The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (La DOTD) has begun work on an 18-month planning process which will ultimately result in a Statewide Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan (2009). This effort is being coordinated by the La DOTD Bicycle and Pedestrian Program.
Why is the plan necessary?
Safety and accessibility concerns for all users of the transportation system have prompted the La DOTD to update their 1998 Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan.
The La DOTD has jurisdiction over 16,700 miles of roads in the state of Louisiana. Additionally, many parishes, cities and towns throughout the state look to La DOTD for guidance and standards for roadway design. Although bicyclists and pedestrians are allowed on almost all roadways across the state (with the exception of interstates and other control of access facilities), the lack of appropriate accommodations for these groups results in conflicts between motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians. The goal of this plan is to develop official policies to guide La DOTD's investments in bicycle and pedestrian accommodations.
Did you know that...
- 24% of renter-occupied households in Louisiana don't have a car
- 12% of vehicular fatalities in Louisiana are pedestrians or bicyclists
- Over 90,000 people in Louisiana walk, bike or take transit to work
- 40% of U.S. adults say they would commute by bike if safe facilities are available
- 50% of Americans will be over 55 in 2030. More than ½ of all older Americans walk regularly
How can I participate?
We've just wrapped up our first round of public meetings, which occurred in New Orleans, Shreveport and Baton Rouge from July 22nd to July 24th.
The purpose of the public meetings was to inform the public about this planning process, and then solicit feedback about their concerns and identify potential solutions to make Louisiana more bike-able and more walk-able.
The 180 participants who attended provided the project team with valuable information about their top concerns and some possible solutions. For walkers, we heard that discontinuous/lacking facilities and (sidewalks that end, lack of crosswalks, etc), inadequate crossing time (due to wide roads, short signal times) were primary concerns; whereas for cyclists, the lack of bike lanes or a network of bike-able facilities as well as motorist awareness (of their rights as well as their presence) were some of their biggest obstacles. The groups identified a plethora of potential solutions, which included ideas about education, design and facility suggestions and policy recommendations (Complete Streets, Universal Design, etc).
If you missed the meetings, you can view the presentation, complete the exercise, and send your concerns and solutions to the project team at esoll@bkiusa.com. We'll add you to our contact list and let you know when the next round of public meetings is scheduled to occur.
- Download Presentation
- By Foot and By Bike: What makes the difference?
Who else is involved?
A Project Advisory Committee (PAC) has been formed to help guide the project team throughout their planning process. This group consists of representatives from each of the eight Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs), FHWA, Louisiana State Parks Department, Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, Louisiana Public Health Institute, AARP and Citizen Advocates.
Several of the MPOs around the state are also doing bicycle and pedestrian planning, and are working with local governments to coordinate these plans.
- Capital Regional Planning Commission (CRPC)
- New Orleans Regional Planning Commission (NO RPC)
- South Central Planning and Development Commission (SCPDC)
- Lafayette Consolidated Government (LCG)
- Imperial Calcasieu Regional Planning and Development Commission (IMCAL)
- Rapides Area Planning Commission
- Northwest Louisiana Council of Governments (NLCOG)
- North Delta Regional Planning and Development Commission
In order to help prepare the plan, La DOTD has hired the consulting team of Burk-Kleinpeter and Toole Design Group.
For more information about the Louisiana Statewide Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan, please contact the project team:
Ellen Soll, AICP
Planner and Project Manager,
Burk-Kleinpeter, Inc.
esoll@bkiusa.com
504.486.5901 x143
Nick Jackson
Senior Planner
Toole Design Group
Brian Parsons
Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator
Office of Planning and Programming
Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (La DOTD)