&year1=199912&year2=201906
System. Transit Ridership Is Up 17%.” Here & Now, WBUR.
9. Regional Transit Authority v. Marina KAHN, et al. Nos. 99-
12 July 2019. Accessed 29 July 2019. https://www.wbur.org/
C-2015, 99-C-2071 Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Fourth
hereandnow/2019/07/12/bus-rapid-transit-richmond
Circuit.1999. Reprint at https://caselaw.findlaw.com/la-court-of-
4. “COTA experiences largest ridership increase in 3 years.” Metro- appeal/1027639.html
Magazine.com, Metro Magazine. 6 February 2019. Accessed
10. Williams, Jessica. “RTA demands $31 million from tourism
29 July 2019. https://www.metro-magazine.com/management-
groups; says 2001 agreement giving them money was illegal.”
operations/news/732921/cota-experiences-largest-ridership-
Nola.com, The Advocate. 22 February 2019. Accessed 29 July
increase-in-3-years
2019. https://www.nola.com/new/article_20c91d55-ad28-566c-
5. Edmonds, Ellen. “Your Driving Costs.” Newsroom.aaa.com, AAA. b330-781395469d04.html
13 September 2018. Accessed 29 July 2019. https://newsroom.
aaa.com/auto/your-driving-costs/
PO Box 19231 New Orleans, LA 70179 (504) 345-8360 www.rideneworleans.org info@rideneworleans.com

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NEW LINKS & NEXT STEPS

STATE OF TRANSIT 2019

Visit rideneworleans.org for more information.

Ride New Orleans staff BRONZE LEVEL

Figure 1: Average percent of jobs accessible, by mode

Source: U.S. Census Bureau. 2019. LODES Data. Longitudinal-Employer

ACCESS TO JOBS AND OTHER

Ride New Orleans The State of Transit 2019 Page 4

A NEW MODEL FOR RTA MANAGEMENT

Why does this matter?

#39 Tulane regional expansion

Source: New Orleans

Page 7 The State of Transit 2019 Ride New Orleans

Jefferson and Orleans councils jointly

Why is this needed?

Shorter overall commute Longer overall commute

TRIP ORIGIN TRIP ORIGIN

TRADE-OFF 1: WALKING DISTANCE

TRIP ORIGIN TRIP ORIGIN

Prefer Direct Prefer Circuit

Figure 8: Percentage of jobs reachable in 30 minutes driving, by Census Block Group

Page 13 The State of Transit 2019 Ride New Orleans

In Jefferson and St. Bernard parishes, transit riders fare

Outlying communities fare worse

Access to major jobs centers

Figure 13: Transit access to Veteran’s corridor

RIDER PROFILE: SARAH DAVIS

RTA OPERATIONAL ISSUES

Unreliable ferry service

RTA bus stop shelters

RIDER PROFILE: DAVID GREEN

Figure 17: 2019 budgeted operating revenue sources

Source: RTA CY2019 Proposed Budget Statement of Revenue and

Low farebox recovery

Page 23 The State of Transit 2019 Ride New Orleans

Ride New Orleans The State of Transit 2019 Page 24

• Businesses or organizations that offer healthy

Page 25 The State of Transit 2019 Ride New Orleans

DOWNTOWN HOTEL WORKER SPOTLIGHT

Page 27 The State of Transit 2019 Ride New Orleans

Source: Ride New Orleans Hotel Worker Survey 2019

Ride New Orleans The State of Transit 2019 Page 28

IMPLEMENT A NETWORK REDESIGN

Direct transit connections between regional

Source: New Orleans Regional Planning Commission (RPC)

The need for transit improvements is great enough that Ride

INCREASE REGIONAL COORDINATION

Page 31 The State of Transit 2019 Ride New Orleans

Ride New Orleans The State of Transit 2019 Page 32

RIDER QUALITY-OF-LIFE IMPROVEMENTS

Page 33 The State of Transit 2019 Ride New Orleans

Next five years

PO Box 19231 New Orleans, LA 70179 (504) 345-8360 www.rideneworleans.org info@rideneworleans.com

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