Baton Rouge Growth and Development

[cajun]

Alive is a question mark as far as long term sustainability. I'm guessing Holden and the city want to create a municipal tax district and not a parish wide tax.

Holden's stance on St George may have made him a lame duck as far as parish-wide cooperation.

I'd like to see it developed into a River front park with open space for an outdoor concert. A fancy museum doesn't really show much promise to me. I'm not sure it we are ready for that.

[itsjustme3]

Timelordnerd, are you currently in school?

[timelordnerd]

Alive is a question mark as far as long term sustainability. I'm guessing Holden and the city want to create a municipal tax district and not a parish wide tax.

Holden's stance on St George may have made him a lame duck as far as parish-wide cooperation.

I'd like to see it developed into a River front park with open space for an outdoor concert. A fancy museum doesn't really show much promise to me. I'm not sure it we are ready for that.

Well if we host the Pan Ams then now is the time to do it. You would have tourist for the games who discover these 'gems'. From what I know the plan is to expand Desoto Park and make it a real BR park, ALIVE would be an additional attraction.  

Timelordnerd, are you currently in school?

Not at this moment (as in 4:57 PM) But yes I attend CHS here in BR.

[itsjustme3]

Thought so. Thanks

[timelordnerd]

Thought so. Thanks

Why did you want to know?

[Antrell Williams]

Alive is a question mark as far as long term sustainability. I'm guessing Holden and the city want to create a municipal tax district and not a parish wide tax.

Holden's stance on St George may have made him a lame duck as far as parish-wide cooperation.

I'd like to see it developed into a River front park with open space for an outdoor concert. A fancy museum doesn't really show much promise to me. I'm not sure it we are ready for that.

That would conflict with the preposterous River Park development as well as the stage in Town Square.

 

I actually like the idea of ALIVE. Just not sure how feasible it is at this point, especially with Kip's hand in the pot.

Timelordnerd, are you currently in school?

As far as the rules of Urban Planet are concerned, this is an off-topic post. Fell free to contact the user via PM, otherwise keep it about Baton Rouge Growth and Development.

[richyb83]

The multifamily frenzy.....Can the Capital Region market absorb the 4,700 new units proposed or under construction?

 

http://www.businessreport.com/2182014/The_multifamily_frenzy

 

[itsjustme3]

Most of it is near LSU and LSU needs more housing as it's enrollment numbers keep going up.

[buckett5425]

I wouldn't say its about the absorption of 4,700 units, but the relocation of 4,700 hundred units from parts of town that have fallen out of favor compared to something "shiny and new." 

Renters are now given more options, no longer are the only places with decent multifamily located in the corporate or bluebonnet/perkins areas. It will be interesting what the Baton Rouge market ultimately favors.

Our downtown area is underdeveloped, so it won't be hard to fill those units, but those units will be filled at the expense of units located on corporate and similar areas. This of course is nothing new, as units become older, people always prefer newer developments.

[richyb83]

The Baton Rouge metro area tied for the second best region for new and expanded corporate facilities, according to a ranking by Site Selection magazine.

 

*rest of article

http://theadvocate.com/news/business/8529218-123/metro-baton-rouge-named-a

[timelordnerd]

The Baton Rouge metro area tied for the second best region for new and expanded corporate facilities, according to a ranking by Site Selection magazine.

 

*rest of article

http://theadvocate.com/news/business/8529218-123/metro-baton-rouge-named-a

Would this belong in the city profile too?

[Antrell Williams]

Lawmakers driving plan to create toll road on Airline Highway

 

http://theadvocate.com/home/8685305-125/plan-would-place-toll-road

 

 

I'm not sure of the exact plans but it sounds like it will be a four lane highway with a 70mph speed limit and feeder (frontage) roads. I always knew Airline had to be a freeway at some point, but four lanes just isn't going to cut it. We don't need another 5-year construction project on the regions most important road just to finish construction with little to no improvements (ahem).

[steve3n8]

I would like to see some renderings for this.

 

I thought they mentioned this being a new elevated freeway type system...

