NEW ORLEANS — The regions first Bus Rapid Transit is in the works to help get those living in the East and in Algiers to the CBD quicker.
Hundreds of thousands of New Orleanians take the bus everyday, but sometimes the bus takes too long. To help combat delays, the Regional Transit Authority is looking to create designated bus lanes getting riders to their destination faster.
Eyewitness News joined Marvetti Johnson her nightly ride home. She travels from the East to her job on Bourbon Street every day.
“I take the 65, sometimes I take the 62, sometimes the 64," she said.
"When it comes to the 65, it is never on time, it is always late sometimes it don’t come at all.”
She says the bus connecting the East to the city is unreliable.
“I have to walk all the way up to get the 62 or I have to walk all the way down cause I am in the middle," Johnson said. "Sometimes I miss the bus because it is already gone I have to wait another hour to get another one, its very bad.”
The project is called the Bus Rapid Transit. Tiffaney Bradley from the Regional Transit Authority says, the idea is to fast track commuters’ trips from New Orleans East and Algiers to the city.
“A premium rail-like service that uses dedicated lanes, to provide a frequent, more reliable bus transit service," she said. "We know that there is a need for a more frequent reliable, transportation option in the City of New Orleans, especially for those communities outside of the urban core.”
RTA studies found more than 30% of people in Algiers and New Orleans East rely solely on public transportation. This project is set to help 30,000 riders, connecting them to more than 45,000 jobs. RTA says no new buses will be added and fares will not go up.
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Councilman Freddie King says his constituents need a faster mode of transportation.
“It takes far too long to get to work in the morning, it takes far too long to get from school," King said.
The project is still in its planning stages, RTA still has to apply for federal funding, and It could take two years before its implemented.
The corridor would start in New Orleans East, travel through Gentilly to Downtown and to the Westbank. The agency is asking the public to help determine what streets are used for the bus lanes.
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