re: Public transportation in BR?

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But Miami is on the coast. Baton Rouge's air doesn't move from April to October.

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Not in the summer time. It rains every afternoon which means the humidity stays above 80s and the temp is back into the 90s 30 minutes after the rain is over. Plus the urban heating effect is greater. Very similar climate to BR and people walk after they get off of public transportation. In fact if you take your car to work in Brickell or Downtown you will probably end up parking in a garage that is 0.25 miles to 0.5 miles from your office anyway.

You use Tanger, Blue Bayou, and Zephr as a Park n Ride location.

Laberge would really be unnecessary.

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Yep. Miami and BR are comparable. You go walk your arse down Bluebonnet to save the earth.

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Why would I walk my arse down Bluebonnet if I live in Miami?

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I'll be in my truck causing global warming

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If I lived in BR I would be in my explorer causing global warming because BR does not even have a decent and/or reliable bus system which is the first step in improving mass transit in BR. FWIW, I do not believe in global warming and the only reason that I use mass transit in Miami is because it is cheaper, faster, and less stressful than driving in Miami.

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If a system could somehow connect BTR, Downtown, LSU, Laberge, the Lady of the Lake/BR General S Hospital, the Mall of Louisiana, Blue Bayou (not all necessarily on the same line), Tanger, MSY, The shrine on Airline, and the CBD, it would be a great resource for the whole region.

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A regional rail network using existing lines would be an ideal goal, but that's a 50 year goal. Not a 10 year goal.



Some kind of commuter network line for the following (with stops in between):

- Baton Rouge to New Orleans
- New Orleans to the Mississippi Gulf Coast
- New Orleans to Hammond/Pontchatula
- Baton Rouge to Hammond
- Baton Rouge to Shreveport (via Alexandria, Marsville, New Roads, etc.).

That's way into the future though. I'll be in the ground long before the above are all needed. The Baton Rouge-New Orleans line is probably the only one that we could pull off within 20 years. The rest are really only possible if the southeastern part of the state sees some kind of unexpected economic boom in the next generation.

IMO, the following highway projects should be prioritized over any rail project, as they are all needed RIGHT NOW:

- Widening I-10 through Baton Rouge to a minimum of 8 lanes with modern lighting and improved alignment.
- New southern beltway around Baton Rouge with a new bridge crossing around Plaquemine and highway connections to I-10 in WBR and Gonzales.
- Widening I-12 to a minimum of 6 lanes between Slidell and Livingston (8 lanes between Madisonville and Covington).
- Widening I-10 between LaPlace and Kenner to 6 lanes
- Widening I-10 between Gonzales and Baton Rouge to 6 lanes.
- Improving lighting and guard rails on the causeway between Mandeville and Metarie
- New bridge over the Amite River at Hooper Road
- Widening US-190 between Denham and Hammond to 4 lanes.
- Widening Airline Highway between Baton Rouge and Gonzales to 6 lanes and restricting curb cuts/access points through the entire length
- Widening of I-10 to 6 lanes between Port Allen and Lafayette
- Improved access to new MSY terminal at Loyola Ave

BR can’t even handle fricking sidewalks, much less public transit once you get here. Get serious.

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BR needs a decent bus system more than it needs light rail.

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A better bus system that connects people to the job centers. BR should (and I think is) focusing transit on doing better for folks that currently use and need the system to get to work, school, etc.