The New Orleans airport may be shiny and brand new, but transit riders don’t have much to celebrate.
As you can see from the picture above, the designated stop for New Orleans Regional Transit Authority (RTA) and Jefferson Transit (JeT) service is isolated away from the main terminal, across a busy drop-off road, and has no shelter at all – exposing airport workers and travelers alike to the elements.
Just as bad, transit vehicles entering and leaving the airport are getting stuck in traffic with private cars, even though there’s a better option – a second entrance currently being used by the airport’s rental car shuttles that would save significant time from each trip!
We need to send a message to the airport leadership that this is unacceptable and needs to be fixed. Please sign our petition today!
Improved transit to the airport really does matter
The airport is a major jobs center and transit-reliant workers need an easy and reliable connection. Travelers need the help too. Not everyone has access to a car or can pay $34+ for a ride share or taxi. Reliable transit to the airport can make a big deal for our residents heading out and coming back to the region.
Most importantly, the airport can serve as a focal point for increased regional coordination on transit service. Already the RTA is discussing increased frequency on the #202 Airport Express and JeT has launched a New Orleans CBD-bound branch of its frequent and popular E-1 Veterans line.
But if the airport won’t give equitable access for transit vehicles and provide a comfortable place to wait for the bus, then all the regional coordination on transit won’t matter. If the service is uncomfortable and takes too long, people won’t ride it!
That’s why we’re asking you to sign our petition calling for an improvement to this situation today – before it becomes one more hard-to-change part of the status quo!
Key points in the petition include:
- Riders need a better place to wait for the bus. The area the airport picked is exposed to the elements, hard to reach, and far away from other ground transportation options. It also lacks the room to handle any increase in service because it is wedged into an area that overlaps with heavy traffic from unloading private tour buses.
- We believe a much better option is on the arrivals level immediately below – on the side where the hotel shuttles currently pick up. This would allow for a comfortable, shaded area for riders to wait and would be easy to access for both airport workers and returning travelers. Even better, it has much more space to allow for multiple buses at one time as the RTA and JeT increase frequencies and routes in the years to come.
- RTA and JeT buses should be able to enter the airport via the rental car shuttle bus entrance off of Bainbridge. That entrance is closed to private vehicle traffic, so it’s significantly less congested and would save buses – and thus transit riders – significant time on each trip. Transit riders deserve the same dedicated lanes and quick reliable service that rental car customers receive! The RTA has had conversations about getting access to this entrance but there appears to be no progress thus far.
