New Orleans residents heard Monday from three candidates vying to lead New Orleans’ public transportation system, who said they would work to improve service, rightsize the agency’s budget and encourage transit investments.

The finalists for Regional Transit Authority CEO are former Transdev Regional Vice President Justin Augustine III, former RTA Deputy CEO Mark Major and North Carolina Greensboro Transit Agency CEO Reginald Mason. All are Louisiana natives, a point that Mayor Helena Moreno has said should be strongly considered in the list of finalists.

The three spoke Monday to a crowd at First Grace United Methodist Church in Mid-City. On Tuesday, the RTA’s Board of Commissioners will select one of them to be the agency’s next CEO, replacing Lona Edwards Hankins, who resigned earlier this year.

“We have spent all of our time trying to ensure that we had a process that was fair, that was very transparent, and that the community had an opportunity to give input and to give us insight,” said RTA Board President Ann Duplessis.

The new leader will be tasked with revitalizing the agency’s relationships with its regional partners, improving service for disabled riders, and improving organizational culture, among other needs.

As a vice president for Transdev, the largest private multitransit operator in the nation, Augustine managed 24 transit operations, including in San Diego and Seattle. Augustine has also served as the RTA’s CEO and general manager, and has handled its accounting, union negotiations, operations and contracts. He said managing a large, complex workforce was one of his most valuable experiences.

Augustine on Monday reflected on his time at RTA in the wake of Katrina when the city’s transit system needed a complete rebuild.

“This was very difficult in normal transit operations because it was not just the transit system, but the entire city of New Orleans,” he said.

Major, who was the runner-up during the 2023 RTA CEO search and who sued the agency for wrongful termination, didn’t make the cut initially during private semifinalist interviews with commissioners in August. But, he replaced one of three finalists selected who dropped out after Moreno wrote a letter to RTA asking commissioners to reconsider the list.

Major told residents about his 40-year history in public transit and roles at RTA post-Hurricane Katrina in which he helped to restore of the city’s bus, streetcar, and paratransit system and to secure millions in federal grants.

“I'm not seeking this position to revisit the past, I'm seeking it because my experience, relationships, and understanding of this organization position me to help lead RTA into a brighter future,” Major said.

As CEO of the Greensboro transit system, Mason said he created a new route during his first six months on the job that significantly reduced the hour and a half it took residents to get across town. Throughout his career, he has worked in both the private and public transit sector in major cities, including at the Chicago Transit Authority, Houston Metro, San Francisco Muni, and the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority.

“Mass transit is about opportunity. Mass transit is about economic mobility, and that’s something that is very needed in the city of New Orleans,” he said.

The finalists answered prewritten questions from attendees gathered at the church that centered on more frequent, accessible and reliable bus and streetcar service and changes the candidates would implement as CEO.

When asked about the first moves they’d make if selected, Augustine said he’d first sit with community leaders, the general public and political leaders to ensure they understand the importance of investing in public transit.

Major said he wants to implement a 2027 budget that is right-sized and within the agency’s means, while Mason pointed to improving service reliability, having the right resources and equipment and reviewing RTA’s maintenance standards.

RTA has been operating with a fraction of the fleet it had before Hurricane Katrina, according to a 2025 State of Transit report by transit advocacy group, RIDE New Orleans. At peak service, RTA only has about 80 buses online, compared to 315 pre-Katrina, the report said.

RTA officials say the issue stems from old buses at the end of their lifespan that need to be serviced or retired more frequently.

The agency, which oversees paratransit, buses, streetcars, and ferries, is seeking to revive ties with its partners. In 2024, three Jefferson Parish representatives on the agency’s board resigned amid questions about RTA’s leaders’ knowledge of a contract that had ballooned in value.

Under Hankins, the agency’s management of its paratransit service was also dinged by the federal government, who said the agency was violating disability-rights laws. A lawsuit filed by 12 current and former employees alleged a hostile work environment and discrimination, more issues the agency’s new leader must grapple with.

The RTA board, mostly made up newcomers appointed by Moreno, took steps to oust Hankins in May before she resigned.

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