Daily schedule, the same every day of the week including holidays (RTA's Route 4 timetable as read October 16, 2026; RTA publishes no end date)
Departures 1–10 / 10
Departures 1–10 / 10
Crossing time
~15 min
Operator
New Orleans Regional Transit Authority (RTA)
Map – Chalmette – Lower Algiers Ferry
| Fare type | Price |
|---|---|
| Adult walk-on passenger, one way | $2.00 |
| Priority Rider (age 65+, veteran, or qualifying disability), one way | $1.00 |
| Youth (age 5 through 12th grade), one way | $1.00 |
| Vehicle driver, one way | $2.00 |
| Vehicle driver (Priority Rider or Youth), one way | $1.00 |
| Additional passenger riding in the vehicle, one way | $1.00 |
| Driver towing a trailer, one way | $5.00 |
| Trailer only, one way | $3.00 |
Fares are part of RTA's regular transit fare table and are paid per person, one way. RTA's fares page says the ferries accept payment through the Le Pass app; it does not say whether cash is taken on board, so check with RTA at 504-248-3900 before relying on cash. There is no separate round-trip ticket, reservation or per-vehicle charge: a car's driver pays the vehicle-driver fare and other riders in the car pay the vehicle-passenger rate. The fares table was unchanged when read on October 16, 2026. All fares in US dollars (USD).
The Chalmette Ferry carries cars and walk-on passengers across the Mississippi River between Chalmette, in St. Bernard Parish, and Lower Algiers, on the West Bank inside New Orleans. It's easy to mix up with the Canal Street-Algiers Point ferry a few miles upriver, but that's a separate passenger-only run with its own landing and boat -- this page covers only the Chalmette-Lower Algiers crossing.
Day-to-day operation belongs to the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority. That split matters practically: when LADOTD found problems with the Chalmette landing during a routine inspection in spring 2026, RTA suspended the ferry until the repairs were finished, then resumed normal service on May 23, 2026. RTA showed no service alert for the route when its alert feed was checked on October 16, 2026.
Unlike a typical excursion ferry, this route runs as an ordinary transit line, with fares built into RTA's regular system rather than sold as separate tickets. A boat leaves each landing every 30 minutes through the day, with the first departure at 6:00 am and the last at 8:45 pm. The two landings alternate about 15 minutes apart: Lower Algiers on the hour and half hour, Chalmette a quarter past and a quarter to. The timetable did not change with RTA's Fall 2026 service changes on September 20, which covered other bus and streetcar lines, and RTA's holiday-service page says the ferry keeps its normal daily schedule on holidays. There's no reservation system and no round-trip ticket; you pay per person, per one-way ride, and RTA's fares page names the Le Pass app as the way to pay on the ferries. A car's driver pays the standard $2.00 adult fare, and that's the only vehicle-related charge: passengers riding along in the same car pay $1.00 each, since the fare is charged by seat, not by vehicle. Priority Riders (seniors, veterans and riders with a qualifying disability) and youth pay reduced rates for walk-on and driver fares.
- Arrive at the terminal several minutes before departure; vehicle lanes close earlier than the foot-passenger gate.
- Check the operator's service alerts before you set out — weather, tides and vessel maintenance change sailings.
- Confirm accepted payment methods: some crossings are card-only and some take cash only.
Frequently asked questions
No. This page covers the Chalmette-Lower Algiers ferry, which crosses the Mississippi between St. Bernard Parish and the West Bank. The Canal Street-Algiers Point ferry is a separate, passenger-only route further upriver, run on its own schedule and fare.
An adult walk-on passenger or vehicle driver pays $2.00 one way; anyone else riding along in the vehicle pays $1.00. Priority Riders (age 65+, veterans and riders with a qualifying disability) and youth (age 5 through 12th grade) pay $1.00 for walk-on and driver fares. There's no round-trip discount -- every fare is a one-way ride.
Yes, it's a car and passenger ferry. There's no separate vehicle fee: the driver simply pays the regular passenger fare, and other riders in the car pay the $1.00 passenger rate.
RTA's fares page says you can pay on the ferries with the Le Pass app, the same app used for buses and streetcars. The page does not say whether cash is accepted on board, so call RTA at 504-248-3900 if you need to pay in cash. There is no advance ticket or reservation system for this ferry.
Every 30 minutes, every day of the week including holidays, from 6:00 am to 8:45 pm. The two landings alternate departures about 15 minutes apart, so a boat leaves Lower Algiers on the hour and half hour and Chalmette at a quarter past and a quarter to.
Around 15 minutes dock to dock, based on how the schedule alternates between the two landings; NORTA does not publish an official crossing-time figure.
It was suspended in spring 2026 after a LADOTD inspection found issues at the Chalmette landing, and resumed normal operations on May 23, 2026. RTA's service-alert feed showed no alert for this route on October 16, 2026.
Yes. RTA's holiday-service page says the Chalmette ferry operates on its normal daily schedule on holidays, even though bus and streetcar lines run reduced holiday schedules. Unlike the Algiers Point-Canal Street ferry, it is not listed as stopping for river events, but check RTA's service alerts before you travel.