NEW ORLEANS-August 29, 2008-Update-The City of New Orleans has announced that the City Assisted Evacuation Plan (CAEP) will be activated Saturday, August 30 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and will continue on Sunday, August 31 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Based on the projection that Hurricane Gustav will make landfall in or near New Orleans on Monday, September 1, 2008, the RTA has begun to initiate its emergency plan.

RTA is working closely with the City of New Orleans to implement the City Assisted Evacuation Plan. The CAEP is a program designed to help people who have no means of evacuating on their own. Individuals are encouraged to call the City's 311 hotline, if you feel you may be eligible for the CAEP. Forty RTA buses will be utilized in the City CAEP. Individuals who need help in evacuating will gather at 17 sites throughout the City and RTA buses will transport individuals from the designated sites to the Union Passenger Terminal (UPT). Locations are listed below. From the UPT, buses provided by the State will take passengers to out-of-town safe shelters.

Due to the activation of CAEP, RTA normal bus service will cease on the evening of Friday, August 29 at the end of the regular schedule. The St. Charles and the Canal streetcars will operate until noon on Saturday. (Riverfront streetcar service will not operate on Saturday). All streetcars will be safely stored at the Willow Street Facility and on the Riverfront after they are taken out of service. RTA will put in effect a free fare policy on the streetcars on Saturday. No fares will be charged on the buses used for the CAEP.

Regular Paratransit service ended at 7:00 p.m. Friday. No paratransit bookings will be taken until further notice.

RTA will also assist the City of Kenner with its Public Assistance Evacuation Plan on the Kenner Loop.

In New Orleans, RTA will shuttle passengers to the UPT from these 17 locations around the city:

Senior Center Locations:

Arthur Monday Senior Citizens Center, 1111 Newton St., Algiers Kingsley House, 1600 Constance Street, Lower Garden District Central City Senior Center, 2020 Philip Street, Central City Mater Dolorosa, 1226 S. Carrollto Ave., Carrollton

General Population:

Sanchez Center, Caffin Ave. at Claiborne Ave., Lower 9th Ward Eleanor McMain Magnet Secondary School, 5712 S. Claiborne Ave, Broadmoor Warren Easton Fundamental High School, 3019 Canal St., Mid-City Palmer Park, S. Claiborne and S. Carrollton, West Carrollton Lyons Community Center, 624 Louisiana Ave., Irish Channel Dryades YMCA, 1924 Philip Street, Central City Municipal Auditorium, 801 N. Rampart, 7th Ward Stallings Community Center, 4300 St. Claude, Bywater O. Perry Walker High School, 2832 Gen. Meyer Ave., Algiers Smith Library Bus Stop, 6300 Canal Blvd., Lakeview Gentilly Mall Parking Lot, Chef Menteur and Press Dr., Gentilly Walgreen's, Lake Forest and Read Blvd., New Orleans East Mary Queen of Vietnam, 14001 Dwyer, New Orleans East

RTA will inform the public when regular service can be reinstated.