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During the last 20 years, Lona Edwards Hankins has been instrumental in securing federal funding to finance capital and infrastructure enhancements throughout New Orleans.

As Director of Capital Enhancements for the Restoration Faculty District, Hankins steered the greater than $2 billion Faculty Amenities Grasp Plan, which rebuilt public faculties broken from Hurricane Katrina. Quick ahead to the current, and the CEO of the Regional Transit Authority has helped safe roughly $170 million in federal funding since 2020 to enhance infrastructure and supply high-quality public transportation, together with $101.4 million from the latest Infrastructure Funding and Jobs Act (IIJA) and Inflation Discount Act (IRA).

The 2023 Bipartisan Infrastructure Regulation/Infrastructure Funding and Jobs Act and Inflation Discount Act awarded $2 trillion in local weather and infrastructure enhancements, together with a complete of $10.2 billion to Louisiana to finance 780 initiatives throughout the state. The RTA obtained three of these awards, together with a $71.4 million grant for energy-efficient buses, chargers, micro-grid, workforce coaching, and future upkeep; $24.8 million for a Downtown Transit Heart and connecting transit hall; and $5.2 million for an Algiers Level Ferry Terminal renovation, which can value an estimated $9.7 million. The Metropolis of New Orleans awarded the RTA $3.5 million to additionally help the Algiers Level ferry terminal operations.

“New Orleans deserves high-quality infrastructure, and our residents deserve modernized and dependable public transportation. We have been aggressive and capable of safe important funds which might be aligned with our Strategic Mobility Plan,” mentioned Hankins. “We’re grateful to our congressional delegation as these essential grants will allow the RTA to spend money on and meet the wants of riders and operators throughout our transit facilities, terminals, and hubs in our communities.”

The New Orleans RTA serves Orleans, Jefferson, and St. Bernard parishes and operates automotive and passenger ferries, fixed-route buses, paratransit, streetcar, and restricted on-demand service.

The RTA’s Strategic Mobility Plan, borne in 2018 and up to date in 2023, consists of a number of group priorities, together with improved entry to locations and reliability of current transit service; quick, frequent service on main corridors; stronger regional connections; improved public notion of transit and higher data sharing; and elevated accessibility with extra late-night bus, and ferry companies.

Exterior of the grant monies from the IIJA and IRA, in August 2023, the RTA accomplished the $43.5 million Canal Avenue Ferry Terminal, which connects the East Financial institution and West Financial institution communities with fashionable passenger ferry service between Canal Avenue and Algiers Level. The $43.5 million challenge was funded from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), in addition to $5.9 million from the Metropolis of New Orleans, $2 million from the Louisiana Division of Transportation and Growth, and $6.5 million from the RTA.

In September 2024, the RTA celebrated the deployment throughout the town of 29 new hybrid and diesel buses, happening simply days after the implementation of RTA’s fall 2024 transit schedule. The RTA can be deploying one other 26 paratransit automobiles, 12 of that are on the street, and the rest can be deployed in Q1 2025.

“Our marketing campaign ‘How New Orleans rolls’ displays our dedication to delivering world-class service. By modernizing our fleet, we’re enhancing service reliability and lowering environmental influence with quieter, eco-friendly buses,” mentioned Hankins. “We’ve already seen enhancements in service frequency and a major drop in complaints about late buses.”

As the brand new buses are being deployed, the RTA can retire its older buses, which now solely account for 13 buses which might be nearing the tip of their helpful life. “In 2023, about 60 % of our fleet was nearing the tip of their helpful lives, and so 2024 was the 12 months of the fleet for us,” mentioned Hankins. “Persons are so joyful that our latest buses are on the market offering dependable and environment friendly service, and our operators are excited to drive fashionable automobiles as properly.”

In November 2024, the RTA introduced that the Algiers Ferry Terminal renovation challenge entered its closing spherical of group engagement. The RFP for the challenge can be marketed in Q1 2025. Work is scheduled to start later this 12 months and is predicted to final one 12 months.

Enhancements will improve the expertise for the five hundred,000 passengers yearly who depend on the Algiers Ferry by renovating the inside and growing the useful sq. footage of the terminal, offering ferry operations with workers administrative area, putting in restrooms and ready areas, enhancing the boarding ramp, and making the terminal an amenity for riders, ferry workers, and the encircling group. The challenge will even enhance security and connectivity for pedestrians, cyclists, and bus riders accessing the terminal. The constructing is over 40 years outdated and has a number of main programs which might be on the finish of their helpful life and must be changed.

“The Algiers group demanded and deserves this challenge, and we’re excited to interrupt floor later this 12 months,” mentioned Hankins. “It’s time to modernize this terminal, add all the mandatory ADA accessibilities, enhance the within facilities, allow riders to flee the climate components, and when it’s all full, this can be an unimaginable financial funding.”

The RTA can be working in the direction of a brand new Downtown Transit Heart and connecting transit hall to be positioned within the impartial floor of Basin Avenue at Canal Avenue. The hub will present safer connections for riders in addition to shelters and restroom services. It can additionally function the important thing downtown hub for the Bus Speedy Transit challenge, which can shorten transit occasions for riders.

“We’re finalizing internally what the conceptual design standards can be, and we are going to situation an RFP for the design in Q1 2025. The design will take a 12 months, after which we anticipate building to take about two years earlier than it’s prepared. This challenge would require strong group engagement with downtown residents and companies,” mentioned Hankins. “This can be a state-of-the-art regional hub and downtown financial funding, and we will even fund enhancements at smaller switch factors and transit hubs all through the town to enhance security and effectivity.”

Hankins added that she is proud that the RTA, since 2020, has spent roughly 57% of its federal and native funds with Deprived Enterprise Enterprises (DBEs) and Small Enterprise Enterprises (SBEs). The RTA additionally routinely provides enterprise growth workshops, resembling probably the most earlier one which mentioned “SBA 8(a) Certification: Advantages and Course of.”

In different federal funding information for the RTA from 2024, the RTA was awarded a $5.5 million grant in Might from the FTA All Stations Accessibility Program to reinforce accessibility for passengers with disabilities on the St. Charles streetcar line. In November, the RTA was awarded a $950,000 FTA Transit-Oriented Growth Grant to help equitable development and revitalize underutilized land alongside the 15-mile BRT hall. The grant was in partnership with the Metropolis of New Orleans’ Workplace of Resilience & Sustainability and Metropolis Planning Fee.