City of New Orleans Offers Transportation Assistance to State Shelters After Hurricane Ida

Due to continued power outages and service interruptions in New Orleans after Hurricane Ida, the City of New Orleans will begin offering daily transportation assistance to residents who wish to temporarily leave the Hurricane Ida impacted area to stay at a State-run public shelter. Entergy New Orleans estimates power will be fully restored to Orleans Parish by Wednesday, Sep. 8.

“Starting tomorrow we will be offering daily transportation assistance to residents who wish to temporarily relocate to public shelters, that have been identified by the State of Louisiana,” said Mayor LaToya Cantrell. “RTA will pick up residents from 12 City facilities utilized during our recovery response. We have been coordinating direct outreach to our senior housing facilities and apartment complexes to ensure that we are meeting our folks where they are.”

Residents who do not have any other mode of transportation to get to a public shelter in Northern Louisiana or a neighboring state may utilize this City service beginning at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Sep. 4, 2021, and operating daily from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. after that. Buses will be limited to transporting roughly 2,300 people per day. To utilize this service, residents should take the following steps:

1) GO TO ONE OF 12 RTA PICKUP LOCATIONS

Treme Recreation Center (900 N. Villere St.)

• Cut Off Recreation Center (6600 Belgrade St.)
• Gernon Brown Recreation Center (1001 Harrison Ave.)
• Milne Recreation Center (5420 Franklin Ave.)
• Stallings St. Claude Recreation Center (4300 St. Claude.)
• John P. Lyons Recreation Center (624 Louisiana Ave.)
• Joe W. Brown Recreation Center (5601 Read Blvd.)
• Rosenwald Recreation Center (1120 S. Broad Ave.)
• Central City Senior Center (2101 Phillip St.)
• Engine 4 Fire House (6900 Downman Rd.)
• Arthur Monday Rec Center (1111 Newton St.)
• Level Up Campaign (1123 Lamanche St.)

2) BOARD AN RTA BUS TO THE CONVENTION CENTER

RTA buses will bring you from the pickup point to the Convention Center where you will go through a registration process for transportation.

3) BOARD A COACH BUS TO A STATE SHELTER

Coach buses will bring you to a State-run shelter in Northern Louisiana or a neighboring state.

The New Orleans Health Department is coordinating directly with senior housing complexes around the city. Residents in these complexes who wish to be transported to a shelter will be able to board a bus directly from their residence (without going to a separate pickup location). If you live in a senior housing complex and want to access shelter transportation, call 3-1-1.

Pet owners will be able to utilize this transportation service and can bring their pets along to be housed at an animal shelter near the shelter where pet owners will stay. Service animals will remain with their owners. If you are riding an RTA bus to get to the Convention Center, your pet must be in a carrier or be on a leash. Pets may be muzzled for safety reasons. Large animals may need to take a separate pet bus.

Anyone traveling to a public shelter should limit their luggage to one carry-on sized bag, along with medical devices, diaper bags, and other necessary personal items. Alcohol, weapons, and illegal drugs will not be allowed during transport. To prevent the spread of COVID-19, masks will be required throughout the process. The State is using congregate sheltering this hurricane season. That means mass shelter sites, with safe spacing, mandatory masking and other COVID safety precautions. 

If you are able to secure your own accommodations or place to go, please allow others in need to access limited space at public shelters around the state and in neighboring states. If you need to be connected to a public shelter and have your own transportation, text LAShelter to 898211 or call 2-1-1.

Additionally, FEMA has activated the Transitional Sheltering Assistance Program, which will cover lodging accommodations for eligible residents impacted by Hurricane Ida. You must apply for disaster assistance at disasterassistance.gov in order to be deemed eligible for this hotel program.