RTA welcomes 21 new buses as agency officials tout service improvements

By Bobbi-Jeanne Misick
Contributing Writer

(Veritenews.org) — The New Orleans Regional Transit Authority hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday (Sept. 24) to officially introduce the latest additions to its fleet – a group of 21 badly needed new buses, most of which are hybrid diesel-electric vehicles.

City and state lawmakers joined RTA CEO Lona Edwards Hankins in welcoming the new buses. Officials said they hope the vehicles will help improve service reliability and reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Hankins said the package of new buses will “strengthen and modernize our aging fleet.”

The additions represent the latest move by the agency to try to provide more consistent, timely bus service. Last year, frequent bus breakdowns caused chronically late service along some of the city’s routes. But after a series of changes to bus schedules implemented early this year and the addition of new buses, Hankins said she has been hearing fewer complaints from riders.

“We’ve seen a reduction in those calls from people saying, ‘Where’s my bus?’” Hankins said at the ceremony.

The agency has also introduced a new schedule with more frequent pickups along four lines. The new schedule also returned the 66 Haynes Loop back to its normal route, as the Seabrook Bridge is no longer out of service. The new RTA schedule also removes the Kenner Loop, as the city of Kenner has ended its agreement with the agency. That route is now being serviced by Jefferson Parish Transit.

The 21 buses, paid for with $18.6 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds, are being used to permanently retire some of the vehicles that are operating beyond their useful lifespan of 12 years. Many of the new buses have been on the road since mid-summer.

Louisiana Rep. Shaun Mena, D-New Orleans, whose district includes the RTA’s Canal Street headquarters, said the package of new buses illustrates a great investment in the city’s residents.

“I truly believe that the marking of these new buses … shows that as a city and as a state we truly care about our civilization and our citizens,” Mena said.

New Orleans City Councilmember Eugene Green, who chairs the council’s transportation committee, said the new buses represent the council’s commitment to reach net zero carbon dioxide emissions by 2050.

The hybrid diesel-electric buses operate with a battery pack that charges whenever the engine is running, Ryan Moser, the RTA’s chief asset management officer, said in an interview after the ceremony.

Moser said the buses can operate in fully electric mode in certain “green zones,” which the agency’s planning team is currently designating. When the buses stop at traffic lights, the engines turn off while allowing air conditioning to continue running.

“In the end, the benefit is fuel efficiency and better fuel economy and less emissions,” Moser said.

This article originally published in the September 30, 2024 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.