Bus riders in Kenner are getting to their destinations in half the time after Jefferson Transit shortened one main route and added a second route, officials said.

Jefferson Parish Transit and Kenner officials said that the original E201 Kenner Loop route was changed into a smaller route that runs in a circle along Loyola Drive, West Esplanade Avenue, Williams Boulevard and 31st Street. The original route took about one hour and 20 minutes to complete, while the smaller route takes 40 minutes.

A new E9 Williams Boulevard route also takes 40 minutes to complete. The new routes went into effect last Sunday.

Under the new routes, the northwest corner of Kenner will no longer receive bus services and will instead be put under a new program with Lyft called "Moving Kenner." The program allows Kenner riders in the area north of West Esplanade Avenue and west of East Loyola Drive to take Lyft rides for the same cost as bus fare on weekdays from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. They can also ride to the Kenner Loop bus stop near Ochsner Medical Center's Kenner campus for free.

JP Transit offers a similar Lyft curb-to-curb transportation program in Metairie as well.

"This is an exciting time for JP Transit as we expand the use of on-demand microtransit services to reduce bus wait times, improve mobility and provide more flexible transportation options,” said Jefferson Parish President Cynthia Lee Sheng in a statement.

JP Transit also installed new bus signage to notify riders of the changes.

Kenner Mayor Michael Glaser told the Jefferson Parish Council last week the Kenner Loop bus route had been one of the biggest sources of complaints when he first came into office, and that he personally rode the route to understand the issues it created for residents and for travelers to the Louis Armstrong International Airport.

"If you went to the grocery store, you buy something frozen, you buy ice cream, and by the time you get home it's half-melted," Glaser said.

Jefferson and Kenner officials have spent the last two years looking for ways to improve the city's public transportation system after the parish withdrew from the Regional Transit Authority and took over the city's bus services. RTA still runs two lines through Jefferson Parish to the airport and Elmwood.

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