HISTORY:
Louisiana Transit Company is the successor to Louisiana Rapid Transit, which
was founded shortly after the Orleans Kenner Traction Co. interurban line
was converted by New Orleans Public Service to buses (the Jefferson line).
LRT duplicated service along Jefferson Highway en route to Kenner, while the NOPSI
line went to the Huey P. Long Bridge. This situation was simplified in 1959
when NOPSI sold the Jefferson line to Louisiana Transit Company. That route
became Huey Long Bridge.
Kenner Express was a closed door service from Claiborne and Carrollton to
the bridge, and Kenner Local made all stops. By 1974 only Kenner Local
was left.
The Airport bus line began in 1946, after Airline Hwy. (now Airline Dr.) and
Moisant Airport were opened. LTC began an Airport Downtown Express route
that ran dropoff only into the Central Business District and pickup only outbound.
The "Express" is a weekday daytime service, and Airport, running from Tulane and
Carrollton, offers evening and weekend service.
Veterans Memorial began operation in 1959. This route connects the Cemeteries
with Kenner, originally to 21st and Roosevelt, and currently to 23rd and Williams.
The Causeway Blvd. bus line started in 1974. This was the first crosstown type
line for Louisiana Transit, and it connected the three main lines (Kenner Local,
Airport, and Veterans Memorial). Transfers began issuing by the early 1980s.
A second stub allowed use of a third bus after catching Causeway.
Jefferson Parish took over the Metairie Road bus line from the Regional Transit
Authority in 1985. Metairie was originally the replacement bus for the Shrewsbury
Extension of the Napoleon Streetcar and was opened in 1934.
Louisiana Transit Co. used Ford Transit buses in the 1940s and GM old looks
in the 1950s. Beginning 1960, they bought GMC New Looks, three a year annually
until 1967, then three every 2-3 years until 1974. The next purchase was two
GMC RTS buses in 1978. The new Jefferson Transit identity came about in 1982.
The parish bought twenty-two Grumman Flxible 870 buses, the first nine of which
were assigned to La. Transit and the remainder to Westside Transit Lines.
Forty Flxible Metro buses arrived in 1984, a number
of which were assigned to the East Bank operator, allowing full replacement
of the New Looks. In 1998 Gillig Phantoms (with the first wheelchair lifts)
were obtained.
Veolia Transportation (now Transdev) became the operator of all Jefferson Transit service, fixed route in 2006 and paratransit in 2008.
This page indexes buses bought before these dates.
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GMC RTS
Grumman Flxible
Flxible Metro
Gillig Phantom
Airport Downtown
Kenner
Veterans