New Orleans Regional Transit Authority

http://www.norta.com/

This is the website for public transportation information for New Orleans.

Intended Audience:

• Residents of New Orleans
• Visitors/potential visitors to New Orleans
• Employees of NORTA
• Those interested in tracking the renovation process of the streetcar/bus system

Usefulness of Content:

I ended up at this site because I am planning my belated honeymoon, and in trying to choose a hotel, I have been looking at the streetcar and bus routes to see where good access points are. The RTA is trying to fulfill many different needs. The RTA uses the site to provide specific information for visitors: specific routes to take from the airport to hotels, day-pass rate information, tips on what to do in New Orleans, as well as route information.

The site also provides updates that are important to residents of the New Orleans area. These include news about the renovation process, and announcements about when different lines are reopening. It also includes information about job opportunities, fare information, and evacuation notices.

Consistency of Design:

The design of the site is very consistent: the main navigation bar on the left and the logo at the top are available on every page (with the exception of .pdf files made available on the site). All important notices are headed with a red text box, with white text. The colors of the site are relaxing and simple, but the site still looks professional and clean. I particularly like the fact that the website is centered in my browser, and the main content area is relatively narrow. I was also impressed with the fact that the site listed the day’s date, and that news items are announced with a date attached, so that users know how recent the announcements were.

Ease of Navigation:

Perhaps it’s due to the extreme scrutiny the site probably receives since Hurricane Katrina, but the site is extremely easy to use. Every page contains a heading that describes where the user is in the hierarchy of the site. The site has multiple ways to find interior pages, and it also references other sites or documents, such as the city-assisted evacuation PDF document. The language of names of the links is precise and easy for a beginning user, or New Orleans visitor, to understand.