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Louisiana

Started by Alex, January 20, 2009, 12:43:48 AM

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Anthony_JK

I'm kind of surprised this news didn't make some headlines here, but residents of the Westbank in NOLA have finally placed the kabosh on tolls on the Crescent City Connection bridge. The story from the New Orleans bureau of the Baton Rouge Advocate:

Quote

Crescent City Connection toll renewal shot down by voters

New Orleans – The long fight over tolls on the Crescent City Connection is finally over, and opponents of the fees secured a decisive victory based on unofficial results published on the Louisiana Secretary of State's website on Saturday night.

Voters in New Orleans, Plaquemines Parish and Jefferson Parish overwhemingly supported eliminating the tolls, with 78 percent of voters rejecting the renewal. However, overall voter turnout was less than a third of the 308,800 voters that participated in the November election.

John Roberts, a member of Stop the Tolls LLC, said Saturday's result felt like "true justice"  for toll opponents who crusaded aggressively against the fees, and refused to concede victory after an apparent loss last year. Roberts said members of the group always knew the tolls were unfair and that it feels good to finally set the record straight.

"We really have to say it's vindication. We really believed in the cause, and that's why we had the volunteers that we had,"  Roberts said from a victory party in Gretna.

He added that while some volunteers may no longer be interested in the Crescent City Connection, there is a core group that will remain active to be certain the West Bank isn't shortchanged on the money it deserves from the state to maintain the span. They will keep a close eye on how politicians respond to the end of the fees, he said.

The election represented the culmination of months of debate, investigations and legal battles over the renewal of the tolls on the iconic span. Although the Crescent City Connection bridge is paid for, the tolls would have been extended for another 20 years to pay for maintenance and capital improvements.

The fees, which are $1 for those using cash and 40 cents for those with toll tags, generate between $20 million and $22 million per year.

Saturday's election was only possible because toll opponents secured a legal victory in March that invalidated the results of the November election when the tolls were renewed by a mere 36 votes. Baton Rouge Judge William Morvant granted the new election after toll opponents proved that many voters were not allowed to vote on the initial proposition because of the use of provisional ballots.

The toll battle was characterized by an extremely lively debate in advance of the November election but far less discussion before Saturday. Proponents of renewing the tolls have argued that the money generated by the fees helped keep the Crescent City Connection bridge one of the best maintained spans in Louisiana. The money also paid for grass cutting, litter control and lighting along the bridge and the West Bank Expressway.

Proponents questioned whether the lack of a revenue stream would put an undue strain on local governments and police agencies. This week, Jefferson Parish Council Chairman Chris Roberts complained that response times for traffic accidents has increased greatly on the expressway, which is leading to more traffic problems.

However, those arguments were made much less vehemently during the past 60 days, and some politicians who initially supported the tolls actually flip-flopped prior to Saturday's vote.

Toll opponents have consistently argued that the revenue from the tolls has been misused and that the tolls represented an unfair tax on local residents, particularly those on the West Bank.

At a recent press conference, they noted that money from the tolls has been spent on projects all over Louisiana but little has been spent on the West Bank. In addition, they claimed that drivers have saved roughly $3.6 million since the tolls were removed, money that's now back in circulation.

Maybe now someone might suggest the even better idea than removing the tolls: Renewing them on both directions and using the revenue for bonds to finish the Westbank Expressway freeway upgrade all the way to US 90..and perhaps, even extend further to Boutte as part of I-49 South??


pctech

Another case of, "I want my infrastructure, but I don't want to pay for it" in my opinion.

Anthony_JK

Quote from: pctech on May 08, 2013, 09:56:48 AM
Another case of, "I want my infrastructure, but I don't want to pay for it" in my opinion.

Not mecessarly.

The bonds for which the tolls were funded to construct the eastbound bridge had long since been paid off, and the revenue from the toll was being used by local authorities for maintenance of the bridge, as well as for running the many ferries serving the Westbank communities. The toll opponents had argued that most of those funds could be better acquired through local revenue or through higher user fees charged by those using the ferries.

In addition, there had been a report that came out last year contending that revenue from the bridge tolls were being grafted into totally unrelated projects, or simply pocketed by the overseers. It was that which fueled the campaign to remove the tolls to begiin with.

