why so bad? (Plaquemine, St. Gabriel: apartments, condos, university)

[Caa]

I have lived here 5 years now and have been taking River Road to work 4 days a week. Why, does anyone know, is it sooooo busy now? I used to be the only one on the road and now, I am passing people that are going 45 mph. This is mostly since Gustav, but it was getting bad even before. I know our population is growing, but it seemed to happen almost overnight! And don't say katrina, because that was 3 years ago!Any ideas? Also, does it seem to anyone that people here on the roads are more rude than a couple of years ago?

[darylwi]

Something is going on. I've noticed that most days since Gustav, and every day last week and most days so far this week that the MRB (ms river bridge) seems backed up almost to a stop coming into the city and all hours of the day. I can see the bridge from my office building and I've noticed it stopped all morning, around lunch, most of the afternoon, it seems never ending. I don't know what happened to cause that all of a sudden.
I do know that if I'm heading south past LSU, from downtown, I always take River Road. I've been doing that since my days at LSU. Traffic is heavy lately on river road through downtown in the afternoons. I'm not sure where they're coming from or where they're going. They are all coming from north of the capitol though, not necessarily downtown. Maybe the plants, and trying to avoid I-10 to south BR? You got me.

[Rosinante]

I take rides on my motor scooter south of the university down to St. Gabriel in the early morning hours, and, yes, there are a few more cars (but not many) than there used to be. Sometimes the waiting line for the Plaquemine Ferry is so long that there are more cars than there are spaces on the boat. That didn't use to be.

No explanation except, maybe, there are too many people here, but that's been since before Katrina too.

[southland]

The secret is out on River Road.

Everyone takes it to work now....and there's a bundle of new apartments and condos near brightside.

I'd like to see sidewalks or one of those bike lanes on this road btw LSU and Brightside.

[darylwi]

Originally Posted by southland

The secret is out on River Road.

Everyone takes it to work now....and there's a bundle of new apartments and condos near brightside.

I'd like to see sidewalks or one of those bike lanes on this road btw LSU and Brightside.

EBR is supposed to be working on extending the bike path down to Brightside. Hopefully it hasn't been axed because of budget concerns, but in this recession, it could be.