Ride New Orleans

Transit rider outreach: we work directly with transit riders via our rider-led organizing arm, the coalition for quality transit. Meeting monthly, the coalition for quality transit determines priority areas for improvement in New Orleans transit and works to implement the desired changes. The coalition for quality transit is staffed by Ride New Orleans staff and consists of transit riders and supporters, businesses, affordable housing advocates, public health leaders, environmental stewards, and community leaders, all working together to strengthen New Orleans transit, to reduce congestion and pollution, improve mobility, bolster economic growth, and increase access to opportunity for all New orleanians.

Educational outreach: we partner with community organizations to create events and materials to help transit riders and the community-at-large effectively engage in the transit decision-making process. Among other items, in 2021, we helped local residents to engage in the "New links" regional transit network redesign process and helped riders secure needed improvements to the main downtown New Orleans bus transfer area.

Research and analysis: we release annual "state of the transit system" reports that analyze strengths and weaknesses in New Orleans region transit and make recommendations for improvements. The 2021 report highlighted important steps forward for regional transit like more transparent and responsive governance and the start of a realistic planning process that could bring specific improvements in as soon as a few years. But the report also showed the stark disparity between residents who rely on transit and residents who can afford private auto transportation. The average New orleanian with a car can reach 89 percent of the region's jobs in 30 minutes or less but if that same New orleanian is reliant on transit she would only be able to reach on average - 12 percent of the region's jobs. In a city with a high poverty rate, a high unemployment rate, and a high rate of carless households, this is a challenge that must be overcome in order to provide more equitable access to economic opportunity.