[amccarthy]

If you do any research in urban planning, you will see a recurring theme in transportaion studies, Increasing Interstate capacity does not alleviate traffic problems. The increased sprawl will only cause more commuting and in a few years we will be exactly were we started, but billions of dollars in the hole. We need to offer transportion choices for our residents who chose to commute. That is the only answer to our traffic problems. So many other cities in the country are realizing that we can no longer build around the automobile. These cities will leave BR in the dust.

[mudbug]

Soooooooooooooo...

What do you suggest we do?

The loop is not proposing to widen the interstates and it is not to be an avenue of urban sprawl. It's not being drawn to go out to the boonies, but to the population centers around the outskirts of the city and alieve the traffic. I will also be a toll road, so it will not cost anything (other than federal grant money and the toll revenue).

The bus system is subsidized, and cuts are underway. Light rail is unrealistic for a metro area this size, and do you really think that our population will embrace cycling? Other than that, I am tapped for ideas for improving commuting...

[BR Today]

If you do any research in urban planning, you will see a recurring theme in transportaion studies, Increasing Interstate capacity does not alleviate traffic problems. The increased sprawl will only cause more commuting and in a few years we will be exactly were we started, but billions of dollars in the hole. We need to offer transportion choices for our residents who chose to commute. That is the only answer to our traffic problems. So many other cities in the country are realizing that we can no longer build around the automobile. These cities will leave BR in the dust.

So your suggestion is to leave this 2 lane interstate through the capital city of the state and just hope people decide to take the surface streets? Have you taken the Interstate from the Livingston area to Baton Rouge in the morning and Vice Versa in the afternoon? Apparently you haven't seen the actual problem here. At least suggest a solution if you are going to knock the one that is in progress.

I continually question "Who is going to use the loop?" If I want to travel to downtown I'll use the current Interstate, Sherwood Forest, I'll use Airline Highway (US 61). Why would I take a complete circuit around Baton Rouge? I don't think the congestion will be relieved by creating a loop. How many businesses are on the outskirts that people want to get completely across town to? Why can't we just upgrade what we have? We've long know I-10 was a hurricane evacuation route, as well as Airline Hwy, but we spent more money increasing the lanes on I-12, why didn't we anticipate the potential needs on I-10? Why isn't Airline Hwy 4 lanes? Where are all the city and parish planners? A future vision? Why can't land along side the current interstate be used to create a commuter railway system for the outlying areas? I for one would prefer to park my car and read the paper and have coffee while riding in to work. This would certainly lessen commuter traffic and be less intrusive. I'd pay a toll for this. Just my thoughts on the matter.

Well the solution is clear to me, invest our money into a reliable public transportation system. The only way to solve the traffic problem is to get people out of their cars. Like I said before, we need transportation choices. Cities all over the country are doing it right now. Light rails, street cars, and rapid transit bus systems. If we had a light rail system that went out to Livingston and Ascension Parish, people would be less dependent on their vehicles. We, as citizens could save alot of money on transportation costs. New Orleans has a transit system in the works and they want to connect to BR with a commuter rail. We, in Baton Rouge, are terrified of Public Transit and it sad. Having lived in a city where you can get anywhere by PT, I can tell that it can work. Gas is not getting any cheaper.

[george]

a solution to a majority of the problem would be MANDATORY DRIVING SCHOOL FOR EVERYONE!!!

heres a short test!

1) when you see emergency lights(Police, EMS, Fire) behind you, you
a. stop in the lane your in.
b. pull to the left
c. keep going about what you're doing
d. pull to the right.

2) When you are swicthing lanes you
a. put on your blinker, check your mirrors and lanes.
b. keep talking on your cell phone
c. just get over
d. stop putting on your make up and get over.

[BR Today]

a solution to a majority of the problem would be MANDATORY DRIVING SCHOOL FOR EVERYONE!!!

heres a short test!

1) when you see emergency lights(Police, EMS, Fire) behind you, you
a. stop in the lane your in.
b. pull to the left
c. keep going about what you're doing
d. pull to the right.

2) When you are swicthing lanes you
a. put on your blinker, check your mirrors and lanes.
b. keep talking on your cell phone
c. just get over
d. stop putting on your make up and get over.

3) When you are in the right lane and you know that an entrance ramp is ahead:

a) Move to the left lane LONG before the entrance ramp
b) Stay in the right lane and bitch because you have to slow down to let someone in.
c) keep talking on your cell phone and just 'not care'

There is your #1 reason for traffic congestion. Is it really that difficult to merge left before an overpass to allow merging traffic to merge without issue? Simple planning ahead would solve 90% of rush hour traffic problems, but of course that requires thinking.

[Cliff J]

i like that people think turning on their blinker gives them the right of way.

[jg24fan]

I believe that a loop around a city is not for the locals but the travelers. Since I-10 East past the split is so crowded, I think some of that traffic has to be those coming from the west side of the river heading to New Orleans. If I were traveling that route I'd pay a dollar or two to bypass the local traffic- it would be a shortcut as well as a time-saver.

[Mr. Pink]

If you do any research in urban planning, you will see a recurring theme in transportaion studies, Increasing Interstate capacity does not alleviate traffic problems. The increased sprawl will only cause more commuting and in a few years we will be exactly were we started, but billions of dollars in the hole. We need to offer transportion choices for our residents who chose to commute. That is the only answer to our traffic problems. So many other cities in the country are realizing that we can no longer build around the automobile. These cities will leave BR in the dust.

Could you cite some of these transportation studies? I'd love to see where it says upgrading the interstate system is counterproductive in improving traffic flow. I think a lot of you may be missing the point of the loop. The whole idea is to lessen the traffic volumes through the middle of the city by giving those whose destination is beyond BR a practical alternate route. The loop is not designed to give commuters another way to get to work; it is designed to aid in their usual commute by reducing unnecessary thru-traffic. I-10 is a major
artery across our state, and its traffic volumes are not expected to decrease. And while I admit that improvement to BR's public transportation system is an avenue that should be explored, ignoring the city's need for a bypass as well as improvements to the current interstate is simply asinine.