About the Opportunity Pass:

The Opportunity Pass was a pilot program developed by Ride New Orleans (RIDE) in partnership with the City of New Orleans, the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority (RTA), the New Orleans Children and Youth Planning Board (CYPB), and the New Orleans Public Library.

The program has offered unlimited free access to RTA buses, streetcars, and ferries for enrolled youth aged 16-24 (“Opportunity Youth”) from its creation in September of 2024 through November 30, 2026.

The program’s goals included:

• Removing financial barriers to travel and access to school, work, healthcare, groceries, recreation, and community for Opportunity Youth

• Growing ridership for RTA transit service

• Educating the next generation of riders about transit

• Collecting data to better understand youths’ travel needs and improve transit access for young adults

• Creating skills and confidence needed for lifelong transit ridership and community participation

• Providing data and insights needed to demonstrate the program’s impacts and advocate, design, and implement a permanent program

The program was funded by a one-time allocation of American Rescue Plan Act monies from the City of New Orleans, and the program served over 11,500 youth. Enrollment in the program closed in August of 2026 due to declining program funds.

September 2026, the New Orleans City Council unanimously adopted Resolution R-26-356, introduced by the Transportation Committee Chair, Councilman Eugene Green, which publicly recognized the program’s success, outlined the City’s support for the pursuit of public, private, and/or philanthropic funding to sustain a permanent program, and stated the City’s intent to develop and administer a permanent program if funding is secured. Funding is still being sought.

For more information about the pilot program and the lessons learned, see our 2026 report A Ticket to Opportunity: Insights and Lessons Learned from the Opportunity Pass Pilot Program. 

Questions about the program? Contact us at info@rideneworleans.org