NEW ORLEANS – Mayor LaToya Cantrell today issued the following statement on the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority’s recent award of $5,272,491 in Federal Transit Administration funding to rehabilitate the car landing at the Lower Algiers Ferry Terminal.
“When I became Mayor more than two years ago I made transportation one of my top priorities, launching the Office of Transportation and ensuring that RTA had a strong partner to make the long-overdue transit improvements our residents have been demanding and deserve,” said Cantrell. “Kudos to CEO Alex Wiggins and his staff for securing the funds we need to improve the Lower Algiers Ferry, and to Board Chair Flozell Daniels, Jr. for his ongoing partnership in this work.”
The mayor’s office said the grant award will be used for the first phase of an effort to rehabilitate RTA ferry facilities and infrastructure. The RTA initially will rehabilitate the car ferry landing barge.
“It is a paramount priority of the RTA board of commissioners to provide safe, reliable and equitable transportation to the citizens of New Orleans across all transit modes,” said Daniels. “The RTA Board will continue to advocate for funding at all levels to prioritize projects such as these to ensure that all of our people receive world-class transit service that provides access to education, work, healthcare and family connections.”
The federal Passenger Ferry Grant Program provided grants to 12 projects in 12 states around the country. Funding of approximately $47.5 million will be allocated to passenger ferry projects and ferry operators nationwide. The funds will be used to support existing ferry service on many of the nation’s waterways and help to repair and modernize ferry boats, terminals, and related facilities.