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Strategic Mobility Plan

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  • 2018 - 2019

    25 Complete / 45 Total

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  • 2020 - 2022

    0 Complete / 47 Total

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2018 - 2019

25 Complete / 45 Total

45 Total Action Items for 2018-2019:
25 Completed 19 In Progress 1 Not Started
Here’s how 2018-2019 breaks out:

Measures and Targets

  1. Increased number of feedback forms completed at outreach events. In 2018, 394 written feedback forms were provided.
  2. Improved customer satisfaction rating for information provided. In 2016, the average rating was 7.75 out of 10.
  3. Increased attendance at Riders Advisory Committee (RAC) meetings. In 2018, RAC meetings had an average of 6 attendees.
  4. Growth in number of Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) firms attending meetings related to upcoming projects for bid.
    In 2018, DBE outreach events and meetings had 237 attendees.
  5. Increased average number of comments and reactions to social media posts per month.
    In 2018, there were 1,273 average likes/reactions across all platforms per month and 204 average comments across all platforms per month.
Completed: 8 Items
  • ET4
    Put Board meeting notes on www.norta.com within one week of meeting
  • ET5
    Share RTA performance data on the online dashboard, which includes on-time performance, ridership by route and SMP progress
  • ET6
    Make all open-source data available on www.norta.com and share with major data clearinghouses
  • ET7
    Make public information easy to access on www.norta.com, on the mobile app and at impacted stops
  • ET8
    Update the SMP each year as needed
  • ET9
    Add a transit rider to serve as part of the RTA Board of Commissioners and chair the Riders Advisory Committee
  • ET13
    Change the meeting time for Board meetings to the evening
  • ET14
    Move public comment section to the beginning of Board meeting agenda
In Progress 6 Items
  • ET3
    Put the 2019 budget report online along with a list of planned projects
  • ET10
    Make videos of public board meetings available on www.norta.com within one week of the meeting. Run meeting videos on public access TV channel
  • ET11
    Let customers find out the status of their complaint or request on www.norta.com or by calling Customer Care/Rideline and receive a reponse within 3 days
  • ET15
    Update and expand Public Participation Plan to include public involvement for all activities
  • ET16
    Set up "Customer One-Stop Shop" accessible by phone or on www.norta.com that has all up-to-date information about RTA services.
  • ET2
    Give updates on SMP projects and targets at State of Transit event
Not Started 0 Items

Measures and Targets

  1. Target: 65% of jobs in Orleans and Jefferson Parishes are reachable by transit for low-income households within 60 minutes during peak periods by 2027.
  2. Target: 100% of routes have a customer satisfaction rate of Good or Better by 2022.
  3. Target: Paratransit service has a customer satisfaction rate of Good or Better by 2022.
Completed: 0 Items
In Progress 2 Items
  • BE3
    Plan to add more ADA-accessible vehicles. Update website and mobile app to reflect best practices for ADA accomodations
  • BE4
    Create plan to improve paratransit service
Not Started 0 Items

Measures and Targets

  1. Target: All modes have a customer satisfaction rate of Good or Better by 2022.
  2. Target: Safety customer satisfaction rate is Good or Better by 2022.
  3. Target: Safety incidents per 100,000 revenue miles for each fixed route mode is below the 2017 national average by 2027.
  4. Target: 90% of transit stops with 15 or more daily boardings have benches or shelters by 2027.
  5. Target: 90% of transit stops with 250 or more daily boardings have real-time information, wayfinding and art/cultural references by 2027.
  6. Target: 90% of transit stops are replaced within 24 hours of notification to RTA by 2027.
  7. Decrease in average dwell time at stops for each fixed route by 2027.
    As of 2018, the average dwell time for buses is 0:35, while the average dwell time for streetcars is 1:36.
Completed: 10 Items
  • PR1
    Improve mobile app and scanners on buses, streetcars and ferries
  • PR2
    Create a regional pass between RTA and Jefferson Parish Transit
  • PR6
    Do a marketing campaign to encourage ridership and inform riders about the system
  • PR7
    Plan to replace transit stop signs
  • PR10
    Complete customer satisfaction surveys at least every 2 years
  • PR11
    Start mystery traveler program
  • PR13
    Work with local government to improve sidewalks, street crossings and bike infrastructure near bus and streetcar stops
  • PR14
    Start work to make stops and areas around stops cleaner
  • PR15
    Work with City of New Orleans to make the shelter permitting process faster
  • PR24
    Use Safety Management Systems to improve safety awareness for operators and other employees
In Progress 5 Items
  • PR12
    Start a customer service training program for all employees, including drivers and customer-service employees
  • PR16
    Start putting more shelters, seating, lighting and rider information at transit stops
  • PR17
    Put transit information and accomodations at the new airport terminal, including a Ticket Vending Machine if possible.
  • PR25
    Start a public safety campaign for drivers, pedestrians and other people on the road
  • PR26
    Do a study to identify places with the top 10 highest number of RTA-related crashes and ways to reduce crashes at those places
Not Started 0 Items

