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Transportation Guide

-prepared by Tara Lombardi, student at LSU Graduate School of Library and Information Science

Having a car in New Orleans can be a real headache. Parking is expensive and very difficult to find, especially in the French Quarter. The best idea is to go without a car if possible and use public transportation or a taxi. Some of the streetcars are up and running and that's a fun (if slow) way to get around.

   
   
   

 
Getting to New Orleans to/from the Airport
 
Taxicabs: A cab ride costs $28.00 from the airport to the Central Business District (CBD) for one or two persons and $12.00 (per passenger) for three or more passengers. Pick-up is on the lower level, outside the baggage claim area. There may be an additional charge for extra baggage. $1 fuel surcharge added to total fare.
 
Airport Shuttle: Shuttle service is available from the airport to the hotels in the CBD for $13.00 (per person, one-way) or $26.00 (per person, round-trip). Three bags per person. Call 1-866-596-2699 or (504) 522-3500 for more details or to make a reservation. Advance reservations are required 48 hours prior to travel for all ADA accessible transfers. Please call well enough in advance for the specially-equipped shuttle to be reserved. For group reservations of 10 or more people please dial 1-866-596-2699. Ticket booths are located on the lower level in the baggage claim area. $2 fuel surcharge added to total fare.
 
Airport Limousine Service: Non Scheduled walk up limousine and sedan service available from the airport to the Central Business District (CBD) and the French Quarter. The rate is $35.00 for one or two people and $10.00 per additional passenger for up to 8 passengers (total vehicle capacity). Limousine information desks are located on the lower level baggage claim areas.
 
Greyhound: Greyhound Bus no longer serves Armstrong International Airport. The closest location is the Downtown Bus Station at 101 Loyola Avenue, New Orleans, 70113. For information fares and scheduling, call (504) 525-9371 or toll free 1-800-231-2222.
 

Jefferson Transit (Bus): The Airport-Downtown Express (E-2) Bus picks up outside airport Entrance #7 on the upper level. Bus Fare: The fare for Airport-Downtown Express (E-2) is $1.10. The fare boxes will accept $1, $5, $10, $20 dollar bills and all U.S. coins. The fare boxes will provide change in the form of a value card that can be used for future fares.

About the Airport-Downtown Express (E-2) Route: The Airport-Downtown Express (E-2) provides service from the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport in Kenner, down Airline Drive into New Orleans. The Airport bus stop is on the second level of the Airport, near the Delta counter, in the median (look for the sign and bench). At Carrollton at Tulane it connects with RTA's 27-Louisiana and 39-Tulane buses. (Visit the RTA website to check their current schedules.)


For more information on public transit in the area, visit the Jefferson Transit website, www.jeffersontransit.org or the RTA website www.norta.com.
 

Automobile Rental: There are 7 rental agencies with offices on the lower level of the airport. Check with each company for rates:
  Alamo Hertz
  Avis National
  Budget Thrifty
  Enterprise

 
 
Getting around in New Orleans
 
     

Streetcars: RTA is fully operating its #2 Riverfront Streetcar line (runs from French Market Riverfront stop at Esplanade to the Convention Center) and its full #45 Canal Streetcar line (runs the full length of Canal Street to the Cemeteries terminal, also including the Carrollton Spur). Both lines are using the undamaged and historic olive-green Perley Thomas-type streetcars, usually run along the St. Charles Avenue line, for this service 7 days per week from 7 a.m. – 10 p.m.

Fares are $1.25 one way, or passes are available.
         

NOTE: The streetcars, because of their historic designation under ADA, are not accessible to the disabled. However, PARATRANSIT service is available by calling (504) 827-7433. RTA apologies for the inconvenience, but hopes to have its only undamaged accessible streetcar available within the next few months. The Canal bus, which is accessible for the disabled, will continue to run the full length of Canal Street.

 
New Orleans Bus Routes - In Orleans Parish, RTA now runs 28 lines. This service requires (not including spare vehicles) 61 buses during peak hours on weekdays (51 during the midday), 36 buses on Saturdays, 32 buses on Sundays, and 5 streetcars every day of the week. See the routes here.
 
New Orleans Paratransit & Dial-a-Ride Service - Transit service for the disabled and elderly is available from early morning to late night, seven days per week. There is limited sedan and LIFT service: 5 Lift vans and 15 sedans are operating within the City. Call (504) 827-7433 for reservations.
 

UPT Buses - AMTRAK resumed full rail service in New Orleans on Sunday, Oct. 9. The Union Passenger Terminal (UPT) is served by the # 101 Algiers Loop and the # 102 General Meyer bus lines. The inbound stop – that is “towards Canal Street” – is across street from the UPT on Loyola Avenue. The corresponding outbound stop – towards & across the river – is on South Rampart, a block away. For AMTRAK schedule information, click here.
 

Ferries - Two ferries cross the mighty Mississippi river and connect downtown New Orleans with historic neighborhoods like Algiers Point. The ride is always free for pedestrians with a $1 per car charge from the Algiers side - from Canal Street, automobiles are free.

 
 
Driving and Parking
 

BEWARE OF POTHOLES - Yes, this is a real photo of an actual pothole in the city in a fairly upscale part of town. (Photo by Amy Hale-Janeke) As you can see, the pothole is so large that the one of the orange barrels designed to warn drivers of the danger has been swallowed.

The city is often plagued by potholes due to the high water table, but Katrina made things worse. Many streets have not been repaired so drive your rental car slowly and carefully or you might find yourself paying for a new muffler.

     

Many street signs are still missing. In some cases, major street names are missing. Thus, if driving around New Orleans, be sure to have a map close by so you can figure out where you are by looking at the street signs that are available.
 
Treat any intersections without functioning traffic signals as four-way stops.
 
Some railroad crossing signals are not operating; please exercise caution when approaching and crossing tracks.
 
The Crescent City Connection bridge, which spans the Mississippi River between the west and east banks of New Orleans, is open to the public. $1 toll collected on the way into New Orleans.
 
The Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, the longest bridge in the world, is fully open to the public. A $3 toll must be paid on the southbound leg.
 

 

 

  Updated June 8, 2007