Ferry terminal completion, increase in revenue marks highlights in RTA 2023 report

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New Orleans Regional Transit Authority (RTA) has released its annual report for 2023, highlighting ongoing and completed projects, as well as its financial summary for the year.

According to the report, 2023 saw a moderate increase in passenger fare revenue from the previous year, with transit revenues totaling over $12.8 million, compared with just under $10.8 million in 2022.

Tax revenues for 2023 totaled more than $101.7 million. The RTA reports that it operated between 80-90% of its 2023 budget, resulting in total transit operating expenses of $116.7 million.

August 2023 saw the completion of the $43 million Canal Street Ferry Terminal project. The new building provides a modern, ADA-compliant terminal and pedestrian bridge. The space was designed to offer a seamless Riverfront, connecting Audubon Aquarium to Spanish Plaza. The terminal connects the Eastbank and Westbank with its modern passenger ferry service between Canal Street and Algiers Point. Funding came from several public funding sources, including $24.3 million from the Federal Transit Administration, $5.9 million from the City of New Orleans, $2 million from the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development and $6.5 million from the RTA.

Twenty-nine new buses worth $24.4 million were ordered last year to address their critical bus fleet issue. The buses will be a mix of diesel and hybrid and will help replace the RTA’s aging bus fleet – 40% of which has reached the end of its FTA-determined useful life. The buses are expected to arrive toward the end of 2024 and the beginning of 2025.

The design and construction of the Downtown Transit Center was awarded $24.8 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). The report says the “upcoming bus terminal is designed to foster safer connections between transit modes and enhance rider conveniences, including shelter from extreme weather and restroom facilities.”

The new center will be the central downtown hub for the proposed Bus Rapid Transit project and is expected to provide reductions in transit times for New Orleans East and West Bank riders.

In early 2023, RTA was awarded $5.2 million from the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) Notice of Funding for the revitalization of the Algiers Point Ferry Terminal and the Lower Algiers Maintenance Facility. The funds will be used to expand the operational square footage at the Algiers Point terminal, including administrative space for ferry operations staff and rider amenities like restrooms and waiting areas. Ceiling volume will be reduced to gain a second floor and more square footage. The Lower Algiers facility is over 40 years old and has several critical systems that require replacement.

The 100-year anniversary of the Perley A. Thomas streetcar was celebrated at the Carrollton Streetcar Barn in October 2023 with a block party. It included facility tours to share with the public how RTA craftsmen maintain and repair the streetcar system.

Early 2023 also saw the appointment of Lona Edwards Hankins as the new CEO of RTA. “The successes this year will pave the way for a thriving 2024,” Hankins said in the report.

“As we look forward in 2024, the future looks bright: a new suite of buses to help modernize our aging fleet; the initial phase of our new Downtown Transit Center; renovation of our Algiers Ferry Terminal; and the implementation of the Bus Rapid Transit project, just to name a few highlights,” says Mark Raymond, Jr., chairman of the Board of Commissioners.

Read the full report here.