An examination of the short, medium, and long-term market potential for transit service expansion included an analysis of demographic trends and transit-oriented development potential, and engagement with diverse community partners.
Our examination of market potential for mobility strategies and opportunities included building an understanding of where demographic groups were moving within the metro and assessing the capacity for new, transit-oriented development to reinforce ridership.
The project team engaged diverse community partners from different sectors, including university presidents, hospital workers and health care providers, HousingNOLA, and non-transit commuters.
This project also prompted the City to consider types of housing and businesses and where these assets are located in relation to transit systems.
New Orleans is famous for its St. Charles Streetcar – the oldest continuously running streetcar line in the world. But greater New Orleans is changing, and so are the ways people move around. The RTA runs an expansive network of streetcars, buses and a Mississippi River ferry. The Strategic Mobility Plan benefits commuters, public transit users, non-public transit users, and people who prefer alternative modes of transportation.
One key lesson learned from this project is that regardless of economic background, people expressed the same values and levels of importance for transit. Themes that stand out for this lesson include time and frequency of transit, transit reliability, and amenities at bus stops. While this project focused primarily on improving public transit, it also worked to improve inter agency relationships between Orleans Parish and Jefferson parish.
Community participation was central to this process and Asakura Robinson staff created engaging communications materials, conducted outreach to civic organizations and public officials, and translated community feedback into a clear understanding of New Orleanians’ mobility needs and challenges.
View the final plan here.