Proposed I-410

[itsjustme3]

I can see the votes splitting 50/50 in Ascension and Livingston. I could care less about the McMansions in those parishes, even my mother could build another house if it happened to destroy her home.

And those people, or McMansion owners could care less what people want who live in the city. That's why it won't get built. The "could care less" attitude cuts both ways.

And just because your momma can rebuild, it's foolish to believe that just because they have a nice house that they can just rebuild so oh so easily.

[Antrell Williams]

The loop isn't strictly for the city. It acts as a catalyst for development in those parishes, which would cause horrible traffic and rapid population growth. I'm not saying just because they have a nice house they can afford to rebuild so easily, but isn't the home and land bought for market value? Which is much higher after Katrina.

A few (hundred) McMansions aren't worth saving, in my opinion.

I don't want the loop any how, build I-49 first, or my "I-51."

[itsjustme3]

A few (hundred) McMansions aren't worth saving, in my opinion.

Beautiful attitude. it's a great thing that you have zero power or influence in decisions like these when it comes to if a persons home should cease to exist. It's sad that your class envy has led you to believe that only a few hundred rich people with mini mansions will be affected. It's sad you don't realize that people in starter homes and lower economic families would also be in the way of a loop.

That's also why people in the suburbs don't care about your problems and leave the nightmare that is Baton Rouge.

[dan326]

People left Baton Rouge for compassionate neighbors?? Lol!

[Antrell Williams]

Beautiful attitude. it's a great thing that you have zero power or influence in decisions like these when it comes to if a persons home should cease to exist. It's sad that your class envy has led you to believe that only a few hundred rich people with mini mansions will be affected. It's sad you don't realize that people in starter homes and lower economic families would also be in the way of a loop.

That's also why people in the suburbs don't care about your problems and leave the nightmare that is Baton Rouge.

In case you are unaware, when new highways are built, homes are purchased and demolished. And quite frankly, I'm much happier if a "McMansion" is demolished versus a historic home in a historic neighborhood. I'm sure we all agree on that. It's not like this process is new, it happened when the Interstate highway system was built, and naturally it happens as more freeways are built.

I'm questioning your argument on this class envy thing. I lived exactly where I'm talking about and while it's sad that homes have to be demolished, it is very possible to build another house, newer and with the same or a more preferred floor plan.

Your precious heaven in the suburbs will soon be a nightmare.

[all2neat]

Typically the government doesn't give you fair market value for your property, that is most peoples issues with the process. You also have to qualify for a new loan for a new house and you may have had a life event that causes you issues getting a loan.

[itsjustme3]

Typically the government doesn't give you fair market value for your property, that is most peoples issues with the process. You also have to qualify for a new loan for a new house and you may have had a life event that causes you issues getting a loan.

That can't be true. Antrell says those evil rich mcmansion suburbanites can afford it. Let's just bulldoze their homes so we can drive faster thru downtown.

[nquint1]

I think a better option than the loop would be to move the 10/12 split into West Baton Rouge parish.

Have I-12 go north of BR and follow the path of the northern part of the loop. Have I-10 go southeast of BR and connect to the existing I-10 somewhere in Ascension parish. This would solve the problem of keeping traffic out of BR when it's driving through to get to another destination.

The "old" I-12 (from Pete's hwy to I-10) and the "old I-10 (from Highland to the MS river bridge) would be converted into a tree-lined boulevard with 3 lanes on each side (possibly 4 lanes where the two merge). Tear down the overpasses, and replace them with traffic light intersections. More importantly, connect/reconnect the grid in spots along this boulevard. This is more important as you get closer into the city, but it needs to be done everywhere to help relieve the traffic on the feeder roads.

The same thing needs to be done with I-110. Removing the elevated hwy will go a long way toward improving that part of town.

Converting the interstates into boulevards will force dense development in the core of BR. It will also free up a lot of land along the boulevards for development or public transit.

