NEW ORLEANS - Today, the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority (RTA) was awarded $20,000 from Operation Lifesaver, Inc. for streetcar safety initiatives. The agency intends to utilize the funding to launch a public outreach safety campaign to address unsafe pedestrian activities and behaviors as well as left-turn streetcar-vehicle collisions. RTA was one of six agencies in four states awarded funding to support various rail safety initiatives.

“Safety is one of the RTA’s key priorities as we maintain mobility for New Orleans,” said Alex Wiggins, RTA CEO. “The grant award from Operation Lifesaver will help the agency to engage the community reminding them of the importance of rail safety when driving, biking, walking and riding.”

The grant amounts range between $7,000 to $20,000 and require each agency to provide a 25 percent match. The educational campaigns will use OLI-approved materials and logos. The approved grants were awarded through a competitive process, based upon criteria such as key safety messages, target audiences and evaluation methods.