New Orleans Regional Transit Authority
New Orleans, LA · NTD ID 60032 · 2024 report year
New Orleans Regional Transit Authority carries 14.1 million passenger trips a year across four modes — bus, streetcar, ferryboat and demand response — making it the 54th-busiest transit operator in the United States, and the largest in Louisiana. It is based in New Orleans, LA.
It spends $140 million a year running that service, or $9.94 per trip. Its bus service, the largest of its modes, costs $8.65 per rider — 38% below the $13.86 median for the 1,162 US agencies reporting bus.
Over the 10 years reported, ridership remains 14% below its 2019 level, the last full year before the pandemic, and up 2% on 2023. Fares cover 8% of operating cost.
Service by mode, 2024
| Mode | Annual trips | Operating expense | Cost per rider | vs national median | Farebox | Vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bus#55 of 1,162 nationally | 9,526,069 | $82.4 million | $8.65 | -38% | 10% | 75 |
| Streetcar#3 of 25 nationally | 3,518,666 | $27.1 million | $7.70 | -23% | 6% | 23 |
| Ferryboat#16 of 39 nationally | 836,782 | $11.2 million | $13.38 | -31% | 11% | 3 |
| Demand Response#111 of 1,920 nationally | 224,511 | $19.6 million | $87.18 | +129% | 2% | 55 |
Ridership, 2015–2024
| Year | Annual trips | Operating expense (2024 $) | Cost per rider (2024 $) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 14,106,028 | $140 million | $9.94 |
| 2023 | 13,779,931 | $131 million | $9.49 |
| 2022 | 11,980,685 | $145 million | $12.10 |
| 2021 | 7,702,715 | $135 million | $17.58 |
| 2020 | 7,430,780 | $145 million | $19.45 |
| 2019 | 16,316,609 | $153 million | $9.36 |
| 2018 | 18,981,661 | $132 million | $6.97 |
| 2017 | 19,888,262 | $151 million | $7.58 |
| 2016 | 19,765,652 | $154 million | $7.79 |
| 2015 | 19,637,287 | $132 million | $6.72 |
Where New Orleans Regional Transit Authority ranks
- Cheapest Bus Systems by Cost per Rider #39 of 40
- Best Farebox Recovery Among Large Bus Systems #36 of 40
- Highest-Ridership Streetcar Systems #3 of 25
- Highest-Ridership Ferry Systems #16 of 39
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Ask NTD about New Orleans Regional Transit Authority →Source & method. Figures are from the Federal Transit Administration's National Transit Database (NTD) annual reporting for 2024, the most recent published report year. Cost per rider is operating expense divided by unlinked passenger trips. Farebox recovery is fare revenue divided by operating expense. Ten-year trends are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; single-year figures are as reported. Agencies self-report to the NTD, and reporting practice varies, so figures are best read as comparable in magnitude rather than to the cent.