FuturEBR

[dan326]

I'm guessing Antrell was trying to say either that the city will have to show its commitment to improved transit by improving the bus system first to convince citizens for the need of a rail system or that the bus system will have to be improved to help get people to the rail system from around town.

Edited February 18, 2011 by dan326

[itsjustme3]

or that the bus system will have to be improved to help get people to the rail system from around town.

No one (or not many people) are going to ride a bus to and from a train. Not going to happen whatsoever.

[Antrell Williams]

what does crappy bus service (CATS) have to do with a inner rail system?

As for CATS, it should be privatized. It's a complete failure and needs a new business model without the city council trying to run it.

I'm guessing Antrell was trying to say either that the city will have to show its commitment to improved transit by improving the bus system first to convince citizens for the need of a rail system or that the bus system will have to be improved to help get people to the rail system from around town.

No one (or not many people) are going to ride a bus to and from a train. Not going to happen whatsoever.

They need to show they're commitment and dedication for something as big as this. CATS is fixable, there are lines that could be added along with bus and bus station improvements. If the city shows it's ready to tackle our poor mass transit then more people will be on board with a inner city rail system here. The unincorporated parts of the parish will be the hardest to please.

And no one will ride a bus to a rail, maybe to a line to NO but not inner city.

[itsjustme3]

CATS is fixable, there are lines that could be added along with bus and bus station improvements. If the city shows it's ready to tackle our poor mass transit then more people will be on board with a inner city rail system here.

I think the city needs to be realistic. Throwing more money at CATS or adding more routes won't change anything. The system is broken. Plus too many people who ride receive free fares or discounts. The ugly truth is that the perception (true or untrue) is that only poor people and blacks use the bus system and it's not safe for any other color to be riding. Not to mention that this is a car town just like most of America.

CATS is like the post office, a broken unsustainable business model. The citys only faults are that it hasn't A) privatized it or B) just done away with it.

[Antrell Williams]

I think the city needs to be realistic. Throwing more money at CATS or adding more routes won't change anything. The system is broken. Plus too many people who ride receive free fares or discounts. The ugly truth is that the perception (true or untrue) is that only poor people and blacks use the bus system and it's not safe for any other color to be riding. Not to mention that this is a car town just like most of America.

CATS is like the post office, a broken unsustainable business model. The citys only faults are that it hasn't A) privatized it or B) just done away with it.

Only the poor blacks use the bus system, especially in mid-city, it's just how most Americans perceive the bus system. I understand this is a car town but I feel like whatever they do, they need to make damn sure it is improved (possibly before they venture into a serious rail system). Here in BR we just aren't accustomed to using any form of transit, before an expensive rail is built, we should see how many people will ride the improved bus system and correlate that to ridership numbers for the rail.

[richyb83]

Nice break-down from Business Report...

An eye on the future

Earlier this month, Mayor Kip Holden and planner John Fregonese unveiled “A Vision for East Baton Rouge.” The 61-page document summarizes the key points of FuturEBR, which is intended to be the city-parish’s next comprehensive development plan. The public, which has been engaged in the planning process through surveys and workshops, will have a few more months to comment before the final document goes before the Planning Commission.

The plan targets six key districts: Mid City; Downtown; LSU, Old South Baton Rouge, Nicholson Drive and the North Gates area; Southern University, Scotlandville, Zion City and Metro Airport area; South Medical District between the Mall of Louisiana and Pennington Biomedical Research Center; and the Broadmoor Shopping Center and Cortana Mall area. Fregonese says other places also will see growth, but says the six districts are strategically located and able to benefit from concentrated planning and revitalization efforts.

East Baton Rouge now is the most populous parish in the state, according to the latest census, and officials hope the new plan will help the region adjust to its population base and anticipate growth yet to come. But any plan is only as good as its implementation; the draft document details seven strategies for achieving its vision

the rest of the article...

http://www.businessreport.com/news/2011/feb/21/eye-future-gnit1/

If something like this could be developed for Westmoreland shopping center; it would be a nice change Government Street

The vision for the Nicholson Drive/River District looks great! Might the street-car work better than light-rail??

Concept for a potential gateway to Southern University

BR needs more 5-8 story residential options...they figured the South Medical District might be a nice place to start...I prefer to call it BR's Medical Corridor...plenty of infil potential...Pardon the taller buildings in the background of the rendering; not sure what's up with that?

Broadmoor Shopping Center/Cortana Mall... Improved transit services? Maybe? Stores built up to the street? Florida Blvd? Pipe dream

[Antrell Williams]

A streetcar system in LSU to downtown might work better. Smaller cars are easier to fill and cheaper. Southern University needs something like that, along with development on Harding, I think it could work there. I like South Medical District better, they need to define that area and define the uptown area I envision. (Blubonnet, Perkins, Jefferson, College, and Corporate) Some good mid-rise mixed income developments would work with the possible 5-10 story office buildings like the ones placed all over the city. That'll add some density and with professionals and residents in the area it might become more pedestrian/bike friendly and would support maybe a little more retail. Also, the city needs to push to stop the building of parking lots that exceed 100-200 spaces and opt for the developers to build parking garages. You can forget about that for Florida, east of S. Acadian would be the only place good for that kind of development. I actually would like for Florida to be raised to freeway standards, it already has feeder roads west of Airline and the removal of stop lights and intersections wouldn't be nearly as costly as some other realms of curbing our traffic. The same could be done for Airline all the way to New Orleans and past the bridge.

