NEW ORLEANS — The New Orleans Regional Transit Authority (RTA) is progressing with plans for the region’s first Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system. The new East-West Bank BRT project will create a rapid transit corridor connecting New Orleans East, the Central Business District and the West Bank, covering roughly 15 miles with around 25 stops providing improved infrastructure and service.
In Nov. the RTA hired AECOM, a global engineering and design firm, to design the East-West Bank BRT project. The system is expected to provide New Orleans with a high-capacity transit line featuring dedicated lanes, priority signaling, enhanced stations, level or near-level boarding, real-time information, pre-paid boarding and climate-appropriate shelters.
“Today’s BRT contract approval represents this agency’s firm commitment to delivering high-quality, rider centric transit for our city,” Lona Edwards Hankins, CEO of the New Orleans RTA said after the board approved the design contract. “With design work set to begin, we’re moving from vision to reality, bringing New Orleans one step closer to a faster, more connected future.”
Greater New Orleans Foundation’s Role
Acting as a regional convener, the Greater New Orleans Foundation is helping align the BRT planning effort with broader goals for collaboration and economic mobility.
“The Greater New Orleans Foundation deeply understands the importance of these types of benefits in the metro area,” said Dan Favre, Director of Environmental Programs at the Greater New Orleans Foundation. “For instance, the Foundation’s Workforce Development Programs staff often hear from employees and employers alike about the need for more transit that gets people to jobs on time.”
Express Lane to Progress – Lessons from Birmingham
Together with RIDE New Orleans, the Foundation convened national and regional leaders for Express Lane to Progress, a briefing that highlighted how Birmingham, Alabama’s Birmingham Xpress (BX) reshaped mobility and spurred economic development.
Launched in 2019, the Birmingham Xpress spans roughly ten miles and connects 25 neighborhoods. Since its debut, ridership on MAX Transit’s BX line has risen by 71 percent. Other benefits include reduced traffic congestion and air pollution, expanded job access for economically disadvantaged communities and increased private investment and commercial activity around station areas.
Favre said the Birmingham model illustrates the wide-ranging benefits that stronger transit can deliver for local workers, residents and employers. He moderated a discussion with leaders from Birmingham and New Orleans on how a successful BRT corridor could similarly reshape mobility and economic opportunity across the region. He also noted that improved transit infrastructure can benefit the broader community, not just regular transit riders.
“Grantee partners, like the Committee for a Better New Orleans, have documented the public health need for bus stops that protect people from rain and heat,” said Favre. “Less traffic and better air quality mean that the benefits of improved transit extend to everyone, even for those who never ride the bus.”
What Birmingham’s Experience Shows
Birmingham officials outlined several core lessons to guide New Orleans as the BRT design phase moves forward:
Collaboration is essential: Birmingham’s BRT succeeded because agencies, contractors and city partners worked in close coordination.
Engage communities early: Birmingham relied on public-private coalitions to maintain transparency and steady feedback.
Invest in marketing: With systemwide changes like BRT, Birmingham officials stressed the need for robust public outreach to prepare riders, businesses and residents for new routes and infrastructure.
“By applying these lessons in real time in Birmingham, they successfully delivered a bus rapid transit corridor that connects neighborhoods, schools, hospitals, and business centers in a way that benefits all of their diverse interests,” said Favre.
Turning Lessons Into Design Strategy
The Express Lane to Progress event also offered local updates from New Orleans RTA Chief Planning and Capital Projects Officer Dwight Norton, alongside technical experts from Skanska USA and Volkert — firms that designed and built BRT corridors in Birmingham and Richmond, Virginia.
They provided insights on transit-priority design elements, including dedicated lanes, signalization improvements, corridor-level planning and strategies for speeding up streetcars and buses.
“The energy and engagement at the Express Lane to Progress events shows that New Orleans is ready to take the next steps towards rapid transit,” said Favre. “With formal design process underway and being led by RTA, further efforts to bring together a broad array of local stakeholders – from government and community to business and academia — to support bus rapid transit will continue to build momentum towards achieving long-term economic development and environmental sustainability wins for Greater New Orleans.”
