NEW ORLEANS  - District "C" Councilmember Kristin Gisleson Palmer issued the following statement in response to the Regional Transit Authority (RTA) announcement of a charter ferry service: 

"I'm pleased that the RTA heeded calls to hire a charter ferry service, helping to restore a vital link in our public transit system. Residents and visitors on both sides of the river benefit from ferry service in a number of ways, and I am happy that the RTA stood by its pledge in front of the City Council to get service up and running within seven days of hiring a new ferry operator.

Now that that we have a new ferry operator, it is imperative that we do not lose sight of a longer term plan to avoid outages from happening again. We must remember that the ferry system includes the Chalmette Ferry operations. In addition, we will continue to advocate for increased ferry services for our hospitality workers; greater connectivity with our bus and streetcar lines and ferry terminals that work for our ridership.

My office is also assisting businesses that need to apply for the microgrant program through the New Orleans Business Alliance and Transdev, and partnering with all stakeholders, including the Ferry Advisory Committee, to work towards a complete fix of how we can better operate and oversee ferry operations. "

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Media Contact:
Tiffaney Bradley
Communications Director
Councilmember Kristin Gisleson Palmer, District "C"
Tiffaney.bradley@nola.gov
(504) 295-4970