[richyb83]

Thanks for posting this Antrell...I see you commented on their website...True! That's not going to cut it. Not sure how a toll will fly going thru BR like that. Seems like a pipe dream...but we shall see. The I-10 connector would be interesting!

[Antrell Williams]

I would like to see some renderings for this.

 

I thought they mentioned this being a new elevated freeway type system...

An elevated freeway would be more expensive and ugly. I think it would be easier to manage the traffic volume if it were not an elevated freeway.

 

Thanks for posting this Antrell...I see you commented on their website...True! That's not going to cut it. Not sure how a toll will fly going thru BR like that. Seems like a pipe dream...but we shall see. The I-10 connector would be interesting!

I agree on the toll. It's a shame we can't get the funding for something like this without more form of taxes. 

I think the Woman's Hospital would be on board with this 100%.

[timelordnerd]

I think this would be great for the city. The bridge has so much traffic already and by creating a second bridge and connecting it to the interstate would significantly reduce the areas traffic. My one problem with this is that it makes the Florida area further ignored. 

[itsjustme3]

An elevated freeway would be more expensive and ugly. I think it would be easier to manage the traffic volume if it were not an elevated freeway.

I agree on the toll. It's a shame we can't get the funding for something like this without more form of taxes.

I think the Woman's Hospital would be on board with this 100%.

Why would womans hospital be on board? Woman's hospital is following the female demographic out to the suburbs.

I think this would be great for the city. The bridge has so much traffic already and by creating a second bridge and connecting it to the interstate would significantly reduce the areas traffic. My one problem with this is that it makes the Florida area further ignored.

Huh? It's not a new bridge. This is airline hwy getting a make over along with the old miss river bridge.

[jefften10]

Been a while since I have posted, but figured I would jump in on this subject.

 

I tend to think of this as a "Westbank Expressway" replica. Sure an elevated expressway isn't the prettiest, but is it effective solution now, and will it continue to be effective in the future? In terms of easing traffic flow, I'm sure a 4-6 lane expressway and a 4 lane local traffic service road would satisfy the current traffic capacity, and would hopefully help revitalize parts of Airline Hwy that are currently more neglected. To me, the question is how will this be viewed in a decade? What will the city of Baton Rouge look like in terms of population growth and demographics.

 

Last point: what is the reality that the 190 bridge can handle the number of 18-wheelers that this "by-pass" will create. I sure as hell don't want to be on that bridge sandwiched between 2 large trucks...I can only drive in the left lane and can't pass a car on that bridge as it is...can it realistically handle regular 18-wheeler traffic?

 

Without building a completely new highway infrastructure, (which isn't necessarily a bad idea) this is the most reasonable, affordable and sustainable idea to finding an alternate traffic route through Baton Rouge.

[Antrell Williams]

Why would womans hospital be on board? Woman's hospital is following the female demographic out to the suburbs.

 

The connector is right near the new campus, could have their own exit.

 

Been a while since I have posted, but figured I would jump in on this subject.

 

I tend to think of this as a "Westbank Expressway" replica. Sure an elevated expressway isn't the prettiest, but is it effective solution now, and will it continue to be effective in the future? In terms of easing traffic flow, I'm sure a 4-6 lane expressway and a 4 lane local traffic service road would satisfy the current traffic capacity, and would hopefully help revitalize parts of Airline Hwy that are currently more neglected. To me, the question is how will this be viewed in a decade? What will the city of Baton Rouge look like in terms of population growth and demographics.

 

Last point: what is the reality that the 190 bridge can handle the number of 18-wheelers that this "by-pass" will create. I sure as hell don't want to be on that bridge sandwiched between 2 large trucks...I can only drive in the left lane and can't pass a car on that bridge as it is...can it realistically handle regular 18-wheeler traffic?

 

Without building a completely new highway infrastructure, (which isn't necessarily a bad idea) this is the most reasonable, affordable and sustainable idea to finding an alternate traffic route through Baton Rouge.

This is nothing like a Westbank Expressway, IMO.