Measures and Targets

  1. Target: 85% On-Time performance for fixed routes by 2022.
  2. Target: 90% On-Time Performance for paratransit trips by 2022.
  3. Target: 80% of customers use pre-boarding payment methods by 2022.
  4. Target: 15 MPH average system speed by 2022.
Completed: 5 Items
  • BR1
    Use new technology to improve communication between drivers and dispatch staff
  • BR2
    Give riders a tool to track streetcars and busses on the road
  • BR3
    Communicate all planned service disruptions on website, mobile app and at affected stops
  • BR22
    Do a marketing campaign to increase GoMobile 2.0 use
  • BR27
    Establish a Transit Asset Management Plan
In Progress 2 Items
  • BR4
    Communicate unplanned service changes that lead to a detour within 1 hour of the change on the website/mobile app and within 2 hours of the change at the stop.
  • BR5
    Give riders a tool to track ferry boats
Not Started 1 Items
  • BR8
    Start working with local government to make bus stops easy to see in order to stop illegal parking in bus stop areas

Measures and Targets

  1. Target: 65% of jobs in Orleans and Jefferson Parishes are reachable by transit for low-income households within 60 minutes during all periods by 2027.
  2. Increase in percentage of service area population within one-quarter mile walking distance of a High Capacity Transit line by 2027.
    As of 2018, there are no High Capacity Transit lines in the system, as defined in the SMP.
  3. Target: 50% of high school students in service area have access to RTA passes by 2027.
  4. Target: 50% of college and university students have access to RTA passes by 2027.
  5. Target: RTA has partnerships with 50% of employers with more than 1000 employees by 2027.
Completed: 2 Items
  • CO30
    Start working with major employers, healthcare providers and social service providers
  • CO38
    Meet with other transportation providers in the region on a quarterly basis, including Regional Planning Commission, local governments and other agencies
In Progress 4 Items
  • CO27
    Set up a Transit Oriented Development program and plan
  • CO28
    Start working with local government officials to encourage Transit Oriented Development through changes to zoning and other tools
  • CO9
    Run tests for circulator service in CBD using small vehicle fleet
  • CO23
    Test options for first and last mile connections
Not Started 0 Items

2020 - 2022

0 Complete / 47 Total

47 Total Action Items for 2020-2022:
0 Completed 0 In Progress 47 Not Started
Here’s how 2020-2022 breaks out:

Measures and Targets

  1. Increased number of feedback forms completed at outreach events. In 2018, 394 written feedback forms were provided.
  2. Improved customer satisfaction rating for information provided. In 2016, the average rating was 7.75 out of 10.
  3. Increased attendance at Riders Advisory Committee (RAC) meetings. In 2018, RAC meetings had an average of 6 attendees.
  4. Growth in number of Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) firms attending meetings related to upcoming projects for bid.
    In 2018, DBE outreach events and meetings had 237 attendees.
  5. Increased average number of comments and reactions to social media posts per month.
    In 2018, there were 1,273 average likes/reactions across all platforms per month and 204 average comments across all platforms per month.
Completed: 0 Items
In Progress 0 Items
Not Started 2 Items
  • ET8
    Continue to update the SMP each year as needed
  • ET12
    Comprehensively update the SMP, preferably in coordination with the City's update of its Master Plan

