Green Light Plan

[buckett5425]

You've come a long way cajun, since we've met each other through this forum. I'm proud of you.

However, replace that portion of your above comment about airline highway with some statement about density and mass transit, then i'll have to buy you a beer!

It does seem to be a near consensus among us UPers and many local law makers that upgrading existing roads can curb urban sprawl, alleviate traffic congestion sooner, and cheaper, than building that damn loop! To me, that is wonderful news, and something I can support.

[dan326]

Hmmm, on one side I want the loop(so baton rouge can seem like a big deal on maps), but on the other more important side, Cajun's idea does sound best, especially since he used my buzz word(Cortana).

[nquint1]

I would add that something similar should be done to Florida Blvd. The only tricky thing would be getting it to connect to downtown, but that connection is a must

[cajun]

I would add that something similar should be done to Florida Blvd. The only tricky thing would be getting it to connect to downtown, but that connection is a must

Seems like they built Florida Blvd east of Airline with that in mind.....already has service roads.

Either make it a freeway with one way feeder roads or widen it to 8 lanes, and move the travel lanes closer to the edge of the right of way with a massive median/green space for future light rail

I'd still take care of Airline before Florida, though. North/South streets in this town are a joke....especially key considering that Zachary and Central are going to be big growth areas "within" Baton Rouge. The new Audobon Bridge is nearing completion, and the north end of the parish is going to get a lot more development.

[XAdamX]

I recently moved here from Seattle and had some questions concerning traffic projects. What is the proposed Brightside/Nicholson intersection project and where could I obtain some online information regarding the specifics? Also, construction on Brightside itself has left me confused. The only information I could find was an article dated from September of last year in The Daily Reveille which has the project already past due. What are they doing exactly (it appears to be the addition of a middle turn lane but I am not sure)?

[nquint1]

Welcome to BR! The official website of the Green Light Plan is http://greenlight.csrsonline.com/. It's a surprisingly good website and should give you everything you need. It looks like construction on the Nicholson/Brightside intersection should begin after the Brightside construction is done. Then after the Nicholson/Brightside intersection is finished, construction will begin on Nicholson from that intersection to Burbank.

My sister's friend is going to be attending LSU in the fall and asked what apartments she should look into, and I immediately said nothing south of campus. That area is going to be under construction for a few years.

[XAdamX]

Thanks for the link. That was surprisingly informative. I didn't see this project on there (probably because it was so small) but it looks like it is nearing completion. This is the intersection of Highland and Lee. A large, random median was carved into another turn lane and it appears as though all that is left is the painting of lines. I'd still argue that the median is too big but maybe that's just me. Let's get this completed already!

[richyb83]

Welcome to the BR Forum XAdamX Thanks for the pics! That's been a common theme around here with the questionble turn lane designs or lack there of...2-laned Lee Drive north of Highland Road is still a mess; at least the 3 lane section is a little better; but still one of the most behind roads in the area. Brightside RR Crossing with the steep incline has caused some problems in the past.Nicholson should be widened yesterday!

Wow! Seattle is an intruiging place; an urban jungle paradise!

[all2neat]

If a project isn't on the green light website it might be a state project.. The greenlight program is basically ebr taking initiative and saying the state won't ever catch up on it's backlog of projects so we have to do it ourselves.

[American Dirt]

Is anything new percolating at the Acadian Thwy/Perkins Road intersection? I know that the Green Light Plan is a major factor for the construction there, since they're improving the intersection. But the replacement for the old Wal-Mart has not really materialized into anything, has it. And it looks like the repair of the fire-damaged portion of the Acadian-Perkins Plaza will be on hold until something more definitive takes place across the street.

I blogged about this recently, particularly in regards to the brick sidewalks being placed there. I think it's interesting that they decided to use brick here and virtually nowhere else. Did a Southdowns Neighborhood Association have a say in this? It looks nice, but there's an increasing trend in shifting away from brick sidewalks because of the hefty maintenance costs and the considerably higher tripping hazard they pose when they deteriorate. I also noticed that at least one of the curb cuts on this brick sidewalk isn't ramped, so it is fundamentally not handicapped accessible. Very surprising.

What are people's thoughts on the appearance and overall functional goals of this intersection?

[nquint1]

I noticed that curb yesterday (I'm assuming it's the one in front of Chase Bank). I thought that was a really bad move too. Why go to all that trouble and then leave one curb without a handicap ramp? Not sure how I feel about the bricks. It's funny that they didn't use them everywhere. It makes the job look half finished.

The Acadian-Perkins Plaza has a great opportunity to revamp that property. I'm starting to sound really pessimistic, but I don't think they take advantage of it. All I keep hearing is how The Caterie and the liquor store are moving into the old CVS and AT&T is about to sign a lease again. That makes me think they aren't about to start a major reconstruction project. But on the other hand it could mean that they're just waiting to see how things develop before they decide to do something.