I guess I should add that I don't think this plan will ever go through. I can see a lot of people (especially those outside EBR parish who work in the city) being against it because it would increase commute times. On the other hand it would make it more viable to have some sort of light rail. The best place to start would be tearing down I-110. It's easy to reconnect the grid in this area and having traffic at ground level should help the crime issues and spur development. Hopefully at that point people realize that adding lanes to highways won't solve traffic problems, and maybe they'll be more open to other options.

[steve3n8]

I think a better option than the loop would be to move the 10/12 split into West Baton Rouge parish.

Have I-12 go north of BR and follow the path of the northern part of the loop. Have I-10 go southeast of BR and connect to the existing I-10 somewhere in Ascension parish. This would solve the problem of keeping traffic out of BR when it's driving through to get to another destination.

The "old" I-12 (from Pete's hwy to I-10) and the "old I-10 (from Highland to the MS river bridge) would be converted into a tree-lined boulevard with 3 lanes on each side (possibly 4 lanes where the two merge). Tear down the overpasses, and replace them with traffic light intersections. More importantly, connect/reconnect the grid in spots along this boulevard. This is more important as you get closer into the city, but it needs to be done everywhere to help relieve the traffic on the feeder roads.

The same thing needs to be done with I-110. Removing the elevated hwy will go a long way toward improving that part of town.

Converting the interstates into boulevards will force dense development in the core of BR. It will also free up a lot of land along the boulevards for development or public transit.

I guess I should add that I don't think this plan will ever go through. I can see a lot of people (especially those outside EBR parish who work in the city) being against it because it would increase commute times. On the other hand it would make it more viable to have some sort of light rail. The best place to start would be tearing down I-110. It's easy to reconnect the grid in this area and having traffic at ground level should help the crime issues and spur development. Hopefully at that point people realize that adding lanes to highways won't solve traffic problems, and maybe they'll be more open to other options.

No Offense, but WTF?????

[all2neat]

I think he's on track with moving i12 north around the city but i'd leave 10 alone. I'd have to loom at a map though because if it won't save people time they wont use it.

My biggest problem is I live in a 3 bedroom house and it is close to 42. If a loop is build nearby, odds are noise will degrade my property value. If my house isn't bought out odds are my property value will go down.

I think the loop is too big for the size city. I think it should stay within ebr and wbr and be tight to the city.

[Neo]

I'm pretty sure I've mentioned this in the past, but if you don't want to see the opinions of another user, please use the ability to hide posts from that user as an advantage. I really don't have the time or patience to babysit so my advice to those who are being unruly is to either make amends with each other or simply turn on the ignore feature that we have here. If you don't, you may find yourself suspended or worse.

[Antrell Williams]

Staying within EBR and WBR is a much better option. Tear down I-110? Don't think that's a good idea, it's our only north-south freeway in a parish that's longer than it is wide. The proposed greenway is cheaper and the freeway allows free parking under it.

[buckett5425]

I think a better option than the loop would be to move the 10/12 split into West Baton Rouge parish.

Have I-12 go north of BR and follow the path of the northern part of the loop. Have I-10 go southeast of BR and connect to the existing I-10 somewhere in Ascension parish. This would solve the problem of keeping traffic out of BR when it's driving through to get to another destination.

The "old" I-12 (from Pete's hwy to I-10) and the "old I-10 (from Highland to the MS river bridge) would be converted into a tree-lined boulevard with 3 lanes on each side (possibly 4 lanes where the two merge). Tear down the overpasses, and replace them with traffic light intersections. More importantly, connect/reconnect the grid in spots along this boulevard. This is more important as you get closer into the city, but it needs to be done everywhere to help relieve the traffic on the feeder roads.

The same thing needs to be done with I-110. Removing the elevated hwy will go a long way toward improving that part of town.

Converting the interstates into boulevards will force dense development in the core of BR. It will also free up a lot of land along the boulevards for development or public transit.

