Regional Transit Authority

Regional Transit Authority, a Louisiana state transit authority headquartered in New Orleans, is a federal grant recipient that operates bus, streetcar, and ferry services across the New Orleans metropolitan area and receives formula and project grants from the Federal Transit Administration under the Federal Transit Formula Grants program (CFDA 20.507) and related FTA programs to fund capital improvements, vehicle replacement, preventive maintenance, and operational support.

RTA's federal footprint is exclusively grant-based, with 130 of 133 awards (98%) as a prime recipient and three sub-awards (2%) routed through the Department of Homeland Security and Federal Emergency Management Agency. The grant portfolio spans 122 awards from the Department of Transportation Federal Transit Administration, six from the Department of Transportation Immediate Office of the Secretary, three from FEMA Headquarters Financial Assistance Awards, and two from FEMA directly. Combined potential value sits at $69 million, though combined obligated dollars of $813.2 million reflect the fact that FTA formula grants often carry large documented pass-through and obligated components. The source reflects recent activity through July 2026, with notably denser award frequency in 2024 (nine awards) and lighter pace in 2025 and 2026 (three awards each). Nineteen awards reach ultimate completion within the next twenty-four months.

RTA's recent major grants include $37.568 million in FTA formula grant funding awarded May 14, 2026, for preventive maintenance across bus and ferry operations, bus yard equipment, engine repowering, and partial 40-foot bus replacement through March 31, 2030; a $6.865 million project grant from July 14, 2026, under the All Stations Accessibility Program to design and construct ADA-compliant streetcar stops along the St. Charles corridor through May 31, 2029; an $18.125 million formula grant from April 29, 2025, for emergency generator and light tower purchase, Union Passenger Terminal second-floor renovation, and preventive maintenance through February 29, 2028; and a $59.5 million project grant from May 30, 2023, for hybrid diesel bus purchases (21 vehicles), bus rapid transit development, and IT systems modernization through December 31, 2026. Additional recent awards fund electric bus and charging infrastructure deployment ($2 million plus), ferry terminal and maintenance facility renovations, rail equipment and track maintenance, paratransit vehicle replacement, and emergency operational expenses from hurricane recovery. RTA also received a $2.64 million FTA formula grant on July 27, 2026, for ferry operations and 40-foot bus replacement through September 30, 2028. All awards carry no sub-recipient pass-through activity; work is performed in Louisiana. RTA's grant work concentrates on state-of-good-repair capital projects, fleet modernization, accessibility and sustainability investments, and operational continuity in a major metropolitan transit system.