There is a push building among some Westbank politicos to use my idea of renewing tolls on the CCC to help complete the freeway upgrade of the Westbank Expressway at least to US 90, both to expedite I-49 South and to take advantage of the Huey P. Long Bridge expansion project, which should be completed by the fall of this year.

cjk374

Quote from: Anthony_JK on May 08, 2013, 12:37:46 AM

Quote

Crescent City Connection toll renewal shot down by voters


The toll battle was characterized by an extremely lively debate in advance of the November election but far less discussion before Saturday. Proponents of renewing the tolls have argued that the money generated by the fees helped keep the Crescent City Connection bridge one of the best maintained spans in Louisiana. The money also paid for grass cutting, litter control and lighting along the bridge and the West Bank Expressway.



Grass cutting....on a bridge?  :confused:  Or is there more to the CCC than just the bridge?  I thought all the CCC was just a bridge.
Runnin' roads and polishin' rails.

apjung

Interstate 10 roadwork in Metairie, Kenner to continue beyond 2015
http://www.nola.com/traffic/index.ssf/2013/05/interstate_10_roadwork_in_meta.html

I figured it wasn't quite finished with the current construction work ending at Veterans Blvd. I've always thought that widening would continue West to Williams Blvd. especially to connect the flyover ramp acceleration lane from Southbound Williams Blvd that currently ends in a stub and could be easily extended as the 4th lane.
http://goo.gl/maps/mjovH

Now the plans are to widen it all the way to Loyola Dr especially now that the airport is planning on building a new terminal to be completed in time for the 300th anniversary of the City of New Orleans (May 7, 2018) on the north side of the runway which would require increased access to/from Loyola Dr.
http://www.flymsy.com/press-room/Mayor-Landrieu-Aviation-Board-and-Regional-Leaders-Announce-Plans-to-Build-New-World-Class-Airport-on-North-Side-of-MSY-1?&Sort=

froggie

IMO, what MSY needs more than a new terminal is a parallel runway.  But I'm also aware there is huge pushback from the local communities against that.

pctech

The benefits of the I-10 widening will likely be short lived. The new capacity will quickly be used up, "the if you build it they will come" principle. One only has look at the freeways of CA. I wonder if considered HOV lanes at all during the planning for this.

Mark

Anthony_JK

Has anyone considered the option of adding direct connections to the airport access road to/from I-10 west, rather than going through Loyola Drive??

apjung

Quote from: Anthony_JK on May 09, 2013, 09:04:34 AM
Has anyone considered the option of adding direct connections to the airport access road to/from I-10 west, rather than going through Loyola Drive??

It's not possible due to the flight path of Runway 1/19 restricting the height of any proposed flyover ramps.

RPParish

Quote from: Anthony_JK on May 09, 2013, 09:04:34 AM
Has anyone considered the option of adding direct connections to the airport access road to/from I-10 west, rather than going through Loyola Drive??
Quote from: Anthony_JK on May 09, 2013, 09:04:34 AM
Has anyone considered the option of adding direct connections to the airport access road to/from I-10 west, rather than going through Loyola Drive??

I hear that the west exit will never be constructed. In fact, someone told me the new east intersection will be tore down after Loyola Ave and the new airport is done.

UptownRoadGeek

Quote from: apjung on May 09, 2013, 09:31:38 PM
Quote from: Anthony_JK on May 09, 2013, 09:04:34 AM
Has anyone considered the option of adding direct connections to the airport access road to/from I-10 west, rather than going through Loyola Drive??

It's not possible due to the flight path of Runway 1/19 restricting the height of any proposed flyover ramps.

It's actually in the plans for the new terminal. The current airport exit will serve the CONRAC and general aviation areas. A new three-level interchange is planned at Loyola to reach the new airport with access for west and east bound traffic.

brownpelican

Ground has been broken a project in Mandeville to widen US 190 from Asbury to Lonesome roads from two to four lanes. Work will continue until Spring 2014.

Darkchylde

Quote from: brownpelican on May 16, 2013, 08:38:26 PM
Ground has been broken a project in Mandeville to widen US 190 from Asbury to Lonesome roads from two to four lanes. Work will continue until Spring 2014.
The area's needed that for years upon years. The piecemeal widening they did a couple years back created a massive bottleneck there - it's a fairly major through route in that city with a lot of upscale businesses and a few other vital things in the area.

