Baton Rouge Transportation

[ehyfield]

Walking->biking->driving->carpooling->bussing->railing->flying. This is a forum dedicated to discussing how Baton Rouge got around yesterday, gets around today and how it will get around in the future.

Edited December 18, 2013 by ehyfield

[itsjustme3]

Huh?

[ehyfield]

Does anybody know if the proposed rail on Nicholson will have its own ROW like on St. Charles in New Orleans or will it have to share with other vehicles like in the CBD in New Orleans?

[richyb83]

Good question! Not sure how accurate it is....but This is a future rendering of Nicholson

[garrett_225]

Would be cool to see a spur of the Nicholson streetcar route going out to the edge of the Garden District. Only problem would be the point where the streetcar line has to cross that railroad line between Downtown and GD. 

 

Myrtle Avenue could use some improvements between Highland and the western terminus of Perkins. For one, it could be extended a block over to Nicholson into the Water Campus. 

[Antrell Williams]

Does anybody know if the proposed rail on Nicholson will have its own ROW like on St. Charles in New Orleans or will it have to share with other vehicles like in the CBD in New Orleans?

Pretty hard to tell. The neutral ground is pretty narrow currently. I think it may look similar to the way the Loyola line was built. Even with Loyola having a generous neutral ground the cars ride in the left lane as opposed to the right on St. Charles (CBD side) and Carondelet.

 

Would be cool to see a spur of the Nicholson streetcar route going out to the edge of the Garden District. Only problem would be the point where the streetcar line has to cross that railroad line between Downtown and GD. 

 

Myrtle Avenue could use some improvements between Highland and the western terminus of Perkins. For one, it could be extended a block over to Nicholson into the Water Campus. 

That would defeat the purposed of the Government St line, right?

 

Lot's of opportunities for development on Terrace Ave.

[ehyfield]

I know already that is a crazy idea for BR, but... I would hate to see a congested Nicholson, after developments are complete, lose two lanes.

Edited December 19, 2013 by ehyfield

[garrett_225]

Pretty hard to tell. The neutral ground is pretty narrow currently. I think it may look similar to the way the Loyola line was built. Even with Loyola having a generous neutral ground the cars ride in the left lane as opposed to the right on St. Charles (CBD side) and Carondelet.

 

That would defeat the purposed of the Government St line, right?

 

Lot's of opportunities for development on Terrace Ave.

 

I'm not a big supporter of a Government Street line. I'd rather see it on North Blvd since it isn't currently choked with vehicular traffic. But Government Street stuff has been beaten into the ground. Terrace is ripe for new ideas, though. 

I know already that is a crazy idea for BR, but... I would hate to see a congested Nicholson, after developments are complete, lose two lanes.

 

Its a real shame that our planners see things like this as wild and crazy. New York City was doing elevated railways back in the dark ages. 

Edited December 20, 2013 by garrett_225

[Antrell Williams]

I know already that is a crazy idea for BR, but... I would hate to see a congested Nicholson, after developments are complete, lose two lanes.

Baton Rouge is nowhere dense enough to have anything like that on Nicholson. It would likely deter potential passengers as well.

 

I'm not a big supporter of a Government Street line. I'd rather see it on North Blvd since it isn't currently choked with vehicular traffic. But Government Street stuff has been beaten into the ground. Terrace is ripe for new ideas, though. 

 

I don't think North Blvd is bad at all. I actually would want the downtown length of the rail to be on North Blvd. What I like about Government is that it's already an established retail and residential corridor that needs a traffic diet. The light rail would provide that as well as it being able to terminate at Independence Park. The only thing I like about North is the potential to completely revive the street and that it borders BR General.

[Renzo]

Didn't know where else to post this but why is there such a lack of toll roads/bridges around BR and the surrounding areas? 

[garrett_225]

Didn't know where else to post this but why is there such a lack of toll roads/bridges around BR and the surrounding areas? 

 

General opposition to them by the community. 

 

It used to be the only tolls in the state were the Causeway and CCC in New Orleans. I think the CCC has stopped collecting them now, or had stopped for a period of time. 

 

However, right off I can think of two toll roads that may be coming to the BR area in the future. The highway 415 extension that will cross the Intracoastal Canal and meet up with LA 1 in Brusly somewhere. Also, a while ago there was discussion of a toll road to provide another route between Ascension and Livingston to help ease the bottleneck at Port Vincent. 

