FuturEBR

[richyb83]

Some interesting comments made...

2 more meetings set on Future BR land-use plan

http://theadvocate.com/news/business/328512-63/2-more-meetings-set-on.html

[steve3n8]

Speakers say B.R./N.O. rail line still possible, if public rallies behind it

A rail line connecting Baton Rouge and New Orleans is a possibility, if residents and local governments strongly support the idea, according to speakers at the CONNECT Policy Forum held today. CONNECT, a project of the Center for Planning Excellence, is a coalition of dozens of organizations from Baton Rouge and New Orleans. The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development chose not to apply for federal money that might have been available for rail through the federal stimulus bill in 2009. However, Baton Rouge and New Orleans have signed an intrastate rail compact and have formed a quasi-governmental entity that will look to identify a possible rail corridor. "If you sell the need, people will figure out a way to fund it," says William Daniel, acting director of East Baton Rouge Parish's Department of Public Works. State Rep. Michael Jackson, D-Baton Rouge, says other funding sources, including "third-party" sources, might be available, although he was not specific. "We're not stopping just because this administration said no," Jackson says. "We're hoping that changes, and we'll be ready when the time comes." John Robert Smith, CEO of Reconnecting America and the former mayor of Meridian, Miss., described convincing former U.S. Sen. Trent Lott to become a big Amtrak supporter by proving to him that it was important to his constituents. Smith suggested federal funding was available for transportation planning and infrastructure in south Louisiana, partly because of sympathy tied to recent disasters. "The time to act is now," he says. "You don't have five years to figure this out." CONNECT released a new policy brief today, which lays out strategies for implementing a better transportation network in the Baton Rouge/New Orleans region, click here to download.

businessreport.com

[itsjustme3]

Speakers say B.R./N.O. rail line still possible, if public rallies behind it

We're not behind it. Stop wasting money.

Sincerely,

The public

Seriously though, it's not going to happen.

[buckett5425]

We're not behind it. Stop wasting money.

Sincerely,

The public

Seriously though, it's not going to happen.

We want there to only be one form of transportation in and around our city, and to New Orleans; despite the rising cost of gasoline. Any alternative to the automobile is socialist and therefore un-American.

Sincerely,

The Public

[Antrell Williams]

Good news. Does this get coverage on WAFB or any other news channels?

That's the tone I get too, buckett.

Edited July 22, 2011 by Antrell Williams

[buckett5425]

I wonder who keeps disliking my posts!

[buckett5425]

I wonder who keeps disliking my posts!

[Antrell Williams]

The only user with negative rep in the BR forum. Haha

[itsjustme3]

We want there to only be one form of transportation in and around our city, and to New Orleans; despite the rising cost of gasoline. Any alternative to the automobile is socialist and therefore un-American.

Sincerely,

The Public

Yea, because it doesn't have anything to do with people preferring to pay more money for gas than to rely on broke and undependable CATS bus system or doesn't want to waste money on rail during this rough economic times. You're right. Clearly those don't factor in. You're right. Because we don't have rail the people of Baton Rouge must be backwards.

Oh and disliking posts? If I dislike your post I'll tell you. I'm just glad there's another person on this forum who thinks rationally. Too bad he/she doesn't have the guts to speak up.

[Antrell Williams]

The future starts now. That is why we are in the situation we are in now.

Edited July 22, 2011 by Antrell Williams

[buckett5425]

Yea, because it doesn't have anything to do with people preferring to pay more money for gas than to rely on broke and undependable CATS bus system or doesn't want to waste money on rail during this rough economic times. You're right. Clearly those don't factor in. You're right. Because we don't have rail the people of Baton Rouge must be backwards.

Oh and disliking posts? If I dislike your post I'll tell you. I'm just glad there's another person on this forum who thinks rationally. Too bad he/she doesn't have the guts to speak up.

Don't you understand the reason CATS is underfunded, is because people would rather pay the premium of driving a car? If the public rallied behind the bus system and it was used as effectively as it is in other cities this wouldn't be an issue. CATS sucks not because its run by the government, but because people choose to under utilize mass transit, leading to lower ridership and less revenue. If the public rode the buses, there would be more revenue, more demand, and better services. It's that simple.

You also speak of tough economic times, well its also more expensive to live in suburbia. A family living in an urban walkable community or downtown, on average will spend 10% to 12% of their income on transportation. A family living in suburbia will spend anywhere from 20% to 30% of their income on transportation. The figures can be as high as 50% for the poor. People who live in urban walkable communities have more discretionary income, buying power, or savings vs people who do not. So do not complain about tough economic times with 50% of the country chooses to live in suburbia where they must spend a large portion of their income on a service thats cheaper in more urban areas.

