Pedestrian Bridge Design Competition

[dimebag1980]

Okay, here it is... the pedestrian bridge design entries:

http://www.nwlainfo.com/presentation/Pedes...files/frame.htm

And an article about the competition:

http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.d.../610120312/1007

[dingo]

Okay, here it is... the pedestrian bridge design entries:

http://www.nwlainfo.com/presentation/Pedes...files/frame.htm

And an article about the competition:

http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.d.../610120312/1007

I read a write up in the op-ed part of the Times...god I hate that newspaper...anyways, they werent taking the competition seriously at all. Sounded like this was done more out of fun and some PC-type "building a bridge to closeness" nonsense between bossier and shreveport.

I dont know if Im going now. Why waste the time if this wont lead to anything?

[fridayinla]

I read a write up in the op-ed part of the Times...god I hate that newspaper...anyways, they werent taking the competition seriously at all. Sounded like this was done more out of fun and some PC-type "building a bridge to closeness" nonsense between bossier and shreveport.

I dont know if Im going now. Why waste the time if this wont lead to anything?

Alright, so an advance notice on the winners of the pedestrian bridge competition.

Professional Category: 1st - Pelican Bridge, 2nd - SB Link

Student Category: 1st - Relationships, 2nd - China Bridge

General Public: 1st - River Bridge , 2nd - Sunshine Bridge

The director of the Northwest LA Council of Governments said at the ceremony that they were working with an architecture and engineering firm in Baton Rouge to review the winning designs for construction feasibility. Accoridng to him, the City of Shreveport (et al), is committed to having a pedestrian bridge completed within 5 years. At this point, designs from the competition will be considered, along with others, for actual construction. Tthe winning designs will also be toured around to build momentum for the project. It's a very serious project. There will be an article in tomorrow's Times.

It's exciting stuff!

[dimebag1980]

Alright, so an advance notice on the winners of the pedestrian bridge competition.

Professional Category: 1st - Pelican Bridge, 2nd - SB Link

Student Category: 1st - Relationships, 2nd - China Bridge

General Public: 1st - River Bridge , 2nd - Sunshine Bridge

The director of the Northwest LA Council of Governments said at the ceremony that they were working with an architecture and engineering firm in Baton Rouge to review the winning designs for construction feasibility. Accoridng to him, the City of Shreveport (et al), is committed to having a pedestrian bridge completed within 5 years. At this point, designs from the competition will be considered, along with others, for actual construction. Tthe winning designs will also be toured around to build momentum for the project. It's a very serious project. There will be an article in tomorrow's Times.

It's exciting stuff!

Very nice! Yours is "River Bridge," correct Stephen??

The only thing I see that I don't like is that they're consulting with a firm in Baton Rouge... why not a local firm? Nothing at all against Baton Rouge, but there are some huge architecture/engineering firms in this area with whom they could work. Going outside of the area seems a bit crazy to me.

Anyway, are you going to still be in SBC tomorrow?

[fridayinla]

Very nice! Yours is "River Bridge," correct Stephen??

The only thing I see that I don't like is that they're consulting with a firm in Baton Rouge... why not a local firm? Nothing at all against Baton Rouge, but there are some huge architecture/engineering firms in this area with whom they could work. Going outside of the area seems a bit crazy to me.

Anyway, are you going to still be in SBC tomorrow?

Mine is River Bridge! I think the reason they decided to use a firm in Baton Rouge is b/c the director of the NLCOG has a personal relationship with someone there. I wish I was staying a bit longer, but my flight leaves at 11am tomorrow. I would have loved to catch up with you Brian.

[NCB]

Mine is River Bridge!

Wow, a big congratulations to you, Stephen!

[dimebag1980]

Good to see you on this topic, Nate.

Stephen definitely deserves credit for getting FIRST place in the general public category! His design was impressive so I really did expect that.

And finally... I really hope he enjoyed his stay in the area. I think Shreveport-Bossier is a much more impressive place these days.

[fridayinla]

I think Shreveport-Bossier is a much more impressive place these days.

So much more impressive these days. From knowing it all my life, then only visiting periodically for the last 8 yrs, every time I'm blown away.

[NCB]

From knowing it all my life, then only visiting periodically for the last 8 yrs, every time I'm blown away.

The mark of a city moving in the right direction!

[dimebag1980]

The mark of a city moving in the right direction!

I most certainly hope so...

