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NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — On Tuesday, October 26, the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority announced the agency would be participating in a challenge to take action in the ongoing climate crisis.

The action is part of the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) Sustainable Transit for a Healthy Planet Challenge. Along with more than 70 other transit agencies across the nation, the RTA has signed a pledge to develop a plan centered around climate action, electrification, and sustainability.

In a statement announcing the pledge, RTA CEO Alex Z. Wiggins said:

“RTA’s vision encompasses a sustainable transit system that enhances the community while providing safe and reliable transportation options. In joining our peers across the transit industry in signing FTA’s Climate Sustainable Transit for a Healthy Planet Challenge pledge, the agency is solidifying our commitment to our riders, our community, the transit industry, and the future health of our environment working to ensure a cleaner future for all.”

Officials with the RTA say this challenge builds on a $5.1 million grant from the FTA received in June. The money has been and will be used to install battery charging infrastructure and purchase three new electric buses. By 2030, the goal is to have 75% of the RTA’s fleet powered by vehicles that produce little to no emissions.

RTA Board Chair, Flozell Daniels, Jr., added to the announcement, saying:

“As one of the largest transit systems in Louisiana, RTA has a responsibility to understanding and addressing the issues surrounding the agency’s impacts on the climate and our community as a whole. The RTA Board of Commissioners remains observant of this moment, thinking intensely about solutions for the future that lower emissions, reduce air pollution and ultimately, strengthen the long-term prospects of strengthening our disaster resilience.”