A 4-6 lane rebuild will be congested soon enough, and so will 8 lanes, but the current plan is already obsolete. In a decade the project will likely be fresh on our minds and it will be just as congested if we do not continue to update our supporting infrastructure.

 

The 190 bridge would certainly need to be widened by at least two feet. I wonder how much work that would need?

[timelordnerd]

Why would womans hospital be on board? Woman's hospital is following the female demographic out to the suburbs.

Huh? It's not a new bridge. This is airline hwy getting a make over along with the old miss river bridge.

Oh okay, just realized that, thanks. Well at least it gives us the chance to renovate the old one, possible widen it. 

 

Been a while since I have posted, but figured I would jump in on this subject.

 

I tend to think of this as a "Westbank Expressway" replica. Sure an elevated expressway isn't the prettiest, but is it effective solution now, and will it continue to be effective in the future? In terms of easing traffic flow, I'm sure a 4-6 lane expressway and a 4 lane local traffic service road would satisfy the current traffic capacity, and would hopefully help revitalize parts of Airline Hwy that are currently more neglected. To me, the question is how will this be viewed in a decade? What will the city of Baton Rouge look like in terms of population growth and demographics.

 

Last point: what is the reality that the 190 bridge can handle the number of 18-wheelers that this "by-pass" will create. I sure as hell don't want to be on that bridge sandwiched between 2 large trucks...I can only drive in the left lane and can't pass a car on that bridge as it is...can it realistically handle regular 18-wheeler traffic?

 

Without building a completely new highway infrastructure, (which isn't necessarily a bad idea) this is the most reasonable, affordable and sustainable idea to finding an alternate traffic route through Baton Rouge.

I think in terms of population growth this could spur some needed attention in the Florida area which in turn could get the city growing. The one thing holding this city back is our education and no new highway or overhaul of our current highway infrastructure for a new one is not going to help that. 

[ehyfield]

Toll roads tend to isolate commuters from retail and commercial areas along the way. I don't think this will help "build" the area much. Chicago even built the "Oasis" into their toll road design to make up for the loss of access to amenities.

It will be difficult to get people to pay to use the main road when they can use the service road for free. New toll roads seldom even have service roads for this reason. There's no use having a service road if your going to toll it too.

I don't think the road needs to be entirely elevated. They would have to do the whole project all at once and having to flip one big bill. They could do it in phases:

1) lay the flat service roads while people use the existing main road.

2) move people to the new service roads but keep the crossing roads like they have on Florida Blvd

3) build one overpass at a time to replace the main intersections from one end to the other

Edited March 23, 2014 by ehyfield

[garrett_225]

This proposal is remarkably similar to the proposed I-410 that was planned in the 50's but never built. 

[all2neat]

Typically toll roads with feeder roads; the feeder roads have a much lower speed limit and the freeway has a much higher speed limit. For example 70mph vs 35mph with tons of lights.

[ehyfield]

Unlike the I-410 proposal, thank you garrett_225 for your comment, at least using Airline would make it a conversion project and not a project from the ground up. I'm assuming that it's cheaper to rebuild as opposed to building from scratch.

[Antrell Williams]

Toll roads tend to isolate commuters from retail and commercial areas along the way. I don't think this will help "build" the area much. Chicago even built the "Oasis" into their toll road design to make up for the loss of access to amenities.

It will be difficult to get people to pay to use the main road when they can use the service road for free. New toll roads seldom even have service roads for this reason. There's no use having a service road if your going to toll it too.

I don't think the road needs to be entirely elevated. They would have to do the whole project all at once and having to flip one big bill. They could do it in phases:

1) lay the flat service roads while people use the existing main road.

2) move people to the new service roads but keep the crossing roads like they have on Florida Blvd

3) build one overpass at a time to replace the main intersections from one end to the other

The roadway itself will be a much faster 70mph, the feeder roads will be closer to 40mph with people turning in and out of parking lots. There are differences, but Beltway 8 has feeders and they continue to build upon them while it is a tolled freeway.