A Message From the Mayor-President (Q2 2024)

National League of Cities delegation views MOVEBR project sites during city tour

Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome

I recently welcomed a delegation from the National League of Cities (NLC) to Baton Rouge as part of the organization’s Centennial Roadshow, visiting 100 cities that are transforming their communities. On a tour highlighting key infrastructure developments within the city, we were able to showcase three MOVEBR projects that will make travel safer and provide more options.

One significant project highlighted during the tour included the Ardendale Village development; partially funded through a Choice Neighborhood HUD grant, submitted by the East Baton Rouge Housing Authority. This development will be bordered by two future MOVEBR projects: Florida Boulevard Corridor Enhancement, Segment 2 & the Ardenwood/Lobdell Connector. When paired with these projects, this development will provide significant connectivity for residents and overall safety improvements for motorists and pedestrians.

The Ardenwood/Lobdell Connector project will include a new two‐lane subdivision-type street, with bicycle and pedestrian accommodations, green infrastructure concepts (such as stormwater plantings) and an urban tree canopy installation along the entire pedestrian multiuse path. The project also includes new intersection improvements at Ardenwood Drive and Lobdell Boulevard such as sidewalk connections, ADA-compliant curb ramps and a new signalized intersection connecting to the new Ardendale Development at Ardenwood Drive, which will also include crosswalks with pedestrian beacons. The project looks to provide adjacent neighborhoods’ residents in East Fairfield, Smiley Heights and Melrose East access to critical assets, like jobs, education and community centers.

The Florida Boulevard Corridor Enhancement, Segment 2 project, which intersects Ardenwood Drive, will improve mobility for pedestrians and cyclists through intersection, sidewalk and signal improvements. The tour also included the Florida Boulevard portion of the Bus Rapid Transit corridor which is being built by the MOVEBR program in coordination with CATS and the LA DOTD.

These projects highlight MOVEBR’s immense planning to improve transportation modes and safety for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians, while leveraging resources to increase efficiency and manage costs. We look forward to enjoying the catalytic impact on economic growth and development within our local communities as a result of these infrastructure investments.

Baton Rouge City leaders and organizational stakeholders welcomed the NLC delegation to City Hall before a tour of the city to see infrastructure improvements that are transforming the heart of Baton Rouge.
Mayor Broome, District 6 Councilman Cleve Dunn Jr. and East Baton Rouge Housing Authority Director J. Wesley Daniels, Jr. on location of the Ardendale housing development. The Ardenwood- Lobdell Connector project will align with the development’s southern entrance at Ardenwood.