News Roundup › Infrastructure

More than a dozen neighbors spoke in opposition to the requests, citing noise from deliveries and other store activities, alleged damage to streets and buildings from the large trucks, a shortage of neighborhood parking and other problems.

Source: The Times-Picayune | Archived Copy

“It is critical that the Greater New Orleans region has a comprehensive water management plan that can mitigate risk while enhancing economic opportunities and improving the quality of life for our citizens,” said Senator Mary Landrieu. “We are fortunate to have a dream team in place to do this important work. Waggonner & Ball has extensive expertise in water management gleaned from projects that span the globe, and GNO, Inc. is uniquely positioned to manage the process efficiently.”

Source: GNO, Inc. | Archived Copy

Now, taking down freeways has gone mainstream. Cities as diverse as New Haven, New Orleans and Seattle are either doing it or talking about it. The chief motivation seems to be money. “Listen to the story here.”:Download file

Source: National Public Radio | Archived Copy

The planned district is described by Sandra Stokes, executive vice chair of the Foundation for Historical Louisiana in Baton Rouge, as “suburban sprawl in the most culturally significant urban environment in the US.”

Source: The Christian Science Monitor | Archived Copy

Source: The Times-Picayune | Archived Copy

“The difference (on the VA side) is that the decision-makers over there are people who care about New Orleans,” Davis said. “On this side, it’s the state and (Louisiana State University) who have shown nothing but contempt for the quality of life in New Orleans.”

Source: The Times-Picayune | Archived Copy

The stimulus, the Feds realized, had blundered into an incredible deal: the recession was driven by the collapse of the construction sector. People who built things were now out of work. The materials used for building things were now on fire sale. The companies that organized the building of things were suddenly desperate for jobs. As a result, building things was suddenly dirt cheap.

Source: Newsweek | Archived Copy

Mayor Mitch Landrieu joined Friday with several elected officials and not-for-profit executives in an attempt to celebrate the redevelopment program as an alternative to razing the structures. But the event evolved into a contentious affair as neighborhood residents, businesspeople and community activists used the forum to blast the government’s planning process for the VA hospital and the adjacent state teaching hospital that will replace the shuttered Charity Hospital.

Source: The Times-Picayune | Archived Copy

The report says the city’s sewerage, water and drainage systems need many billions of dollars in repairs and upgrades, but the S&WB is almost $1 billion short of being able to pay for even the $3 billion in projects listed in its five-year capital program.

Source: The Times-Picayune | Archived Copy

“It’s a little piece of metal and we put it in the ground and that’s it,” Lancaster said. “It’s an improvement for the whole community and it’s permanent.”

Source: The Times-Picayune | Archived Copy

In the past two years, 12.6 miles of bike lanes have been added to city roads, including the three-mile St. Claude Avenue bike lane, the 1.8-mile shared lane and 0.8-mile off-street path along Robert E. Lee Boulevard and the 2-mile Gentilly Boulevard bike lane, said Jennifer Ruley, a bicycle and pedestrian engineer who provides technical assistance to City Hall on behalf of the Louisiana Public Health Institute and Entergy New Orleans.
More bike paths are to come: The city is using bond money to finance “bikeway” development in conjunction with federally funded road resurfacing projects, Ruley said.

Source: The Times-Picayune | Archived Copy