Measures and Targets

  1. Target: 65% of jobs in Orleans and Jefferson Parishes are reachable by transit for low-income households within 60 minutes during peak periods by 2027.
  2. Target: 100% of routes have a customer satisfaction rate of Good or Better by 2022.
  3. Target: Paratransit service has a customer satisfaction rate of Good or Better by 2022.
Completed: 0 Items
In Progress 0 Items
Not Started 2 Items
  • BE5
    In accordance with legal agreements, provide at least one fully-accessible streetcar on the St. Charles Streetcar Line
  • BE6
    In accordance with legal agreements, work with the City of New Orleans to inspect transit stops and develop a new ADA Transition Plan

Measures and Targets

  1. Target: All modes have a customer satisfaction rate of Good or Better by 2022.
  2. Target: Safety customer satisfaction rate is Good or Better by 2022.
  3. Target: Safety incidents per 100,000 revenue miles for each fixed route mode is below the 2017 national average by 2027.
  4. Target: 90% of transit stops with 15 or more daily boardings have benches or shelters by 2027.
  5. Target: 90% of transit stops with 250 or more daily boardings have real-time information, wayfinding and art/cultural references by 2027.
  6. Target: 90% of transit stops are replaced within 24 hours of notification to RTA by 2027.
  7. Decrease in average dwell time at stops for each fixed route by 2027.
    As of 2018, the average dwell time for buses is 0:35, while the average dwell time for streetcars is 1:36.
Completed: 0 Items
In Progress 0 Items
Not Started 7 Items
  • PR12
    Continue customer service training program for all employees, including drivers and customer-service employees
  • PR3
    Comprehensively update fare structure, pass options, and related policies to incorporate emerging best practices
  • PR4
    Study and recommend smart card options for integrating fare passes for multiple transportation options and integrating transit passes into other payment cards, such as EBT cards, student IDs, and credit cards
  • PR8
    As part of network redesign, simplify schedules so they are more consistent throughout the day and predictable
  • PR9
    As part of network redesign, brand transit routes by frequency
  • PR18
    Complete studies for Downtown, New Orleans East, and Algiers transit centers and smaller mobility hubs, including evaluation in Comprehensive Operations Analysis (COA)
  • PR19
    Create an Art in Transit program

Measures and Targets

  1. Target: 85% On-Time performance for fixed routes by 2022.
  2. Target: 90% On-Time Performance for paratransit trips by 2022.
  3. Target: 80% of customers use pre-boarding payment methods by 2022.
  4. Target: 15 MPH average system speed by 2022.
Completed: 0 Items
In Progress 0 Items
Not Started 18 Items
  • BR6
    Implement paratransit tracking for riders in addition to traditional communication
  • BR9
    Study and Identify potential solutions to reduce the delay from automobiles turning from of transit vehicles in neutral ground
  • BR10
    Identify stops to move from near-side locations (before an intersection) to far-side locations (after an intersection)
  • BR18
    Study traditional and innovative options for increasing fudning for services, such as value capture. Include consideration of impacts to low-income households.
  • BR23
    Deploy Ticket Vending Machines at 25 high traffic stops.
  • BR24
    As part of Comprehensive Operations Analysis (COA), develop a plan for increasing pre-boarding payments
  • BR11
    Begin working with the City of New Orleans to reduce the number of turning conflicts between automobiles and transit vehicles in neutral grounds
  • BR7
    Provide real-time arrival info at stops with more than 250 boardings a day
  • BR12
    Identify potential dedicated lanes, High-Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes, signal priority improvements, queue jumps, and other priority treatments for transit routes to minimize delay from areas with high congestion
  • BR13
    Coordinate with local governments to create policies in which roadway maintenance and construction projects include relocation of stops and bus pads to far-side locations, in accordance with Complete Streets policies
  • BR14
    Pilot transit priority treatments along one or more transit routes
  • BR16
    Create a Career Pathways program for employees and ensure competitive pay and benefits
  • BR19
    Increase non-traditional funding sources, including private partnerships
  • BR20
    Consider increasing fares
  • BR25
    Pilot Ticket Vending Machines and/or other pre-boarding payment options along the entirety of one or more transit routes with chronic boarding-related delay
  • BR28
    Begin overhauling the bus fleet, replacing the majority of aging vehicles and purchasing additional vehicles
  • BR29
    As part of a network redesign, adjust routes where schedules are too tight and implement stop-spacing guidelines to reduce redundant stops
  • BR30
    Create autonomous vehicle pilot

