State officials are in the process of turning Government Street over to East Baton Rouge Parish following the street’s “road diet” transformation, though a few roadblocks remain, WBRZ-TV reports.
“It’s not like we cut the ribbon and give them the keys to the car,” says Rodney Mallett with the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development. “We have to go through the legal process.”
Mallett says the medians in the residential area between Jefferson Highway and Lobdell Avenue were built wider than the plans called for, but city-parish officials chose not to correct the mistake, saying they “looked at it and felt it was accommodating for the route, so there were not any changes necessary.”
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However, drivers have been running into the medians, creating damage that a landscaping company will have to repair. DOTD expects this to be less of a problem once drivers get used to the medians. Similar issues have occurred in areas where roundabouts are constructed—there’s a learning curve for drivers to get used to maneuvering around the new obstructions.
At least one business owner says the changes have been helpful.
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“I feel like we’ve definitely picked up a little bit because of the sidewalks and bike lanes,” says Hannah Cox with French Truck Coffee. Read the full story.
This story originally appeared in an Oct. 29 edition of Daily Report. To keep up with Baton Rouge business and politics, subscribe to the free Daily Report e-newsletter here.
And if you’re looking to explore all the new businesses and restaurants that have popped up around Government Street now that the road diet is complete, check out this story from the July issue of 225.