We just have to combat the problem of a shrinking population. We've never been a "suburban" area until the last decade or two, and it's only getting worse. These small towns on the outer fringes are making the shift from rural to suburb pretty quickly. It's good to an extent, because I want to see the towns around here prosper... but I wish they weren't becoming more and more attractive to Shreveport residents. And having grown up in Bossier and absolutely LOVING that city, I kind of still hate to know that so many people are shifting to Bossier from Shreveport. I'd like to see both cities' populations grow just the same.

[NCB]

I know this is going off topic, but your last post really made me think about something. Is the city government and overall leadership in Bossier better than its counterpart in Shreveport? And when comparing things like schools, crime, city services, etc., how do the two compare? Because I remember thinking about how the two cities are only a few thousand feet away from each other, and how Shreveport-Bossier would have something like 260,000 people if they merged. But usually when two cities like that never merge, it's because the people don't want it to happen, and when the people don't want it to happen, it usually goes back to some of the things that I listed above.

[dimebag1980]

I know this is going off topic, but your last post really made me think about something. Is the city government and overall leadership in Bossier better than its counterpart in Shreveport? And when comparing things like schools, crime, city services, etc., how do the two compare? Because I remember thinking about how the two cities are only a few thousand feet away from each other, and how Shreveport-Bossier would have something like 260,000 people if they merged. But usually when two cities like that never merge, it's because the people don't want it to happen, and when the people don't want it to happen, it usually goes back to some of the things that I listed above.

I'll give you a basic rundown from MY perspective...

Up until about the last decade or so, Bossier was considered "bad" city. It was the beotch little brother to Shreveport and got very little respect. It was always known as a rough place thanks to the old Bossier Strip. It was very much like a smaller version of Vegas, with roadside bars and cheap motels lining miles of Highway 80, and illegal casinos and other such places operating underground.

Bossier eventually cleaned up its act, but it was too late... its image was tarnished. I remember very well, my own aunt never wanted to come over, because NO one wanted to cross the river into Bossier.

So what happened? To be honest, I don't know exactly. The casino industry played a role in things, but I know Shreveport's crime rate did as well. As Shreveport's crime rate rose, more and more people took note of Bossier's low crime rate, which is still extremely low to this date. The worst neighborhood in Bossier is still probably 10x better than the worst neighborhood in Shreveport. The two cities are just very different.

Now Bossier has become far more affluent and is looked to as an escape from Shreveport. I'm living proof of that, when I decided to cross back to the east side of the river after just 2 years of living in Shreveport. After comparing neighborhoods in Shreveport and Bossier, I found Bossier's nieghborhoods to be generally safer than Shreveport's. But then I ended up in Haughton because Bossier had become too expensive. I NEVER thought Bossier would become too expensive for me, but it did.

Bossier City's leadership under George Dement for 16 years was good, and has continued to be good, so far, under Lo Walker. He is continuing projects that Dement started, and pushing for more and more to be done. In addition, Bossier City's police department has always been known as a tough police force. Bossier City averages 3 or 4 homicides per year, compared to 30-40 for Shreveport. A city whose population is only about 3x that of Bossier has a crime rate about 10x higher.

FYI I've long thought that Shreveport and Bossier should either become one city or share a metropolitan police force.

[dingo]

Accoridng to him, the City of Shreveport (et al), is committed to having a pedestrian bridge completed within 5 years. At this point, designs from the competition will be considered, along with others, for actual construction. Tthe winning designs will also be toured around to build momentum for the project. It's a very serious project. There will be an article in tomorrow's Times.

typical shreveport

this is why Bossier is and will continue to grow faster than shreveport. Five years from now shreveport will still be sitting there with their thumbs up their asses and looking at a dead "entertainment district" under a bridge and wonder why there arent any decent tenants there.

[dingo]

I know this is going off topic, but your last post really made me think about something. Is the city government and overall leadership in Bossier better than its counterpart in Shreveport? And when comparing things like schools, crime, city services, etc., how do the two compare?

Bossier has lower taxes and smarter politicans. They have benefited from the casinos and seem to have invested the money wisely. Bossier has also had the advantage of available land so that the city can expand.

I dont know if youve even been to Kenner, LA (a suburb of N.O.) if so, that is what I would consider Bossier to be like (or becoming) as in white, afluent, good police force, and a wise money spending city council. Thats why shreveports outer fringe citys are growing.