Message from Mayor-President Sid Edwards

Originally published on 7/15/25.

Dear Baton Rouge Residents,

As we move through another busy and productive season for our city and parish, I want to take a moment to share some of the important strides we’ve made to improve residents’ quality of life across Baton Rouge. These efforts, many of which align with the goals of the MOVEBR program, reflect our administration’s deep commitment to building a cleaner, safer, and more connected community for all.

Over the past few months, our team has intensified efforts to address blight and illegal dumping in our neighborhoods. I’m proud to report that we’ve received nearly 7,000 tires at the parish landfill so far this year—3,900 of which came in during the second quarter alone. This cleanup work plays a vital role in restoring community pride and protecting public health.

We’re also seeing real progress in our blight removal efforts, with 84 structures demolished and 132 condemnations issued parishwide so far this year. Nearly 70 of those demolitions happened in the last quarter, thanks to a focused effort to remove dangerous and dilapidated buildings from our neighborhoods.

At the same time, our crews are continuing to improve everyday infrastructure. Through the Pothole Posse initiative, we’ve filled 2,769 potholes across East Baton Rouge Parish since the beginning of the year—with over 1,100 of those repaired just between April and June. This kind of responsiveness is critical to keeping our streets safer and more drivable for everyone.

We also remain committed to public safety through lighting improvements. While a recent project replaced 52 non-functioning streetlights along Plank Road earlier this year, we’re working closely with Entergy and our Traffic Engineering team to identify and track additional lighting upgrades throughout the city. More lighting upgrades were also done in the areas of Sherwood and Goodwood in Baton Rouge.

All these initiatives—blight removal, pothole repair, and lighting improvements—run parallel to the progress being made through MOVEBR, our historic transportation and infrastructure investment program. Whether it’s improving roads, enhancing drainage, or expanding access, MOVEBR is transforming how we move and live in Baton Rouge.

Together, these projects demonstrate what’s possible when we invest in our people and our neighborhoods. We’re not just patching potholes or picking up tires; we’re building a better Baton Rouge, one street and one project at a time.

Thank you for your continued support.

In service,
Sid Edwards
Mayor-President, City of Baton Rouge and East Baton Rouge Parish