I don't know why they didn't widen it along with the rest.

brownpelican

Looks like some's wishes to re-study the I-49 Teche Ridge route is dead in the Louisiana legislature.

QuoteState Rep. Terry Landry, D-Lafayette, and state Rep. Mike Huval, R-Breaux Bridge, had filed a legislative "study request"  this session asking the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development to evaluate the so-called "Teche Ridge"  route for I-49 South, which would skirt Lafayette to the east through rural St. Martin Parish.

Legislative study requests do not require a vote but can be blocked if at least one third of the members of the House or the Senate file written objections.

The request made it out of the House, but 15 of the state's 39 senators have objected to the proposed study, according to legislative records.

The (Baton Rouge) Advocate

UptownRoadGeek

Exit tabs are now going up on the Pontchartrain Expwy.

lamsalfl

Finally, one of the most embarrassing interstates in LA about to get fixed.  I'm assuming the $6mm covers the signs, while no figure was given to the resurfacing.  Says the project ends this winter.   

http://www.nola.com/traffic/index.ssf/2013/06/i-610_in_new_orleans_to_close.html

lamsalfl

Also I presume I-610 will see its first Clearview signage this weekend.

geoffNOLA

Quote from: cjk374 on May 08, 2013, 10:10:52 PM


Grass cutting....on a bridge?  :confused:  Or is there more to the CCC than just the bridge?  I thought all the CCC was just a bridge.
The tolls paid for the management of US 90 BUS ROW from US 90 to downtown.
Your local emo roadgeek

pctech

Wow, I've never seen an entire interstate closed down before. (other than for natural disasters).

Anthony_JK

Quote from: brownpelican on May 26, 2013, 11:34:23 AM
Looks like some's wishes to re-study the I-49 Teche Ridge route is dead in the Louisiana legislature.

QuoteState Rep. Terry Landry, D-Lafayette, and state Rep. Mike Huval, R-Breaux Bridge, had filed a legislative "study request"  this session asking the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development to evaluate the so-called "Teche Ridge"  route for I-49 South, which would skirt Lafayette to the east through rural St. Martin Parish.

Legislative study requests do not require a vote but can be blocked if at least one third of the members of the House or the Senate file written objections.

The request made it out of the House, but 15 of the state's 39 senators have objected to the proposed study, according to legislative records.

The (Baton Rouge) Advocate

Already covered in detail over in the Mid South "I-49 in LA" thread:

https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=3124.msg223241#msg223241


brownpelican

DOTD crews are in the process of removing the  12 toll booths at the Crescent City Connection. All wiring to the booths must be disconnected before the booths are removed. The entire project will wrap up in mid-July, with nightly lane closures. The booths may be used at the La. 1 toll bridge.

apjung

#646
Drove across the newly widened and rededicated Huey P. Long Bridge last night. There are no street lights installed so it is still dark. There are no plans to install street lights but wiring is in place to add them according to DOTD should funding be available.
http://www.nola.com/traffic/index.ssf/2013/06/civic_pride_flows_at_huey_p_lo.html#incart_m-rpt-2

http://www.wwltv.com/news/Special-race-held-for-Huey-P-Long-Bridge-re-opening-211739861.html

DeaconG

Quote from: apjung on June 17, 2013, 10:03:05 AM
Drove across the newly widened and rededicated Huey P. Long Bridge last night. There are no street lights installed so it is still dark. There are no plans to install street lights but wiring is in place to add them according to DOTD should funding be available.
http://www.nola.com/traffic/index.ssf/2013/06/civic_pride_flows_at_huey_p_lo.html#incart_m-rpt-2

http://www.wwltv.com/news/Special-race-held-for-Huey-P-Long-Bridge-re-opening-211739861.html


That was one serious rebuild-it looks magnificent!
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King Solovar: "And you're a human with wings! Reality holds surprises for everyone!"
-Crisis On Infinite Earths #2

agentsteel53

are the cateye signs gone off the bridge?
live from sunny San Diego.

http://shields.aaroads.com

jake@aaroads.com

apjung




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