New Orleans RTA adds 29 new buses to fleet [Video]

The New Orleans Regional Transit Authority is rolling out a new fleet of 29 buses in Orleans Parish. “It’s a combination of diesel-electric hybrids as well as diesel engines,” said CEO Lona Edwards Hankins.Hankins said right now, RTA has 21 buses, a mix of diesel and hybrid buses, with eight more expected to be secured and out on the street by the first quarter of 2025.”The diesels cost about $600,000, and our diesel hybrids cost close to $1 million,” Hankins said.Hankins said she hopes this investment will help improve shortages and wait times across the city. Many of the vehicles in the fleet had surpassed their life expectancy, requiring more maintenance and contributing to many of the challenges that affected their riders.”The life of a bus is only 12 years,” she said. “Katrina set us back. We purchased the bulk of our fleet between 2008 and 2012.”After that, buses weren’t …