New Orleans RTA advances BRT plans with contract award for preliminary designs

The New Orleans Regional Transit Authority (RTA) granted contract approval for preliminary design work for the city’s first bus rapid transit (BRT) system.

The contract approval follows the adoption of the locally preferred alternative (LPA) by both the New Orleans City Council and the New Orleans RTA Board of Commissioners in 2023. The overall vision for the BRT corridor connects New Orleans East, Central Business District and West Bank riders to neighborhoods, jobs and other destinations. The New Orleans RTA says it aims to achieve this through dedicated bus lanes, frequent service, enhanced stations and priority traffic signaling for buses.

“Today’s BRT contract approval represents this agency’s firm commitment to delivering high-quality, rider centric transit for our city,” said New Orleans RTA CEO Lona Edwards Hankins. “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.” 

Utilizing what it learned from public outreach and earlier planning efforts, the New Orleans RTA will begin design work in December alongside a multidisciplinary team led by AECOM. The next phase of the project will include more community engagement as design work progresses. New Orleans RTA notes that this input will help it refine station designs, lane and intersection layouts and other rider-focused features to ensure the BRT system hosts priorities of the communities it serves and delivers faster, more frequent and more reliable service for riders.

New Orleans RTA Board Chair Fred Neal added, “This project is a game-changer for New Orleans transit. It reflects the years of community input and planning that went into shaping a system that truly serves the people of this city.”