For the first time since 2005, residents in Orleans Parish and Jefferson Parish will be able to buy one pass to transfer between both transit lines.
On Wednesday, April 25, City Councilmember Jared C. Brossett announced that the Regional Transit Authority Board of Directors tentatively approved the reinstatement for the Inter-Parish Day Ride Program. This initiative will allow riders across cities in the New Orleans Metro areas, such as Kenner, Metairie, New Orleans, and Elmwood on the East Bank, and Gretna, Harvey on the West Bank. The advocate reports that the program will start in August of 2018.
Public transport commuters will be able to purchase a $6 day pass that will work across Orleans and Jefferson parishes vehicles. Before this reinstatement, day passes had to be bought separately to transfer between busses in different parishes. An unlimited day pass for Orleans Parish transit vehicles costs $3 per day, and $4 per day for Jefferson Parish Transit. The Orleans and Jefferson parishes stopped the inter-parish program after Hurricane Katrina.
The reinstated program will undergo a six-month trial period. During this pilot, New Orleans City Council will collect data on the effectiveness of the reinstated Inter-Parish Day Ride Program. Inter-parish passes will be available for purchase on the RTA mobile app or on any transit vehicle within the two parishes.
”I’m disappointed that it’s taken the City this long to get to this point,” said Councilmember Brossett said in an official release. “Nevertheless, I am glad to finally see my efforts come to fruition and to ease this burden for our residents so that they may have increased access to jobs and opportunities that have been inaccessible for many years.”
- Transit officials to resurrect cross-parish passes for Orleans and Jefferson [The New Orleans Advocate]