The agency purchased 22 vehicles to replace vehicles that are at the end of their useful life, many which were purchased after Hurricane Katrina.
The order adds to RTA’s 2019 purchase of 23 Xcelsior buses and will revitalize its fleet by replacing end-of-life vehicles as part of the agency’s strategic mobility plan.
The transition not only signifies a shift in the management structure but also serves as a reset to the core values and culture of the agency, focusing on public service, reliability, and transit equity.
The three new streetcars are equipped with wheelchair lifts at the front and rear of each car. The agency also modified 12 of its streetcar line stops to be ADA compliant.
Bacarra Sanderson Mauldin currently serves as director, policy and innovation, with the New Orleans RTA.
The contractor has operated and managed bus, streetcar, paratransit, and ferry services under contract to the RTA Board of Commissioners since 2009.
Officials had previously said a temporary pilot program to speed up the streetcar could come up for a vote as early as late next month.
Daryll Simpson was approved by the board as the agency's new GM, whiel Augustine will transition to sr. VP, infrastructure and supply chain.
Partnered with Masabi, a leader in mobile ticketing and electronic payments for transit, to bring smartphone ticketing to RTA passengers.
The beta version for estimated time of arrival/real-time tracking, launched for consumer testing, lets riders subscribe to get real time status updates and alerts delivered to their mobile devices for their preferred routes and transit stops.