I guess I should add that I don't think this plan will ever go through. I can see a lot of people (especially those outside EBR parish who work in the city) being against it because it would increase commute times. On the other hand it would make it more viable to have some sort of light rail. The best place to start would be tearing down I-110. It's easy to reconnect the grid in this area and having traffic at ground level should help the crime issues and spur development. Hopefully at that point people realize that adding lanes to highways won't solve traffic problems, and maybe they'll be more open to other options.

I've had very similar ideas regarding I-110 and I-10 and the positive impact that would have on the city. They want to do it in New Orleans with the Claibourne Expressway, no reason they can't do it here....

[Antrell Williams]

The I-10 bridge over Claiborne is a different situation. They plan on renaming I-610 as I-10. Baton Rouge doesn't have the luxury to replace the I-110 corridor and it's capacity like New Orleans.

[nquint1]

I think he's on track with moving i12 north around the city but i'd leave 10 alone. I'd have to loom at a map though because if it won't save people time they wont use it.

That's why you convert the former I-10 and I-12 into boulevards. They'll slow the traffic down enough to encourage people to drive around the city. Slowing down the traffic will also encourage better public transportation options which will get people where they need to go quicker than cars will. Why don't people use the bus now? Because at this point it's quicker to jump in your car and drive to where you need to go. That's certainly not the only reason people aren't using the CATS bus system, but the point I'm trying to make is that if you slow down traffic and invest in public transportation at the same time, people are more inclined to use it. BR has a long way to go to get to that point. For starters they need to focus on making streets more pedestrian friendly.

Tear down I-110? Don't think that's a good idea, it's our only north-south freeway in a parish that's longer than it is wide. The proposed greenway is cheaper and the freeway allows free parking under it.

The problem with 110 is it's elevated through a blighted area. If you put the cars at street level then you decrease crime because of the traffic. It's easier to forget about BR's problems when you're traveling above neighborhoods. By having a boulevard you also make the area more pedestrian friendly. The more pedestrians there are walking around, the safer the area becomes.

I would suggest that the value of the boulevard downtown outweighs the value of the free parking. I used to live two blocks from 110 on North Blvd and the parking under the interstate was rarely used in that part of downtown (I can't speak for the area between Convention and North St). It was used on Sunday for church, and it was used for Mardi Gras. You could add street parking to 9th and 10th St. and probably make up for the parking lost under the interstate. Granted it wouldn't be free, but parking is free on Sunday and Mardi Gras already.

[Antrell Williams]

So only south of Laurel St would be torn down? I like that idea but what about I-110's connection to I-10. There needs to be a connection to north Baton Rouge.

[all2neat]

No elected politician will ever proposed turning I12 and I10 into boulevards.. Can you imagine I12 or I10 being like Siegen everyday. It would be a worse parking lot than it already is. I think having a freeway through the middle of the city is vital to its success. I think having a reasonable second option to go around the city is vital. I'd love to see Florida expanded and Airline expanded. If you look at other cities of around 800k, typically they have 5-laned freeways and they have a second or third feasible route. We have 3 laned freeway with not many other options. I think adding some lanes in our case is at least part of the answer.

The problem with public transit is the area is too spread out for it to ever be self sufficient. With the current economy you won't get taxes approved for public transit. I would love to drive up hwy 42 to airline and park the car and ride to Florida on a train, i just don't see it happening. I'm encouraged by the new streets requiring sidewalks and bike lanes. Hwy 42 is supposed to be widened next year. They will put in sidewalks and bike baths. That is great. I doubt many use them to go to leblacs or walgreens in the summer when it's 100 degrees. BUT, it's a good start.

[Antrell Williams]

Public transit will never extend to the suburbs. It's not feasible, nor will it ever be, to have a line running to Prairieville. Unless, of course, it was heavy rail to New Orleans with a stop around Hwy 30 in Gonzales.