Thirdly, mass transit in general only works effectively in more dense areas. A successful bus system will never work in EBR as long as our buildings are set back from the street and surrounded by parking lots. These are not inviting places for pedestrians to shop and live. This city was built at the scale of a car, not a person and until it reverses that damage, a car is the only way to get around....

[itsjustme3]

I don't have time to go through how almost all of your statements are wrong so here's just a few:

Don't you understand the reason CATS is underfunded, is because people would rather pay the premium of driving a car? If the public rallied behind the bus system and it was used as effectively as it is in other cities this wouldn't be an issue. 

Yes. It's always the tax payers fault when something doesn't work. Cats just needs a few more of my hard earned money inorder to accomplish the task of running on schedule, having smart routes and keeping bums off the buses. Just a few more of our tax dollars. Damn those evil people who don't ride the bus or support tax payer money from being used.

You also speak of tough economic times, well its also more expensive to live in suburbia

People who live in urban walkable communities have more discretionary income, buying power, or savings vs people who do not. . 

And yet taxes are much cheaper than living in Baton Rouge. So I have to spend a few more dollars in gas. Whoopee do. Atleast my kids go to a better school and atleast there aren't crack heads near my suburban neighborhood. 

And the idea that living in the city makes you wealthier when you use the bus and in walkable communities? HA! Then everyone riding the bus or living downtown is richer than people who have fled to the suburbs? Then maybe CATS should raise their fares. Seeing how wealthy everyone in the communities are. Too funny.

[buckett5425]

And the idea that living in the city makes you wealthier when you use the bus and in walkable communities? HA! Then everyone riding the bus or living downtown is richer than people who have fled to the suburbs? Then maybe CATS should raise their fares. Seeing how wealthy everyone in the communities are. Too funny.

I would advise you to work on you're reading comprehension...

I never said people who live in the city are wealthier than those that don't. What i said was that people who live in urban areas spend less of their income on transportation and therefore have more buying power. I also said that for low income individuals, they can spend up to 50% of their income on transportation, what about that statement implies they are wealthy? What would you do if you could spend 10% less on transportation a month? Buy a larger house, send your kids to a better school, or invest in a new business?

Exactly.

[itsjustme3]

I would advise you to work on you're reading comprehension...

I never said people who live in the city are wealthier than those that don't. What i said was that people who live in urban areas spend less of their income on transportation and therefore have more buying power.

haha! Fear not, I know what you said and that's why I laughed. Thanks for the laugh again. Im sure people living in "urban" Baton Rouge will rest easy tonight knowing that although their schools stink, the buses don't run on time nor can the buses support their operations and their "urban" taxes are higher, atleast they can have the satisfaction of knowing they have more buying power than me and all the other suckers who chose not to live in Baton Rouge.

[buckett5425]

haha! Fear not, I know what you said and that's why I laughed. Thanks for the laugh again. Im sure people living in "urban" Baton Rouge will rest easy tonight knowing that although their schools stink, the buses don't run on time nor can the buses support their operations and their "urban" taxes are higher, atleast they can have the satisfaction of knowing they have more buying power than me and all the other suckers who chose not to live in Baton Rouge.

I wonder who will get the last laugh.

[all2neat]

The biggest problem for CATS is the population density. Public transit works in the major cities because a lot of people live really close together. Baton Roue, for better or for worse, is spread out. Because of this CATS will always require a significant portion of tax subsidies which right now are very difficult to get passed. I do believe there is a place for public transit,

I have a hard time justifying extra taxes for busses that are almost always empty. I'd rather increase taxes to hire an extra librarian, or build a new library or school. I think CATS needs to eliminate some routes and work on building out from successful routes. I believe having a route from Denham Springs to downtown with stops at Cortana, Bonne Carre Tech Park, and a couple stops downtown would have potential. I can see potential for a light rail working for that route. The problem with CATS is it largely goes to poor or underserved areas of town. When I lived on Jones Creek we didn't have any bus service. What I'm trying to get at is Louisiana uses bus services as a service for the poor versus a service for the people. And generations in this state have grown up with this mentality. It will take a long time for the public here to change, and until they do a tax increase for CATS, especially in this economy will be very hard to get if not impossible.

My 2 cents, CATS needs to be reevaluated and restructured before any more money is dumped into it. It's not that i'm against the idea of public transit, i'm against the way Baton Rouge is doing it at this time.

[Antrell Williams]

Great post.

CATS goes to poorer parts of town because everyone else in BR has cars and drives, including people on Jones Creek. Plus the stigma of riding a CATS bus in BR..

