The New Orleans Regional Transit Authority (RTA), in coordination with St. Bernard Urban Rapid Transit (SBURT), has extended its 86-St. Maurice-Chalmette service in St. Bernard Parish on Judge Perez Drive to Nunez Community College.
The 86-St. Maurice-Chalmette, which serves the Lower Ninth Ward along St. Claude Avenue and St. Bernard Hospital along West Judge Perez Drive, previously terminated at Dr. Meraux Boulevard. The route will now continue along West Judge Perez Drive to Paris Road and to the Nunez Community College campus.
New Orleans RTA will service all existing SBURT stops along the newly extended route, which will operate from Monday through Sunday from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. SBURT will continue to operate its bus service Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on their existing route, which overlaps with portions of the extended New Orleans RTA service.
"We are grateful to St. Bernard Parish President Guy Mcinnis for his commitment to connecting St. Bernand and Orleans Parish residents to the places they work, live and learn,“ said Lona Edwards Hankins, RTA CEO. “As transit agencies across the nation try to leverage limited financial resources, it is important for local government agencies to work together to connect housing, educational and employment centers across our region.”
“A major goal of the community college is to remove barriers to higher education. RTA’s addition of a stop on the Nunez campus addresses the very real barrier of transportation and access. The many services and programs available at Nunez will be accessible to more of our local citizens,” said Nunez Chancellor Dr. Tina Tinney. “Proximity is one piece of the puzzle but proximity without transportation is a missed opportunity. We’re excited to partner with RTA and St. Bernard Parish to expand our reach through public transportation.”
The extension is part of New Orleans RTA’s summer 2023 service change, which took effect June 4 and reflects minor adjustments to the schedules on most lines.