[Antrell Williams]

The CCC has stopped collecting. The booths are spooky and empty now. A private company will build a toll road connecting Livingston and Ascension, it's being studied now.

[ehyfield]

Why were Bluebonnet Blvd and Sherwood Forest Blvd not given sidewalks?

[itsjustme3]

Why were Bluebonnet Blvd and Sherwood Forest Blvd not given sidewalks?

Because developers didn't want certain "elements" to come wandering through their neighborhoods/part of town.

[ehyfield]

I thought the "elements" were in north Baton Rouge.

[Antrell Williams]

Because developers didn't want certain "elements" to come wandering through their neighborhoods/part of town.

Sidewalks don't prevent certain "elements" from wandering around. Gardere has no sidewalks.

 

They simply wanted to be cheap.

[garrett_225]

Most of North Baton Rouge has no sidewalks. 

 

The aforementioned "element" tends to walk in the street, so lack of sidewalks would in no way deter them from wandering about. 

Edited December 31, 2013 by garrett_225

[buckett5425]

There is no need for sidewalks in the suburbs, everyone travels by car. Even roads that have received sidewalks, such as Perkins, are rarely used by pedestrians and are now being covered with overgrown grass.

 

Sidewalks only serve a purpose where people will use them, usually in areas of town that predate the 1950's.

[ehyfield]

Its just odd and annoying to me that they would take the time, effort and MONEY to build a safer road, or "boulevard," with a raised median, but not go just little further and provide some safer walkability.

usually in areas of town that predate the 1950's.

How old is Nicholson and Highland?

[richyb83]

Always wondered why older nicer neighborhoods had no sidewalks... like Old Goodwood(have recently added walking path meandering along Seven Oaks) & Southdowns.... there is only a sidewalk in the median of Stuart Ave.

 

Sherwood Forest Blvd could use sidewallks

 

The Green Light Plan has done a good job implementing new sidewalks in suburban areas along Millerville Road, South Harrell's Ferry Rd; Jones Creek Rd

[Antrell Williams]

Its just odd and annoying to me that they would take the time, effort and MONEY to build a safer road, or "boulevard," with a raised median, but not go just little further and provide some safer walkability.

How old is Nicholson and Highland?

Welcome to the sunbelt!!

 

Always wondered why older nicer neighborhoods had no sidewalks... like Old Goodwood(have recently added walking path meandering along Seven Oaks) & Southdowns.... there is only a sidewalk in the median of Stuart Ave.

 

Sherwood Forest Blvd could use sidewallks

 

The Green Light Plan has done a good job implementing new sidewalks in suburban areas along Millerville Road, South Harrell's Ferry Rd; Jones Creek Rd

Old Goodwood was the suburbs back in the day and roads like Goodwood and Jefferson were completely suburban in nature and more undeveloped.

 

The thing about the roads like Millerville is that it feels so dangerous walking alongside traffic. It really serves no purpose, in my opinion, to build sidewalks along roads like that. The western end of Bluebonnet is much better as drivers frequently follow the 30mph speed limit. I think a simple tree line would have made a world of difference.

[ehyfield]

I'm not particularly a fan of sidewalks that are connected to busy roads, e.g. the Perkins Rowe/Willow Grove section of Perkins. A 2-3' gap between the shoulder and sidewalk make a world of difference and it's a perfect place for landscaping and a tree line, like you said. Has anybody on here walked in that area? Does it feel safe?

[oneman83]

I keep reading that the new "Water Campus" will make Baton Rouge an "international city" where researchers come and it will be some sort of hub for costal restoration  enthusiasts to play and brainstorm.  With that being said, will the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport undergo another expansion and offer international flights making it an international airport?  I know it’s a wild thought, but if this place is supposed to be half of what they are making it out to be, Baton Rouge needs an overhaul of its entire transportation system.

[ehyfield]

I just hope that somebody in the right place has big plans.

[Antrell Williams]

I keep reading that the new "Water Campus" will make Baton Rouge an "international city" where researchers come and it will be some sort of hub for costal restoration  enthusiasts to play and brainstorm.  With that being said, will the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport undergo another expansion and offer international flights making it an international airport?  I know it’s a wild thought, but if this place is supposed to be half of what they are making it out to be, Baton Rouge needs an overhaul of its entire transportation system.

Well seeing as the proposed campus would take 20 years, alot of other factors would weigh into that.