nquint1

I'm on board with an additional eastbound lane, but a westbound lane just moves the bottleneck to the bridge.

I really like option 3, although it won't quite look the same on Government (no parked cars). The key for biking along Government Street is making it safe for people who aren't comfortable biking along a busy street. Eliminating as many curb cuts as possible, installing flexible delineators, using green paint and proper signage are all going to be really important. I would also try to plant trees in the suicide lane where possible. They've been shown to slow down traffic. If it's not safe enough you're not going to attract new bikers, which is necessary for the whole thing to work.

Jeff Speck recently teamed up with Cupola Media to do some short videos on road diets. It would be nice to see some of these options applied to Mid City given its proximity to downtown.

That's a really interesting housing development for Baton Rouge. Could spur development at the empty lot on the corner of Napoleon and America too.

I'm actually back home in Ocean Springs, MS. I've been here for a year, but I'll be leaving this fall to study urban planning at VCU. Really looking forward to being back on the east coast and getting to study something I've been interested in for awhile now! Found this pdf on LSU's website that explains the current Easy Streets plans a little better. http://sustainability.lsu.edu/files/item29525.pdf The quality isn't great, but you can see that they plan to keep two lanes for vehicles on Tower Drive from S. Campus to Raphael Semmes. So the faculty parking lots won't be cut off. Wonder what they'll do about the loss of employee street parking? I'm kind of surprised they haven't added a parking lot at the vacant corner of Highland and S. Stadium.

I wanted to start a discussion about roundabouts on LSU's campus, but figured it made more sense to post it here than in the roundabouts thread since the link has a lot of LSU-related projects in it. I came across a thread on tigerdroppings.com that discusses current and future construction projects on campus. The second post mentions adding roundabouts at Dalrymple and W Lakeshore, and at S. Stadium and S. Campus. Those seem like great locations. I really hope the university has plans to add a roundabout at S. Campus and Field House Dr. That intersection is way more confusing than it needs to be, for both vehicles and pedestrians. I also think the E. Parker/S. Lakeshore/W. Lakeshore/Stadium intersection could really benefit from a roundabout. The traffic backs up on W. Lakeshore and you get a lot of people cutting out into oncoming traffic. I'm surprised there aren't more accidents there. It would also make it a more attractive entrance to the campus. Anyone have any input on other intersections on LSU's campus that could use a roundabout? I also thought the Tower Drive project was really interesting. The pedestrian traffic in this area is very heavy. Not sure what will become of some of the faculty parking lots that only have access to Tower Drive. Is someone more familiar with this project? http://www.tigerdroppings.com/rant/p/41754248/LSU-Campus-Construction-Update-Updated-with-More-Pics.aspx

I think it would be smart for Taco Cabana to move into the Baton Rouge market

I was referring to someone's comment on the Advocate's website. They said a better idea would be turning the two center lanes of Government into turning lanes.

The comments from that story are rather telling. This is what we're up against; people who want to turn the middle two lanes of Government into turning lanes.

Just found out that "Sprawling From Grace: The Consequences of Suburbanization" will air on CNBC April 20. I'll definitely be recording this as it's been on my list of films to see for some time. Here's a link to the press release. Anyone seen this already?

This isn't a Baton Rouge pic, but I figured I'd share anyway. It does have a bit of a Baton Rouge flare. I moved to Connecticut last week and took this photo of my girlfriend's car today.

The retail sections are interesting. I guess the city will lease those spaces to coffee shops and cafes. I wonder if Rouzan is making any money off of that?

I thought the rendering for River Road looked much better than previous renderings I've seen. The green space will look great in front of the LASM as opposed to adding a tree-lined median. Repentance Park will be much more connected to City Hall and the new town square. I think that's a big problem with this park. I spend more time looking at it than walking through it. I still have problems with its design, but this is a step in the right direction. The shade structure on the river looks a little funny to me. I think something better could be done with this area, but I don't have any ideas. Overall there's a lot to look forward to. Plus the levee bike path should get extended this year. It's good to see all this work being done during such difficult times elsewhere in the nation. One thing I didn't see mentioned in this PowerPoint is the downtown gateway/underpass beautification that was talked about so much at one point this past year. I thought they approved money for it too. Has this project morphed into the parking they're planning on adding under 110?

