[BR Today]

Livingston Parish is described as one of the fastest growing areas in Louisiana, but according to Parish President Mike Grimmer that growth could quickly become the parish's bane.

Addressing this growing issue with members of the Denham Springs Rotary Club Tuesday, Grimmer explained the need for an upgrade in the parish's transportation infrastructure. The most important issue he addressed was for the construction of the Loop Project, a 58-mile long travel artery that would encircle the greater Baton Rouge metropolitan area, a part of which would run through Livingston Parish.

"The I-12 is the bloodline of the south," Grimmer said. "Livingston Parish currently has 75 percent of its residents working outside of the parish lines. We estimate that somewhere in the near future there will be a 45-50 percent population increase along the I-12. Our current infrastructure cannot sustain that kind of growth."

The only lasting solution to the continued growth problem in the parish is to support the construction of the Loop, Grimmer said.

"The traffic has to be able to move if we are to survive," Grimmer said. "We're expecting to see a 35 percent increase in the number of trailer trucks passing through our parish. With traffic having to constantly stop due to congestion, the chances of drivers getting into accidents will quadruple. I know residents would rather have the I-12 widened, but they need to consider how long it will take to do that and also how far will it be able to go. Even if we were able to widen the I-12 to six lanes, we would reach maximum capacity after two years."

Grimmer explained some of the benefits about the Loop aside from its relief of growing traffic congestion.

"The Loop is basically a private enterprise," Grimmer said. "We'll have a committee that will be dedicated to the Loop, and only to the Loop. Cameras will be installed all along the length of the Loop so that if a vehicle breaks down, a wrecker can get it off the road as soon as possible. There will also be a police force solely dedicated to enforcing state laws on the Loop. The toll booths will not be like the ones most drivers are accustomed to. Anyone using the Loop will have electronic toll passes. There won't be any stopping along the whole length of the Loop due to tolls."

When asked about how long it would take for the Loop to be completed and its capacity for handling commuters, Grimmer answered as best he could.
"Most of the engineers with the Loop Project estimate that it will take about eight years to complete," Grimmer said. "I would optimistically say that the Loop would take about 12 years to complete. I can't say for certain exactly how many vehicles the Loop here would be able to manage. We're looking very closely at the Loop in Austin, Texas. It currently has around 1.2 million vehicles traveling on it a day."

Source: Livingston Parish News

[Scotty]

Here is one of the Lords of the Ring stating that he doesn't even know how much relief the loop will bring; they're still looking into it. Yet, he and the four other Lords continue to tell everyone who'll listen how the loop is the ONLY solution and nothing else will work.

He has said in the past that the state has no money to widen I-12 or other roads, yet the legislature just approved themselves a pay raise. It seems that money could be used for our depleted infrastructure, instead of paying people who feel over-worked and under-payed. Join the club by the way!

Also, Lord Grimmer expects the loop to take 12 years to complete. However, there is an option to widen I-12 that would take 3 years to build. This option, in conjunction with some other ideas, could relieve traffic congestion in less time.

Besides, once the loop is built, what is the plan to relieve traffic inside the ring? What happens when all of these commuters get off the loop, traffic disappears?

Here is one of the Lords of the Ring stating that he doesn't even know how much relief the loop will bring; they're still looking into it. Yet, he and the four other Lords continue to tell everyone who'll listen how the loop is the ONLY solution and nothing else will work.

He has said in the past that the state has no money to widen I-12 or other roads, yet the legislature just approved themselves a pay raise. It seems that money could be used for our depleted infrastructure, instead of paying people who feel over-worked and under-payed. Join the club by the way!

Also, Lord Grimmer expects the loop to take 12 years to complete. However, there is an option to widen I-12 that would take 3 years to build. This option, in conjunction with some other ideas, could relieve traffic congestion in less time.

Besides, once the loop is built, what is the plan to relieve traffic inside the ring? What happens when all of these commuters get off the loop, traffic disappears?

I'd personally rather see them widen I-12 than to go through this whole loop thing. Its going to take 5 years minimum to buy all the property and i'm not even talking about all the lawsuits that will be filed accordingly. The first truckload of concrete wouldn't be poured until at least 2014 at best. I call that time wasted. In 3 years we could have a 4 laned interstate from the split all the way out to Holden without interrupting much, if any, property that doesn't already belong to the state/city parish.

Quick fixes never solve anything. You two are idiots. More traffic passes through here on I-12 than gets off in BR. This is THE solution, just because those bastards don`t have the answers doesn`t mean that the ones crunching the numbers don`t know. Just support it and help it pass with minimal friction and we`ll all be better off, in less time. Progress is good, don`t attempt make our great society devolve just to keep the likes of you two in the race.

perriloux

[Scotty]

So Mrs. Perriloux, everyone should just blindly go along with this idea and not say a word or question anything? If no one ever asks questions or just agrees so as to avoid any conflict, then our society will surely dissolve, or "devovle" as you put it.

Who are "those bastards" and the "ones crunching the numbers" you refer to? The parish presidents and the project enigneers are on the same team. They both stand to gain from this bad idea. But, as you theorize, don't worry about the fact that they don't know anything, just go along with whatever they say. Now that is idiotic.

Also, Mrs. Perriloux, the number crunchers you hold in high regard have said that no more than 20% of the total traffic on I-12 passes through this area. So what happens to the other 80%? And if the commuters had other options, they wouldn't need I-12 or the Magical Loop.

If Mrs. Perriloux`s property would be in the line of fire I wonder if she would just shut up and move off of her land. My land has been in my family for many generations. I will never give my home up, just to make her life better.