DID YOU KNOW?

1. 12% of the jobs are accessible by transit in 30 minutes or less compared to 89% by car.

2. 19% carless household rate (Double the national average)

OUR CHALLENGE

Make 40% of New Orleans’ regional jobs accessible by transit in 30 minutes or less by 2027. Public transit is essential. Almost 20% of New Orleans households don’t have cars. Many other households are only able to afford one car, but have more than one person working. And, of course, parking can be expensive and inconvenient in busy places like downtown New Orleans so transit can help to take the load off the monthly budget for many families. Unfortunately, though, transit in the New Orleans region isn’t always easy to take or rely on. More funding and systemic changes are important, but individual businesses can also provide a big lift for their transit-reliant employees with a few simple actions

WHAT YOU CAN DO / WHO CAN HELP

1. Join the coalition for quality transit / RIDE / 504-345-8360

2. Take action on RTA’s goals and mobility plan / RTA

3. Coordination of transportation infrastructure projects and initiatives for the City of New Orleans / Office of transportation / 504-658-4914

4. Join the Riders Advisory Committee (RAC) / RTA

5. Be flexible with transit-reliant employees: Transit lines might not match up precisely to shift schedules and are more vulnerable to big traffic backups since they can’t find alternate routes 

   • Plan shifts around bus schedules for transit reliant employees

   • Allow for 30-45 minute occasional grace period lateness for employees who are transit reliant

   • Extend lateness rule for inclement weather/give people the option to leave early

6. Give employees transit information: Many New Orleans transit lines only come once every 45-60 minutes and are often late. The RTA system can also be hard-to-understand if you are not familiar with it. Helping employees get reliable information on bus arrival time and better understand their transit travel options will make their daily commutes easier and less stressful.

   • Have transit maps posted inside and outside of your business - on doors, bulletin boards, tv screens, anywhere that is accessible for employees to access. Physical maps can be requested here, more on digital maps down below.

   • Have Stop ID (the codes posted on bus stops to get text updates on the bus’ arrival time) for buses near your business (each bus has a Stop ID and you can text the bus and see when it will next arrive)

   • Tell your employees about the RTA’s GoMobile App, which can give them real-time transit arrival time info

   • If you have the technology, broadcast the real-time transit arrival time data feed on a screen or announce them in your business. RTA has a license for access to their real-time data here, how you would go about displaying the information is up to your technical capabilities.

7. Help employees access bus passes more easily: Helping employees pay for transit passes could be an important fringe benefit that builds loyalty morale. It also could really help the monthly budget of many families!  

   • Provide or partially subsidize bus passes for employees. 

     • The RTA offers monthly, five-day, three-day, one-day, and individual passes for sale

     • The RTA offers a discount to any 31 Day Jazzy Pass order that reaches a >50 (five percent discount) or >500 (10 percent discount) quantity threshold. 

     • The easiest way for a business to complete a bulk purchase of passes is through the website at www.rtaforward.org/store.

   • Allow employees to purchase transit passes with pre-tax earnings, similar to employee-contributions for health insurance coverage

     1. Federal law allows employees to use pre-tax salary towards their transit and vanpool commuting costs.

     2. There are programs you can enroll in as a business such as Wage Works or Commuter Benefits Edenred to give your employees these benefits. (Commuter Benefits Edenred gives a comprehensive guide to understanding how commuter benefits work on their website).

     3. Most payroll services should be able to assist with setting up this benefit 

     4. Setting this program up will help to lower employer payroll taxes as well

8. Provide infrastructure for transit reliant employees: Unfortunately, transit infrastructure can be lacking in the New Orleans region, with many bus stops lacking shelter and seating and many businesses not within walking distance of frequent transit stops 

   • Subsidize connections for transit-reliant employees from transit stops that may not be within walking distance. If the transit stop to your business is a mile or more away for an employee, it would be helpful to provide assistance to that stop through Uber, Lyft, or a van service such as KLM Transportation, Alert Transportation, etc.

   • Improve existing bus infrastructure by providing better seating or shelter at a bus stop on or near your property.  To install a bench or shelter outside of your business, you may need a Sidewalk Cafe Permit if your seating touches the sidewalk or falls within the public sphere. If your bench is within property lines then you won’t need the permit. 

     • The permit can cost $200-$500

     • There are guidelines on the benches you can use, specifics are detailed here.

WHAT DO POLITICAL LEADERS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR SECTOR?

1. Transit is essential for New Orleans workers - almost 20 percent of New Orleans households don't have access to a car and many more households only have one vehicle.

2. Transit is not working the way it needs to. The average transit-reliant New Orleanian can only reach 12 percent of the region's jobs in 30 minutes-or-less via transit.

3. We can fix this and make real improvements in the system. But it will take collective will and focus and a prioritization of the issue.

4. New Orleans, the region, and the state should implement Complete Streets policy and invest in its infrastructure. This refers to rebuilding streets and roadways for the full range of how people use them, namely for people walking, biking, driving, and transit with an emphasis on safety and universal access. Additionally, Complete Streets incorporates an a sustainable approach that includes green infrastructure.

5. Transit is tragically underfunded and thereby under-utilized, when it is necessary for our culture and service-based economy. Additionally, a high-functioning transit system will be instrumental to our region's connectedness and environmental sustainability.

6. Transportation is inextricably linked to health, housing, food, energy, and economic opportunity. It literally links these issues together and should be treated as "intersectional".

WHAT ARE YOUR LOCAL POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS?

1. Complete and implement the "New Links" regional transit network redesign that will redraw transit lines to better serve the needs of today's transit riders and increase reliability, frequency, and connectivity - especially for lower-income riders and communities of color.

2. Prioritize improving important amenities that will make transit easier and more dignified to take. This is items like more bus stop shelters, a real downtown transfer center, better and safer sidewalks to and from transit stops, and more reliable buses.

3. Give buses and other transit vehicles priority (through dedicated transit lanes) on the streets and highways where heavy traffic typically slows them down and makes them less reliable.

4. Merge (or at least greatly improve coordination and collaboration) the RTA - which serves Orleans Parish - and Jefferson Transit - which serves Jefferson Parish - in order to provide effective regional transit connections for riders.

5. After New Links is passed identify and secure new sources of funding in order to implement new transit services identified in the RTA's long-term strategic mobility plan.

6. Implementation of Complete Streets policies at all levels.

7. Expand installation of connected, protected bikeways and walking trails

8. Updated, universal bike safety education in primary education and at driving schools

9. Implement permeable pavement

10. Prioritize high-frequency transit lanes on roadways

11. Install hundreds of bus shelters

12. Save and expand bikeshare

WHAT ARE YOUR STATE POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS?

1. Maintain and then expand existing state funding for the RTA's ferry service.

2. Explore additional sources of revenue from the state for local transit service.

3. Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) should work closely with local governments to create path forward to prioritize transit only-lanes on interstate highways and state-controlled roads.

4. Complete Streets policy implementation.

WHAT ARE YOUR FEDERAL POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS?

1. Expand available capital funding for local agencies to replenish and grow transit fleets and improve transit infrastructure Allow federal funding to be used to support local transit operations funding, not just capital projects Federal transportation funding decisions should prioritize projects that fix or improve existing infrastructure instead of creating new highways, bridges, etc. Federal transportation funding decision should prioritize projects that help a greater number of people connect to jobs and services.

2. Implement High-speed rail, increased transit funding, and funding for biking/walking trails.

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