Nice slide show by the DDD that shows some of this year's and next year's developments. You can kind of get an idea as to what's happening to repentance park. http://www.passionforprogress.com/assets/2010_DDD_Project_Recap_2.pdf

Video shows a rendering of the 438 Main St development. Wonder if the brownstones will ever be built behind this place? http://www.wbrz.com/player/?video_id=4314&categories=58

Wow, that's ridiculous. Who even says "your kind"? It's sad that people still act this way. It's straight up racism.

wow. that's incredible

Interesting back and forth between Diva and Phil in the comments section. The Next Chapter The narrow aisles of the River Center branch of the East Baton Rouge Parish Library System are just wide enough that two people can awkwardly pass one another while perusing books. The small bathrooms with damaged cabinets are just barely compliant with American Disabilities Act requirements. A sign hangs on one of the doors reminding some needier patrons that “bathing, shaving and washing clothes are not permitted in library restrooms.” A ride in the squeaky, old elevator takes a little longer than it should. The speckled red-orange carpet is a nod to 1980, the year the library was built. There’s limited computer space, a single meeting room with a 65-person capacity and minimal, aged sitting areas. Structurally, the 26,530-square-foot library needs to be brought up to code, and the infrastructure needs to accommodate technological advancements. Aesthetically, the building needs a modern finish to keep up with the revitalization of other downtown facilities. http://www.businessreport.com/news/2010/aug/23/next-chapter-gvpt1/

University to increase energy efficiency The state of Louisiana has received about $75 million in the form of an Energy Reduction Grant, with $25 million being set aside for higher education. The University will soon be awarded the money from the state.Pitre said Facility Services is planning to complete eight projects around campus that will improve the University’s energy efficiency and save money. The most expensive project — which costs about $1 million — will have to do with insulation on pipes that have failed or fallen apart in the utility tunnels that run underground across campus, Pitre said. “We’ll have to redo about 6,000 feet of heating and chilling lines in the tunnels,” Pitre said. “Right now we’re wasting a lot of heat.” Pitre said the revamped insulation will save the University about $400,000 to $450,000 per year and will produce 3,300 fewer metric tons of carbon dioxide per year. http://www.lsureveille.com/news/university-to-increase-energy-efficiency-1.2309196

Anyone else notice how they decided to resurface Nicholson two weeks before the first football game? I don't know what they're thinking.

Nice article from the Business Report about all the activity along Nicholson Drive. I didn't know they were removing the sewage treatment facility in this area. Boulevard of dreams Thousands of visitors to the city each year head straight to LSU, whether to the admissions office or a sports venue. Often, their first impression once crossing the Interstate 10 Mississippi River Bridge is Nicholson Drive, an oak-shaded boulevard lined with 1950s-era ranch homes and intermittent, shabby, concrete buildings. But that lackluster gateway now is among the hottest properties in the city. Some of south Louisiana’s biggest developers have quietly acquired land along the corridor and are waiting for the financial markets to ease up in hopes of remaking the historic Old South Baton Rouge neighborhood into a thriving residential, commercial and entertainment district. If they succeed, they would build a bridge between two of the city’s biggest economic drivers and destinations: downtown and LSU. http://www.businessreport.com/news/2010/aug/10/boulevard-dreams-rlet1/

I'll never look at that building the same way when I drive by at night.

That was fast. College Row Northgate Center set to open Aug. 10 Students returning to campus in the fall will find a new site on the corner of State Street and Highland Road. College Row Northgate is a new shopping center constructed behind Smoothie King. Chris Beall, project manager with Block Construction, said there will be a PJ’s Coffee, Pita Pit, Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt, a Chinese restaurant, CVS Pharmacy and a recent addition, Buffalo Wild Wings. http://www.lsureveille.com/news/college-row-northgate-center-set-to-open-aug-10-1.2282895

Heard this story on NPR today about universal design. Thought it was interesting. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128778558

I appreciate the honesty from this developer saying it'll be 3-5 years before anything else happens with this property. Preis on the other hand...