Green Light Plan

[richyb83]

Sullivan Road is in Central. It's the 2nd light past the Comite River off of Greenwell Springs Rd.

I think they mixed-their cross-hairs up This Burbank/Siegen project will not connect to the new Central Thruway.

[twstdndmntd]

Sullivan Road is in Central. It's the 2nd light past the Comite River off of Greenwell Springs Rd.

I think they mixed-their cross-hairs up This Burbank/Siegen project will not connect to the new Central Thruway.

I was wondering b/c I looked at a map of that area can couldn't find a Sullivan Rd there. Ya know the partner and I was going eat last nite and we were on Old Hammond, there were virtually no cars on it. I made the comment it's funny b/c this road is 5 lanes and the only reason it is that wide is b/c of rush hour traffic. I find it interesting that we have to widen roads just to accomodate rush hour traffic. Don't get me wrong I'm not saying that's why Burbank needs to widened. LOL I think that will make for a great part of the "inner loop". When are they going to widen Siegen between Perkins and Highland. Seems like with the widening of Burbank to Highland they would get right on that project. Going in either direction you are going from multiple lanes to two. It's going to bottle neck!!!

[BRPJ]

I think this is a great road project. I think it's going to enhance more development in that area. I hope that later on they actually expand Burbank past Siegen and actually have it either connect with the future loop or with I10. They had mentioned it connecting with Sullivan Rd. Where is Sullivan Rd.? lol

YEAH! they really need to expand burbank. It should intersect with seigen, vs merge into it.

[twstdndmntd]

YEAH! they really need to expand burbank. It should intersect with seigen, vs merge into it.

Yeah, but I say expand it so that it either connects with the new loop or so that it connects with I10. I think connections at either one of those would make it more of major artery for the city. Just think that if you could get off on it at 10 or the future 410 for games, school, etc. That would be less people either having to travel threw the city or get off on Siegen.

[richyb83]

The Staring extension to Burbank will require sound walls in the Highland Creek subdivision; however it doesn't say if they would have to demolish any homes over there?? They just talk of the homes being demolished for the widening closer to PerkinsRd.

Staring Lane widening project to claim 12 homes; Many houses spared

http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/14896011.html

When city-parish officials unveiled tentative plans in 2005 to four-lane Staring Lane as part of the Green Light Plan, they were looking at demolishing 39 homes. But a new plan developed by consulting engineers will shrink the number of condemned residences to 12.

[buckett5425]

I really think this needs to be added to the green light plan, because it would solve, i believe, almost all the traffic problems on Essen. Kenilworth parkway(red) needs to be extended from Perkins to I-10. The government already owns a majority of the land, because its the LSU rural life museum and the museum can just deal with the adjustment of having a parkway go through it, it has PLENTY of land anyway. But by extending Kenilworth, it can be connected to Our Lady of the Lake complex, allowing them another way to get to the interstate. Not to mention, allowing the entire south BR area another way to access the interstate.

This is where BR starts to get stupid...

In purple, by Kenilworth is the "Burbank Highland connector", rather then connect Burbank and highland by extending Kenilworth to South Kenilworth parkway. they are going to connect it three blocks down at Seyburn(purple). So, people traveling down Kenilworth to get to Burbank will have to cut through the neighborhood to get to seyburn(the connector) or drive down highland to get to it. I just dont understand why they cant make it a straight shot from Kenilworth to Burbank. If you look at how I connected the dots(red), you can see that thats what they initially had planned, for Kenilworth to connect to south Kenilworth parkway, and then connect to Nicholson because they have already put some of the infrastructure in place(also, by what they named the streets).

Also, I didnt really proof read that, so i hope it makes sense!

[BRPJ]

I really think this needs to be added to the green light plan, because it would solve, i believe, almost all the traffic problems on Essen. Kenilworth parkway(red) needs to be extended from Perkins to I-10. The government already owns a majority of the land, because its the LSU rural life museum and the museum can just deal with the adjustment of having a parkway go through it, it has PLENTY of land anyway. But by extending Kenilworth, it can be connected to Our Lady of the Lake complex, allowing them another way to get to the interstate. Not to mention, allowing the entire south BR area another way to access the interstate.

