New Orleans Regional Transit Authority

New Orleans Regional Transit Authority
RTA headquarters on Canal Street
Founded1979
HeadquartersNew Orleans
Service areaCity of New Orleans
Orleans Parish, Louisiana
Service typePublic transit
Heritage streetcar
Ferry
Routes28 (bus)
5 (streetcar)
2 (ferry)
Annual ridership13,501,100 (2025)
Fuel typeDiesel (bus/ferry)
Electric (streetcar)
Chief executiveLona Edwards Hankins
Websitenorta.com

The New Orleans Regional Transit Authority (RTA or NORTA) is a public transportation agency based in New Orleans. The agency was established by the Louisiana State Legislature in 1979, and has operated bus and historic streetcar service throughout the city since 1983, when it took over the city's mass transit system after nearly six decades' control by New Orleans Public Service, Inc. (now Entergy New Orleans). In 2025, the system had a ridership of 13,501,100, or about 42,400 per weekday as of the fourth quarter of 2025, making RTA the largest public transit agency in the state of Louisiana.