FEMA Extends Bus Service Through November 30 

Release Date: June 30, 2006
Release Number: 1603-503

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BATON ROUGE, La. -- The LA Swift free bus service that has transported displaced Louisianans between Baton Rouge and New Orleans will continue to operate until Nov. 30, officials from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) have announced.

"We are very pleased that through the U.S. Department of Transportation we can continue to supplement this service and help provide transportation for those displaced persons," said James Stark, acting director of FEMA's Louisiana Transitional Recovery Office.

FEMA will also provide financial assistance to help supplement the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority and the Capitol Area Transit System operations of buses and street cars.

Since LA Swift program began last November, more than 100,000 riders have used the LA Swift to commute from Baton Rouge to New Orleans. The 19 weekday and 12 weekend trips from both Baton Rouge and New Orleans provide a way for displaced workers and those working on disaster recovery with no other means of transportation, a means of travel from one city to the other. For the last five months, the average number of riders per day is about 700, according to FEMA figures.

LA Swift buses offer service between the Baton Rouge Capitol Area Transit System's (CATS) Florida Street terminal and the Elks Place stop on Canal Street in New Orleans. LA Swift also makes stops at the following locations:

Baton Rouge
Home Depot Parking Lot
18139 Highland Rd.

Sorrento
Chevron Sorrento
7140 Hwy. 22

LaPlace
Texaco and Huddle House Restaurant
4325 Hwy. 51

(Most buses departing from New Orleans will also make these stops.)

Schedules are available online at: www.laswift.com. Schedules and further details are also available through DOTD's Customer Service Center at (225) 379-1232 or toll-free at 1-877-4LA-DOTD (1-877-452-3683). LA Swift is not a park-and-ride service. Riders should arrange for other transportation to the stops.

LA Swift is an initiative of the Louisiana Recovery Authority. It is coordinated by DOTD and the state Department of Labor in cooperation with the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority and CATS.

FEMA manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates mitigation activities, works with state and local emergency managers, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program.  FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003.

Last Modified: Friday, 30-Jun-2006 11:42:05