This is where BR starts to get stupid...

In purple, by Kenilworth is the "Burbank Highland connector", rather then connect Burbank and highland by extending Kenilworth to South Kenilworth parkway. they are going to connect it three blocks down at Seyburn(purple). So, people traveling down Kenilworth to get to Burbank will have to cut through the neighborhood to get to seyburn(the connector) or drive down highland to get to it. I just dont understand why they cant make it a straight shot from Kenilworth to Burbank. If you look at how I connected the dots(red), you can see that thats what they initially had planned, for Kenilworth to connect to south Kenilworth parkway, and then connect to Nicholson because they have already put some of the infrastructure in place(also, by what they named the streets).

Also, I didnt really proof read that, so i hope it makes sense!

I know. I hate that. Its all over the city. The best thing was when they expanded Bluebonnet-Corsey. That was genius.

We need more projects like that.

[richyb83]

Great proposal! Thanks for the map too Buckett. Great topic!!!! Broken traffic flow by not connecting more streets is so frustrating. I have been saying the 400-500 acre Rural Life Plantation has been a big problem limiting adequate "north-south" traffic.... Essen Ln. to College Drive is to large a gap not to have that extention to I-10 in between.

+ it would be a vital street(parkway) on the "west-end" of the emerging Medical Corridor. Connecting (like your drawing indicates)Summa and Picardy would also connect this! No doubt College, Essen and Perkins would benefit!!!

So true BRJP! Connecting Bluebonnet Blvd. and Coursey Blvd. was one of the best idea's ever! And to be such a short stretch of road too! And shifting Bluebonnet (east) to have it 4-laned with median was nice too.

To think that Corporate Blvd. used to be a dead-end(til early 90's?) when they decided to extend/connect it to Old Hammond Hwy. Look how much has been developed since with Citi Place and Towne Center. Now that corridor conitinues to fil-in the gaps. Some of the most valuable land in BR!

I really like the way minds think in these forums; why I enjoy Urban Planet so much! Move BR Forward!

BTW lots has already changed since that aerial photo.

[richyb83]

The city-parish is preparing to bid out a flurry of road construction projects in the next few months, slipping the Green Light Plan into overdrive. Fewer than three years after East Baton Rouge voters overwhelmingly approved Mayor-President Kip Holden

[buckett5425]

I know i have read this somewhere, but i cant find the information anywhere. But doesn't Baton Rouge say they like to pave roads with concrete and not asphalt because it last longer?

Well, I drove down Burbank today in between bluebonnet and highland, and they are now paving with asphalt, even though the green light plan documents say they would have been using Portland cement.....

This bothers me alot, because asphalt looks cheep, and now one side of the road is going to be old, cracked, pot holed concrete, and the other side will be new asphalt. At least let the two sides match. If they were to come back and pave the preexisting side with asphalt, which it needs, i guess i would be content, but we know they arnt going to. I just hate when two sides of a road dont match. They did the same thing in DeRidder when making US 171 four lanes. The new side was all concrete, and the preexisting side was patches of asphalt, with concrete, where ever they had to tear out the preexisting road, to bank the curve, it looks ridiculous, and cheep.

[cajun]

If you do it right, asphalt can be longer-lasting. Asphalt is much smoother, and doesn't require expansion joints- which is why it's used in rural American interstates. Concrete is a rough surface, and only gets rougher with time. It also bridges over small sink holes that develop over time...the problem is that Concrete is really expensive to remove and replace when it gets older because of all the rebar...and it can't be recycled. American interstates are designed (it's original intent back in the 1950s) was to move military equipment across the country at a constant 45 mph without hitting significant traffic, roadside obstructions....and it also was designed to carry a large tank without breaking up- so the base material is much, much stronger, which is why asphalt is used.

