NEW ORLEANS — The New Orleans Regional Transit Authority (RTA) is honoring a civil rights movement pioneer by waiving transit fares for Claudette Colvin Day, on Thursday, Sept. 5.
Riders can ride at no charge on all RTA buses, streetcars, and ferries.
On March 2, 1955, 15-year-old Claudette Colvin was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Ala. Colvin's stance was nine months before Rosa Parks' famous arrest for disobeying an Alabama law that required Black passengers to relinquish seats to white passengers when the bus was full.
At the time, Black passengers were also required to sit at the back of the bus.
This fare suspension is the result of the RTA Board of Commissioners adopting the agency Fare Policy on Sept. 27, 2022. The Fare Policy includes language to observe both Claudette Colvin Day on her Sept. 5 birthday, as well as Rosa Parks Day on her birthday on Feb. 4.
In a media release issued on Tuesday, the RTA stated:
"As part of the agency's commitment to transit equity, the RTA is proud to honor their courageous assertions of equal rights for African Americans. To commemorate their respective roles in America’s Civil Rights movement, no fares will be collected for transit services on Claudette Colvin Day."
For more information, visit the agency’s website at norta.com or call RIDELINE at (504) 248-3900.
