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Hurricane Katrina changed New Orleans’ landscape in many ways, and the transportation network is no exception. That’s why the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has granted the New Orleans Regional Planning Commission nearly $1 million to study the redevelopment of the New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal (NOUPT).

The study is necessary because regional population and travel patterns have changed significantly since the hurricane, according to the FRA. The planning commission will use the grant to identify all owners of NOUPT property, review current transportation uses of the facility, and determine financial and development goals for future project feasibility studies. The study is expected to be complete by 2008’s end.

The terminal currently is part of several larger proposed regional plans, such as a high-speed rail corridor linking New Orleans to Houston, Atlanta and Mobile, Ala., and a Baton Rouge-to-New Orleans commuter-rail line.