New Orleans Regional Transit Authority (RTA) celebrated the opening of the Canal Street Ferry Terminal. The ferry will provide services between Canal Street and Algier Point.
With the completion of the redevelopment project, the new structure replaces the now demolished terminal with a smaller, modern, ADA-compliant terminal and pedestrian bridge. The new terminal creates a seamless Riverfront connecting Audubon Aquarium to Spanish Plaza. Since suspending car ferry service on Canal-Algiers ferry line, the agency focused the design of the terminal towards passenger needs while accommodating the new RTA passenger ferry vessels, RTA1 and RTA2.
“We thank our federal, local and state partners for their support and commitment as we work to address our aging transit infrastructure. Not only does this project deliver much needed accessibility and rider enhancements, but it will also have a lasting impact on our regional economy, said Lona Edwards Hankins, CEO, New Orleans RTA. “The new terminal’s $43.5 million project cost is estimated to have garnered $174 million in economic return to our regional economy, including small and disadvantaged businesses.”
The $43.5 million project was made possible with several public funding sources, including $24.3 million in funding from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), as well as $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.
“The new Canal Street Terminal will expand how people travel by providing safer, more accessible routes to the ferry,” said FTA Administrator Nuria Fernandez, who attended the event to highlight the $25 million in federal investment from the U.S. Department of Transportation. “RTA riders are traveling to work, pursuing an education and connecting with people. We are proud to support RTA’s efforts to modernize to meet the needs of today’s riders.”
“The new ferry terminal and pedestrian bridge is an historic achievement that provides better and safer accessibility to riders with limited mobility. I can tell you this project is a win for me personally, as well as the rest of our fellow passengers,” said Mark Raymond, Jr., board chair, New Orleans RTA. “It’s this type of inclusive design that will bring the RTA one step closer to its goal of delivering a fully accessible transit system.”