[itsjustme3]

The problem with CATS is it largely goes to poor or underserved areas of town. When I lived on Jones Creek we didn't have any bus service. What I'm trying to get at is Louisiana uses bus services as a service for the poor versus a service for the people.

That can't be right. Don't you know the urban dwellers have more buying potential?

/sarcasm

Great post.

CATS goes to poorer parts of town because everyone else in BR has cars and drives, including people on Jones Creek. Plus the stigma of riding a CATS bus in BR..

I'll add another one: safety

[Antrell Williams]

If you live near "frequent" CATS service, I'm sure safety isn't an issue.

[itsjustme3]

If you live near "frequent" CATS service, I'm sure safety isn't an issue.

So areas on a bus route or close to a bus stop bench are sa....

Sorry, I couldn't finish that without laughing.

[Antrell Williams]

What I meant was, if you already frequent CATS, worrying about your safety isn't anything new.

[buckett5425]

The biggest problem for CATS is the population density. Public transit works in the major cities because a lot of people live really close together. Baton Roue, for better or for worse, is spread out. Because of this CATS will always require a significant portion of tax subsidies which right now are very difficult to get passed. I do believe there is a place for public transit,

I have a hard time justifying extra taxes for busses that are almost always empty. I'd rather increase taxes to hire an extra librarian, or build a new library or school. I think CATS needs to eliminate some routes and work on building out from successful routes. I believe having a route from Denham Springs to downtown with stops at Cortana, Bonne Carre Tech Park, and a couple stops downtown would have potential. I can see potential for a light rail working for that route. The problem with CATS is it largely goes to poor or underserved areas of town. When I lived on Jones Creek we didn't have any bus service. What I'm trying to get at is Louisiana uses bus services as a service for the poor versus a service for the people. And generations in this state have grown up with this mentality. It will take a long time for the public here to change, and until they do a tax increase for CATS, especially in this economy will be very hard to get if not impossible.

My 2 cents, CATS needs to be reevaluated and restructured before any more money is dumped into it. It's not that i'm against the idea of public transit, i'm against the way Baton Rouge is doing it at this time.

Great statement. Sums up the problem in BR perfectly.

I think if Baton Rouge would take the new FuturEBR recommendations of promoting light density, a safer and more successful bus service would follow. Right now we're trying to make a bus service work in a city that wasn't designed to be functional without a car, of course CATS is going to lose money and only service the poor. However, if we first create areas of moderate density with a human scale, mass transit would naturally follow because the car becomes a burden. Also, these areas would serve a more mixed income population with a middle class. A safer neighborhood automatically promotes a safer ridership by default, because they are the people using the service.

So, to some up my own thoughts, and reinforce those of all2neat, you cant expect the taxpayers to continue to support cats because because the infrastructure to support mass transit simply isn't there.

[richyb83]

Yes...that about sums it up.

Last Sunday evening way down Florida Blvd east at Flannery Rd...the CATS bus was basically empty, only ONE person was riding when I saw them go by. Seems like a waste at that particular instance; might a smaller shuttle-type van worked better??

It's an uphill climb to get dense development in the urban core; Two recent proposed dense® developments Capital Lofts & Rouzan have been shot-down by Spanish Town & Southdowns residents...maybe the River District & Medical Corridor will be able to build without all the heat..

Edited July 24, 2011 by richyb83

[Antrell Williams]

The Medical area should be able to flourish. Especially if another ramp is built between Bluebonnet and Essen and new developments encourage new, interconnecting streets.

[steve3n8]

Planning Commission to look at FuturEBR, River Park

The city-parish Planning & Zoning Commission is set to consider approvals for two downtown projects at its meeting today, along with the possibility of adopting a new comprehensive land use plan for East Baton Rouge Parish. At its 4 p.m. meeting today at the Governmental Building on St. Louis Street, commissioners will review a rezoning request for a 22-unit apartment building on Main Street. Architect Norman Chenevert wants to build a four-story, environmentally friendly development at the space across from the Main Street Market. A final development plan for the River Park mixed-use project will also be considered. Developer Pete Clements wants to divide the 36-acre property next to Hollywood Casino and put a seven-acre park on the Mississippi River. Clements has discussed building hotels, retail and a boardwalk on the property. The first step toward approving the FuturEBR development plan will go before the Planning Commission today. Commissioners will also consider two subdivision plans: the 73-lot Lake at Anselmo development between Anselmo Lane and Perkins Road; and Cheval Point, a 125-lot development off River Road, south of BREC Drive. While Planning Commission staffers have recommended approving the Anselmo project, they have recommended against Cheval Point.

Businessreport.com