Asphalt uses more oil, which is hella expensive now. Are you sure they are not just paving the shoulders with asphalt?

City streets are usually concrete when there is active soil and high traffic. Places like Louisiana and California are more likely to use it for that reason. Its much rougher when new and doesn't require a super expensive base material.

I'd prefer an asphalt road because it's smoother- but in order to make an asphalt road last as long as a concrete road, better site prep is needed (which is more expensive). The Burbank drive area has some of the most unstable soil in the region, and it holds a lot of moisture (shrinks and swells)...so concrete is the way to go here.

[buckett5425]

no, they are defiantly paving the entire road area with asphalt

[nquint1]

I think they need to extend Staring Lane past Burbank and all the way to Gardere. I'm not tech savvy enough to post an aerial picture, but it looks like they already have the right of way. It would connect with Gardere around E Wadsworth Drive. They might want to get the new casino to help pay for this as it would GREATLY benefit them.

[buckett5425]

I had noticed that on aerial too. You can tell they already own the right of way, but i doubt they have any plans of extending it to Nicholson, but they should

[byrde]

Extending Staring would be a wise decision to take it to Burbank, but squeezing 4 lanes through that right of way will be a tight fit.

[buckett5425]

Well actually, when they four lane starring, they are going to go ahead and take it to Burbank as one project. I beleive it is going to be four lanes, but no median or turn lane, kind of like Lee at Burbank. But, you can tell they own the right-of-way all the way to Nicholson, and they need to utilize it, and plan ahead.

[yis2003yis]

Well actually, when they four lane starring, they are going to go ahead and take it to Burbank as one project. I beleive it is going to be four lanes, but no median or turn lane, kind of like Lee at Burbank. But, you can tell they own the right-of-way all the way to Nicholson, and they need to utilize it, and plan ahead.

I know it's been a while ......but im lost......My part time is on starring Lane.......and i see talks of starring gettin extended to burbank ......Starring ends at Highland rd. ..so u have to go Left or Right....if they were to keep it going stright...they would have to buy half of that neighborhood...and it's some pretty nice upscale homes in that area......but true indeed....something needs to be done with starring....to many stops and it's hard for people to pull out if they are comming off a side street,store,ect.

[buckett5425]

They dont have to buy any homes. The city owned the right away before those two subdivisions were built. So there is a strip of undeveloped land that goes through the neighborhoods from highland to burbank. This strip of land currently serves as a small park.

[nquint1]

Lobdell Ave at Government St/Independence Blvd

While they are making improvements to Lobdell, they should rework this intersection. I know they are putting a new fire station at Goodwood and Claycut. I assume that means they could tear down the one at the corner of Lobdell and Independence since it will be about a mile from the new station. If they do that then they can realign Lobdell so the intersection isn't so confusing. The only problem is they haven't started construction on the new fire station so the roadwork will have to be put on hold until that's done.

[richyb83]

Thanks for the update nquint1 That sure is one confusing intersection. I saw re-alignment plans awhile back; looks like part of Independence Park would be clipped-off too.

[richyb83]

Finally!!!!

Green Light Plan comes to downtown

The city-parish will break ground next week on the $12.7 million downtown portion of the mayor

[cajun]

Wait a minute....I thought the green light plan only included traffic light updates for downtown? Where did all this money for sidewalks and cross walks come from?

Ah...whatever. We can use them.

Does anyone know where I can find information on what other streets will also get these new "smart" traffic lights?

[dan326]

It's about time. It seems like it's been talked about forever. Now all they need to do is extend Picardy Avenue.

[nquint1]

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm willing to bet that the widening of Burbank is finished before the widening of Perkins. They're really hustling out there!

[byrde]

I can believe it. When Burbank was originally built they cleared the right of way to all for expansion in the future. All of the utilities and drainage was taken care of years ago. Not the case with Perkins Road.