Oh and the area around Cortana and Broadmoor will have a difficult time making the transition.

[richyb83]

Good points Antrell The Medical Corridor could really transform itself with some 5-12 story residential projects...I wish the 8-story Summa Ave office tower would been built! Wonder what the latest is on the future north-south Midway Avenue? The area could use it to fill in the street-grid

Here's the FuturEBR Vision Map,,,,only thing is this map has BRCC over at Independence Park instead of it's current location

Edited March 25, 2011 by richyb83

[steve3n8]

Is there any plans to develop the land northwest of the medical district right near the split??? Seems like a bunch of trees and one little open field in the middle. That has always caught my concern and i cant tell what the Futurebr map has it being?

[dan326]

You mean the land west of Essen and south of I-10? That's the LSU Rural Museum. I think the land sandwiched between I-10 and I-12 is part of the LSU museum too. (As a little sidenote it used to part of an estate called the Windrush Plantation, maybe that's why they haven't split up the land yet?)

[steve3n8]

You mean the land west of Essen and south of I-10? That's the LSU Rural Museum. I think the land sandwiched between I-10 and I-12 is part of the LSU museum too. (As a little sidenote it used to part of an estate called the Windrush Plantation, maybe that's why they haven't split up the land yet?)

oh yeah your right, I totally forgot that was the LSU Rural Life Museum. I should have known that ...... although I do wish though they would clear some of those trees out. Looks boring driving by IMO.

[steve3n8]

Anyone heard anything on the Vision Draft yet? I think it was suppose to come out today

[Antrell Williams]

http://futurebr.com/node/98

I thank myself too.

[steve3n8]

oops I meant the Draft Plan?

[Antrell Williams]

This isn't it? It's a 60+ page Spring 2011 Vision Draft Plan PDF file.

[steve3n8]

This isn't it? It's a 60+ page Spring 2011 Vision Draft Plan PDF file.

You pulled up the one released in February which was the 60 page drat vision. There was one they said that was suppose to come out this month, which is the Draft Plan, idk, just thought that they would have it out already.

[Antrell Williams]

I may be wrong but there's some new things that I saw in this one that weren't in the last one they released.

I think I may be wrong...

[cajun]

oh yeah your right, I totally forgot that was the LSU Rural Life Museum. I should have known that ...... although I do wish though they would clear some of those trees out. Looks boring driving by IMO.

Rural Life Museum is a gem. It's one of the world's top outdoor museums. It's so cool seeing all of that without any trace of being in the middle of a city.

The new museum building looks cool (unfortunately, they are already running out of space).

[dan326]

New museum?

The new museum building looks cool (unfortunately, they are already running out of space).

[Antrell Williams]

One of the best in the country? I'm not sure if I've even been, maybe a field trip when I was younger.

[cajun]

New museum?

New Museum building...the museum itself has been around a while. Mostly an outdoor museum.

And yes, it's one is the best outdoor museums.

[steve3n8]

I may be wrong but there's some new things that I saw in this one that weren't in the last one they released.

I think I may be wrong...

They haven't even came out with it yet....the comprehensive plan is scheduled to come out June 21. Sorry bout that.

[richyb83]

Hope some of the plans workout...esp the street car line from Downtown to LSU...Mid City had seen a resurgence with BRCC/added business/restuarants...but seems to be stagnant now. Some of the other mentioned area's in decline could really use a boost! Airline Hwy needs to be widened from the old Miss River Bridge to Parish-line down by Fairgrounds!

Here's a BIG article from the Sunday Advocate...

Charting a New Course; Plan Focuses on Compact Areas for Action

http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/Charting-a-new-course.html

[Antrell Williams]

I like the plan for the medical district, adding an off ramp and another street would lessen the impact on Essen and Bluebonnet. Mid-City is a little stagnant after BRCC. Airline was already widened but it should be 6 lanes to HWY 42 or 73 in Ascension.

The comments are pretty sad, perfect example of what we're dealing with in the community.

Take the FUTUREBR public transit survey everyone.

Edited May 10, 2011 by Antrell Williams

[cajun]

I like the plan for the medical district, adding an off ramp and another street would lessen the impact on Essen and Bluebonnet. Mid-City is a little stagnant after BRCC. Airline was already widened but it should be 6 lanes to HWY 42 or 73 in Ascension.

The comments are pretty sad, perfect example of what we're dealing with in the community.

Take the FUTUREBR public transit survey everyone.

Glad they are pushing public transit.

I am very particular about that sort of thing though....there is talk of a street car on Nicholson, which I think would be a mistake if they do it like Memphis or New Orleans has. I think street cars should be independent of vehicular traffic, and timed with the traffic lights so that it does not depend on a clear road to service the community. Placing it in a median or along side a road would be ideal- like in Houston.

Still, there is no way we can get out of gridlock without getting Highway 61 and 190 moving. That may mean widening it, installing smarter traffic lights, or overpasses. Those routes also need sidewalks and covered bus stops. I'd rather adjust the existing infrastructure before we decide that we need new highways.