The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Louisiana Recovery Authority (LRA) have announced more than $10.8 million in public assistance funding to the Regional Transit Authority (RTA) in New Orleans for facility damages resulting from the 2005 onslaught of Hurricane Katrina.

The funding includes nearly $9.2 million for the RTA’s Desire Parkway facility, combining more than 20 grants into a single payment so the agency can access the funds more quickly.

The remaining $1.6 million obligated represents new funds for necessary repair work on the second and third floors of RTA’s Randolph Building on Canal Street.

“By allowing funds to be consolidated, FEMA is helping the transit authority to more quickly provide bus and streetcar services to the citizens of New Orleans,” LRA Executive Director Paul Rainwater explained.

Before Katrina, the Desire Parkway facility had housed maintenance and administration buildings, bus and framework washes, a fueling center, and essential maintenance equipment such as 13 rotary bus lifts and five light duty automobile lifts. RTA’s Canal Street Facility was inundated with floodwaters on the first floor and received damage from wind-driven rain on upper floors; the second and third floors will house the RTA’s corporate administration offices after the completion of mold abatement work.

Through partnership with the LRA, to date FEMA has obligated approximately $121 million to the RTA to support the agency’s recovery efforts from Hurricane Katrina.

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