[dan326]

I read your blog and I think I like the decorated concrete more than the brick.

[cajun]

Is anything new percolating at the Acadian Thwy/Perkins Road intersection? I know that the Green Light Plan is a major factor for the construction there, since they're improving the intersection. But the replacement for the old Wal-Mart has not really materialized into anything, has it. And it looks like the repair of the fire-damaged portion of the Acadian-Perkins Plaza will be on hold until something more definitive takes place across the street.

I blogged about this recently, particularly in regards to the brick sidewalks being placed there. I think it's interesting that they decided to use brick here and virtually nowhere else. Did a Southdowns Neighborhood Association have a say in this? It looks nice, but there's an increasing trend in shifting away from brick sidewalks because of the hefty maintenance costs and the considerably higher tripping hazard they pose when they deteriorate. I also noticed that at least one of the curb cuts on this brick sidewalk isn't ramped, so it is fundamentally not handicapped accessible. Very surprising.

What are people's thoughts on the appearance and overall functional goals of this intersection?

Stamped concrete can be dyed to fit any color pattern. Hell, it's possible to make porous concrete to reduce water runoff during downpours.

I'm not against pavers per say, but I've spent enough time in New Orleans and Annapolis to know the trip hazzards pavers pose.

And what a major oversight with no ADA ramp! Seems like the design company should have included that, and the construction firm should have known enough to ask questions when they saw the plans.

Disappointing.

At least it looks nice. I prefer the blacktop road to the concrete.

[American Dirt]

Good points, cajun. I wonder (as someone else pointed out in a blog comment) if dyed concrete cut into small pieces would still suffer some of the same problems as brick pavers over time, with the expanding and contracting of the pavement. At any rate, I suspect some of the alternatives to brick would be cheaper, and they very well might be safer.

[cajun]

Good points, cajun. I wonder (as someone else pointed out in a blog comment) if dyed concrete cut into small pieces would still suffer some of the same problems as brick pavers over time, with the expanding and contracting of the pavement. At any rate, I suspect some of the alternatives to brick would be cheaper, and they very well might be safer.

Stamped concrete has the properties of traditional concrete, but with a different surface texture. For reference, check out some of the sidewalks near the Shaw Center. There's a blend of pavers and stamped concrete out there.

I did notice that on the Perkins/Stanford intersection, they did include a concrete base below those brick pavers. Maybe that will keep them from having the same affect that I'm worried about.

Oh well. It does look better than the traditional white concrete.

[all2neat]

I could be wrong, but I thought the Highland Road widening project from I10 to Airline was supposed to be done at the end of the month, now the website says June... Quite a delay if you ask me. It feels like that project is dragging on forever, especially with I10 construction on-going.

[itsjustme3]

I could be wrong, but I thought the Highland Road widening project from I10 to Airline was supposed to be done at the end of the month, now the website says June... Quite a delay if you ask me. It feels like that project is dragging on forever, especially with I10 construction on-going.

if it helps the traffic at 8 & 5pm then it'll be worth it.

[Antrell Williams]

It is alot of work in that area. A new bridge had to be built.

[cajun]

Here is the basics of what I was thinking about as far as improvements to this area's infrastructure.

-The red lines would indicate where I think we should consider a 4 or 6 lane freeway with one way with Houston-style feeder roads along side of them to support the businesses that exist along the route.

-The yellow lines would be a multi-lane freeway without service roads.

-The pink are simply new highways with unlimited access.

I was bored.

[Antrell Williams]

While I do think a northern loop is needed I believe bypassing traffic would be better off using a southern bypass. Anything at this point would be better.

[all2neat]

The Highland Rd widening project had a lane shift this past weekend so they can remove the remainder of the old road. The bridges look like they have about 3 more months of work. all in all it looks like this should be done around July 1st.

[steve3n8]

Cool, that will really help that area alot, also I know this isn't on the green light plan, but they really need to think about widening Jefferson Hwy from Tiger Bend to Highland which is only a 2 lane roadway, especially with the future Long Farm development.....just a thought.

[richyb83]

Nice to see progress

I'm still wondering WHY Old Hammond Hwy's widening was not completed to Florida Blvd (Hwy 190)...it' the only main artery between major Hwy's 190 & I-12.....

I-12's nightmare trffic with the wrecks near the Amite River Bridge bottlenecks traffic for miles...Don't see HOW South Harrel's Ferry got the "Green Light" ahead of Old Hammond Hwy? And rumor has it the Green Light fund$$ are about to run dry...would this next Phase then not get built??

I wrote Ask the Advocate about this situation...unfortunately the person answering all those questions every weekday retired

...thankfully O'Neal Lane is finally being worked on after years of city/state battles...

[all2neat]

They have enough money for 4 projects is what I heard in Janurary.

[steve3n8]

Has anyone heard anything on the Stumberg extension yet? I thought they were supposed to be doing construction already.