Measures and Targets

  1. Target: 65% of jobs in Orleans and Jefferson Parishes are reachable by transit for low-income households within 60 minutes during all periods by 2027.
  2. Increase in percentage of service area population within one-quarter mile walking distance of a High Capacity Transit line by 2027.
    As of 2018, there are no High Capacity Transit lines in the system, as defined in the SMP.
  3. Target: 50% of high school students in service area have access to RTA passes by 2027.
  4. Target: 50% of college and university students have access to RTA passes by 2027.
  5. Target: RTA has partnerships with 50% of employers with more than 1000 employees by 2027.
Completed: 0 Items
In Progress 0 Items
Not Started 16 Items
  • CO6
    Complete a new Comprehensive Operations Analysis (COA) with recommendations for a network redesign and capital needs for implementation. Consider equity impacts and impacts related to proposed High-Capacity Transit (HCT) lines and potential major developments in the region such as the "opportunity sites" identified in the City's Master Plan
  • CO10
    Complete study for improved mobility options in the CBD and French Quarter as part of the Comprehensive Operations Analysis
  • CO24
    Pilot neighborhood circulators using small vehicles in New Orleans East , Algiers, and other areas where feasible
  • CO31
    Work with public high schools to encourage student ridership
  • CO1
    Complete feasibility studies for upgrading and extending existing transit routes in RTA's service area into High-Capacity Transit corridors: • Broad/Gentilly/Chef • Canal Streetcar • Rampart/St. Claude • St. Charles Streetcar • Tulane
  • CO7
    Finalize implementation of network redesign
  • CO8
    Adjust crosstown service to meet COA-assessed demand
  • CO13
    Work with the State to re-introduce intercity bus service between Baton Rouge and New Orleans
  • CO14
    Coordinate with Jefferson Parish to provide regional express routes to CBD: • Airport/Veterans/Canal St. corridor • Elmwood/Claiborne corridor • Westbank Expressway corridor
  • CO18
    Evaluate making the hours of operation for the Canal St-Algiers ferry more consistent for all days of the week
  • CO21
    As part of network redesign, fully integrate ferry schedule with fixed routes
  • CO22
    As part of network redesign, fully integrate RTA schedules at transfer areas with surrounding transit agencies
  • CO25
    Evaluate partnering with Transportation Network Companies (TNCs) for subsidized late-night, early morning, and weekend rides
  • CO29
    Work with regional organizations to use grant funding and private resources to encourage developers to build TOD in preferred areas with affordable housing
  • CO34
    Work the City of New Orleans to expand their bike share system to include more locations near High-Capacity Transit and Select Routes
  • CO39
    Develop cost and revenue sharing agreements to provide service across parish lines

Measures and Targets

  1. Target: 75% of RTA’s fleet powered by low or no-emissions vehicles by 2030.
  2. Target: 20% of work trips made by transit in New Orleans by 2030.
  3. Target: 80% of households in the service area are able to reach a major healthcare facility within 30 minutes by 2022.
  4. Target: 80% of households in the service area are able to reach a community health center within 30 minutes during typical office hours by 2022.
  5. Target: Average of 500 bikes on vehicles per day by 2030.
Completed: 0 Items
In Progress 0 Items
Not Started 2 Items
  • SH1
    Begin incorporating low or no emission vehicles into new vehicle acquisitions and vehicle replacement cycles (2021-2023 and 2026-2027) for both service and administrative vehicles
  • SH4
    Encourage transit-supportive development by working with local governments to waive parking requirements for development near frequent transit service

The Plan

The RTA Board of Commissioners unanimously adopted the Strategic Mobility Plan on December 19, 2017. The Plan and supporting materials are provided here for your review.

Download the Strategic Mobility Plan:

PDF Strategic Mobility Plan

Download supporting technical reports:

PDF Mobility Options and Corridors
PDF Civic Engagement Summary
PDF Trends Analysis
PDF Market Analysis
PDF Cost and Ridership Projections
PDF Economic Impact Analysis
PDF  Plan Summary Table

Overview Video

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