Baton Rouge needs Transit (Many: buy, live, cars)

[WestbankNOLA]

Originally Posted by annie_himself

We are. Are you opposed to wideningnI-12?

I think he's just saying that to widen both would be redundant.

[ktulu7]

The #1 stupidity in Baton Rouge's road layout is the I-10 Mississippi River bridge. The fact that the mainlane freeway traffic goes down to ONE lane when headed eastbound into the city, is mind-boggling. After that, I-10 needs at least one more lane, if not two, from the 10/12 split to Sorrento, and I-12 needs another lane from Range Avenue to... Slidell.

After fixing that madness, I think you could "superstreet" Airline Highway like we have on US 281 north of Loop 1604 here in San Antonio, or like Loop 1604 on our far west side near Culebra, before it goes to freeway at Bandera.

Basically, a "superstreet" doesn't allow the cross streets to cross the main street. Imagine traveling west on Coursey and coming up to Airline, wanting to turn southbound. Instead, you can only make a right turn to go northbound, and then just ahead, are some lanes on the left side that are just for u-turns (turnarounds, as they're called here), with their own lights. You'd be surprised that they're not that much of a hassle and work decently well. That'd be a solution in places where you can't fit a service road. I say Florida Boulevard could definitely be a freeway though, heading out to perhaps Walker. There are all sorts of things you can do in Baton Rouge with the available right-of-way, and after seeing how stuff is done here in San Antonio, I get all sorts of ideas on how roads could look there. The highway infrastructure is quite amazing in Texas' big cities, and Louisiana could definitely take some tips from how it's done here.

[WestbankNOLA]

Originally Posted by ktulu7

The #1 stupidity in Baton Rouge's road layout is the I-10 Mississippi River bridge. The fact that the mainlane freeway traffic goes down to ONE lane when headed eastbound into the city, is mind-boggling. After that, I-10 needs at least one more lane, if not two, from the 10/12 split to Sorrento, and I-12 needs another lane from Range Avenue to... Slidell.

Traffic engineers and city planners originally anticipated the city to grow northward vs westward and southward, thus priority was given to I-110 and that loop that Airline makes. That never happened and now I-110 and I-12 create a two-way funnel.

Basically, a "superstreet" doesn't allow the cross streets to cross the main street. Imagine traveling west on Coursey and coming up to Airline, wanting to turn southbound. Instead, you can only make a right turn to go northbound, and then just ahead, are some lanes on the left side that are just for u-turns (turnarounds, as they're called here), with their own lights. There are all sorts of things you can do in Baton Rouge with the available right-of-way, and after seeing how stuff is done here in San Antonio, I get all sorts of ideas on how roads could look there. The highway infrastructure is quite amazing in Texas' big cities, and Louisiana could definitely take some tips from how it's done here.

Louisiana has perfected the use of the superstreet and U-turns. They probably use it more than any other state, maybe only 2nd to Texas when it comes to u-turns. Texas is a beast when it comes to the turnaround, but it's used commonly in a lot more situations than just freeway exits here. It's just not done in the Baton Rouge area which boggles my mind. It's not that they don't know how to do it, they just don't implement it in a areas where they really need to. I don't know if it's political or just.... *shrug*. People would be surprised to know how much time you can save with a right turn followed by a u-turn instead of waiting for a left-turn signal phase.

[annie_himself]

If I had to turn right and use a u-turn to turn left, I'd try to avoid it at all costs. It can get very irritating in TX. Small streets can be that way, but streets like Coursey/Bluebonnet and Sherwood/Seigen must be overpasses where left turns are possible with two lights like a normal freeway overpass. S. Main St/US 90 in Houston is pretty much that and it's a joy to drive on.

[WestbankNOLA]

Originally Posted by annie_himself

If I had to turn right and use a u-turn to turn left, I'd try to avoid it at all costs.

Well you're going to be extremely irritated when you move since 90% of N.O. area streets work that way. Especially the major intersections. The left-turn is almost non-existent in these parts.

[annie_himself]

If you mean like how it works on St. Charles then I'm fine with that. Many streets that intersect the feeder roads are like that here.

[WestbankNOLA]

Originally Posted by annie_himself

If you mean like how it works on St. Charles then I'm fine with that. Many streets that intersect the feeder roads are like that here.

At most intersections you have to either; turn right and u-turn or keep straight, u-turn, then turn right. Many of the streets where you can turn left require you to stop in the neutral ground until the cross street goes green.

To make it simple, most of streets in N.O. are like Houston feeders without a freeway in the neutral ground.

[WestbankNOLA]

What's the status of the Green Light Project?

[MetroBTR]

Originally Posted by annie_himself

We are. Are you opposed to wideningnI-12?

We are widening I-12 right now...

Just wasn't sure why you jumped to I-10 and I-12 suddenly.

[MetroBTR]

Originally Posted by WestbankNOLA

Well you're going to be extremely irritated when you move since 90% of N.O. area streets work that way. Especially the major intersections. The left-turn is almost non-existent in these parts.

Drives me insane...