New Orleans Ferry Awarded $10 Million TIGER Grant to Develop New Ferry Terminal

November 16, 2015 — New Orleans

New Orleans Ferry Awarded $10 Million TIGER Grant to Develop New Ferry Terminal

The New Orleans Ferry was recently awarded more than $10 million in grant funding to develop a new ferry/multimodal terminal at the end of Canal Street through the Obama’s Administration’s Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery VII (TIGER) competitive grant program. The New Orleans Canal Street Ferry Terminal project is an integral part of a major revitalization along the Mississippi River projected to be in place before the city’s 300th anniversary in 2018. The new terminal will offer seamless connections to the New Orleans RTA bus and streetcar network to improve mobility, foster economic development and improve access to jobs.

Transdev is the operator of the New Orleans ferry operation and helped secure the TIGER grant funding through the New Orleans RTA. Transdev manages all aspects of the New Orleans transit system under contract to the RTA Board of Commissioners, effectively serving as the transit agency for the city’s bus, streetcar, paratransit and ferry services.

The Ferry Terminal project will also include streetcar access to the New Orleans Convention Center, double ferry dock capacity, more convenient bus bay access as well as capacity for an expanded bus fleet. Replacing the current terminal with a new, state- of-the-art facility will provide enhanced amenities and pedestrian access to the city’s Riverfront area for both residents and tourists.

Justin T. Augustine, Vice President of Transdev in service to the RTA, said, “I would like to thank Secretary Anthony Foxx and the Department of Transportation for their continued support for the Regional Transit Authority and the City of New Orleans.. This TIGER funded project will allow us to continue on our journey to enhance and transform public transit in the City of New Orleans.”

In April of 2015, the DOT announced that $500 million would be made available for the TIGER grant program to fund transportation projects across the country. The goal was to focus on projects that generate economic development and improve access to reliable, safe and affordable transportation, while improving connections to employment, education, and workforce development, or community revitalization.

Transdev commenced operations of the Algiers Point-Canal Street Ferry and the Algiers-Chalmette Ferry in February of 2014. The New Orleans RTA transportation system provides nearly 19 million trips per year via its bus, paratransit, streetcar and ferry services.

About New Orleans RTA
The Regional Transit Authority of New Orleans, or RTA, is the bus, streetcar and paratransit system that operates in New Orleans, Louisiana. At present, the RTA system includes five streetcar lines and 35 bus routes, and offers special paratransit services to the disabled. The system covers14,000 miles each day, and passengers take almost 19 million rides every year. www.norta.com