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City of New Orleans Completes Electric Transportation Roadmap
NEW ORLEANS — The City of New Orleans Office of Resilience & Sustainability (ORS), today announced the completion of the Electric Transportation Roadmap, a comprehensive plan to guide the transition to cleaner, more equitable transportation for New Orleans. The Roadmap is a key milestone in advancing the City’s Climate Action Plan, which calls for reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 50% and ensuring 40% of all vehicles in New Orleans are electric by 2035.
“This Roadmap is about creating a cleaner, fairer, and more connected city for every New Orleanian,” said Greg Nichols, Deputy Chief Resilience Officer. “It positions our city to lead in the clean energy transition, reduce harmful emissions, and unlock new workforce and economic opportunities. By planning now and working with our community and industry partners, we are ensuring that residents can access modern, resilient transportation options that also protect our environment.”
Developed over the past year and a half, the Roadmap reflects extensive public input, technical analysis, and collaboration with community, business, and industry partners. It sets out strategies to expand access to electric vehicles and e-bikes, build reliable charging infrastructure, electrify public and private fleets, and strengthen workforce development to ensure residents are prepared for clean energy jobs. Importantly, with the loss of federal support for electrification initiatives, the Roadmap highlights opportunities for the City to leverage local resources to achieve its goals. Among them is development of the first publicly-accessible DC fast charger electric vehicle station in New Orleans. In 2026, the City will invest $95,000 it received from the Louisiana Volkswagen Environmental Mitigation Trust into building the charging station on City property.
A Path Toward a Cleaner and Fairer Future
Transportation is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in New Orleans. By expanding electric mobility, the City will reduce emissions, improve air quality, and deliver tangible economic and health benefits for residents.
The Roadmap addresses key community concerns identified through more than 300 survey responses, three public meetings, and 33 comments on the draft report, including:
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The need for more reliable and accessible charging stations in high-traffic and neighborhood locations.
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Support for renters and multifamily residents who face barriers to charging at home.
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Workforce development programs to train residents for EV infrastructure and maintenance jobs.
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Greater investment in e-bikes, protected bike lanes, and alternative electric mobility options.
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Ensuring charging reliability during evacuations and power outages.
Key Actions in the Roadmap
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Build 400–500 Level 2 charging station ports and 50–100 DC fast charger ports in the next five years through a combined effort of public and private sector investments.
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Launch an e-bike rebate program and expand protected bike lanes.
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Incentivize private fleets and coordinate with partner agencies such as the RTA, Sewerage & Water Board, and Orleans Parish School Board to transition to EVs.
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Partner with Delgado, NOCC, IBEW Local 130, and Job1 to expand EV workforce training and employment programs.
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Harden charging infrastructure against flooding and locate stations along evacuation routes, pairing chargers with solar and battery storage to improve reliability during outages.
The Electric Transportation Roadmap will guide implementation efforts across City departments and partner agencies beginning in 2026. ORS will work closely with the Regional Transit Authority, Sewerage & Water Board, Orleans Parish School Board, and community organizations to align investments, coordinate workforce programs, and pursue federal and state funding opportunities to support implementation.
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