NEW ORLEANS — The New Orleans Regional Transit Authority has brought all operations and maintenance functions in house.
As of Dec. 20, all bus, streetcar and paratransit operators as well as maintenance personnel will be directly employed by the RTA. Additionally, all RTA operators will now dress in new green or purple RTA branded uniforms to signify the change in management. The RTA will increase its employees from 64 to 791.
“RTA’s consolidation of its operations is another important step in the agency’s turnaround with new leadership and improved collaboration with the City,” said Mayor LaToya Cantrell. “With the finalization of the New Links transit plan, the implementation of the new ferry boats, the groundbreaking for the new ferry terminal, and the new ADA-compliant streetcars line, we will look back at 2020 as a pivotal year in the history of RTA while dealing with serious challenges including the response to the pandemic. We look forward to continued progress in 2021.”
The RTA announced its decision to terminate the contract with multi-modal passenger transport provider Transdev and to directly employ its employees in May 2020. Transdev has provided transportation management services to the RTA since 2009 and played a key role in restoring transit service in the years following Hurricane Katrina.
The RTA said it is better positioned to manage the financial implications resulting from COVID-19 by directly managing operations. The RTA expects significant cost savings in overhead and operational redundancies that will allow the agency to directly reinvest in improving service and connectivity in the region while focusing on customer service and safety for all riders.
The RTA said it will focus on public service, improving service reliability, advancing transit equity, contributing to the local economy by investing in workforce development and job creation, and partnering with New Links to build a regional transit system that better meets the needs of our riders.
Ferry personnel are directly employed through LabMar Ferry Services, the contracted ferry operator of the RTA.