[buckett5425]

No elected politician will ever proposed turning I12 and I10 into boulevards.. Can you imagine I12 or I10 being like Siegen everyday. It would be a worse parking lot than it already is. I think having a freeway through the middle of the city is vital to its success. I think having a reasonable second option to go around the city is vital. I'd love to see Florida expanded and Airline expanded. If you look at other cities of around 800k, typically they have 5-laned freeways and they have a second or third feasible route. We have 3 laned freeway with not many other options. I think adding some lanes in our case is at least part of the answer.

The problem with public transit is the area is too spread out for it to ever be self sufficient. With the current economy you won't get taxes approved for public transit. I would love to drive up hwy 42 to airline and park the car and ride to Florida on a train, i just don't see it happening. I'm encouraged by the new streets requiring sidewalks and bike lanes. Hwy 42 is supposed to be widened next year. They will put in sidewalks and bike baths. That is great. I doubt many use them to go to leblacs or walgreens in the summer when it's 100 degrees. BUT, it's a good start.

The idea of 1-10 being a boulevard isn't as far fetched as one might think. If a loop was built around the city to divert thru traffic, a large boulevard would be the best option to service the residents of the city. The interstate has a massive right-of-way and has lowered the value of much of the adjacent property. A properly designed boulevard with a 200' to 300' right-of-way can accomodate more cars than the current interstate and stimulate economic development.

The boulevards would be modeled after the Avenue des Champs-Élysées, in Paris, or the Paseo de la Reforma in Mexico City. Both boulevards accommodate 8 lanes of traffic in the center, flanked by small tree lined park space and then a two lane service road with slower traffic that engages with the side streets and fronts the cafes and shops along the road. This type of road allows for many different types of uses, with large volumes of fast moving traffic in the center, while the slower, neighborhood traffic and pedestrians are separated by the green space. I won't divulge to much into the topic, but the idea is very doable. It would move more cars, raise property vaulues, allow for mass transit, and density. The same concepts could be used to redevelop Florida Boulevard.

Avenue des Champs-Élysées

http://en.wikipedia...._Triomphe.jpg

Paseo de la Reforma

http://www.aerialarc...g/AHLB2213c.jpg

I-10 @ College Drive

.....it could happen if our political leaders would stand behind the project and our cities residents wanted to get out of their cars.

[Antrell Williams]

While it might work, it will never happen. Florida and Airline need this in my opinion.

[buckett5425]

While it might work, it will never happen. Florida and Airline need this in my opinion.

I agree it won't happen anytime soon or ever for that matter. However the elevated bridges near Downtown and Perkins Road are nearing their life expectancy and will need to be replaced within the next 30 years. It would be fantastic if a "boulevard" proposal similar to this was presented, as an option, instead of simply replacing an ugly free way, with a NEW ugly freeway...

However I do agree that in our car based culture, the boulevard proposal is only presently viable if there is a loop around Baton Rouge to divert all of the thru traffic.

[Antrell Williams]

The loop would have to be small enough, yet not congested to force people to use the loop. Beltway 8 in Houston is a perfect example, certain stretches are just as congested as I-10. The old proposed corridor was way too large.

[nquint1]

Thanks buckett for doing a better job of describing what I was thinking. 110 would be a great guinea pig for this. The whole corridor would benefit immensely. Has anyone tried walking from one side of 110 to the other in the downtown area? The on/off ramps make it difficult and dangerous. Like buckett said at some point the bridges will need to be replaced and hopefully a boulevard option will be considered. Maybe by then New Orleans will serve as an example of what's possible.

[Antrell Williams]

My ultimate question is will all of I-110 be taken down? And if not, how will the new south terminus be connected to I-10? It has to intersect with it somehow. I do like that idea though.

[buckett5425]

My ultimate question is will all of I-110 be taken down? And if not, how will the new south terminus be connected to I-10? It has to intersect with it somehow. I do like that idea though.

Maybe a nice traffic circle, who knows? haha

Although lets be honest, ANYTHING would be more efficient than the current I10/I110 interchange!