On Thursday, February 21, the Louisiana Statewide Business Summit kicked off with infrastructure leaders ensuring the Louisiana business community understood how important state infrastructure was across all sectors.

The New Orleans port has been thriving as of late with increased cargo traffic. To handle the increase in shipping, there needs to be reliable roads, highways and bridges in order to transport the goods coming in and out of the port. The booming business of the port will only be beneficial if there is infrastructure to handle it.

“For us, the key is infrastructure and working with the state to make sure they deliver that,” said Port of New Orleans President and CEO Brandy Christian.

Private businesses rely on infrastructure daily to ensure their operations run smoothly. To bring more business to the state, Louisiana roads, highways and bridges need to be able to handle businesses transportation needs. The panel on infrastructure at the business summit included the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development Secretary Shawn Wilson. He made it clear it is time for Louisiana to get serious about funding and that business leaders need to understand how essential infrastructure is to their business.

Photo Credit: Druva.com https://www.druva.com/blog/stories-field-port-new-orleans-streamlines-critical-data-protection/

Public opinion on infrastructure in the United States is clear. In a recent poll done by the American Road & Transportation Builders Association, 96% of those surveyed agreed “improving infrastructures like our roads, bridges, public transit, water systems and the power grid” is either “very important” or “somewhat important” to both “future U.S. economic growth” and “the quality of life of our children and grandchildren.”

Americans realize the future of our country largely depends on the condition of our infrastructure. Louisiana residents know this especially well since they deal with some of the worst-rated roads and bridges in the country. According to the U.S. News and World Report, Louisiana infrastructure ranked 44th in 2018, with 26.2% of major roadways in poor condition, which is 4% higher than the national average.

The poll also showed overwhelming support for lawmakers to come together for a bipartisan plan to fund infrastructure improvements. The future of the Louisiana economy largely relies on an effective transportation network to support consistent economic expansion. Better roads and bridges have far-reaching benefits to workers, businesses and the overall quality of life in our state.

According to the U.S. News and World Report, Louisiana is ranked as the worst state in America based on rankings comparing health care, education, infrastructure and other quality of life measures. Once again, the state is listed at the bottom when compared to other states around the country.

Infrastructure in Louisiana, a key component when calculating the quality of life in a state, is ranked 44th in the country. More specifically, transportation was ranked 45th, with 26.2% of major roadways in poor condition. This was rated over 4% higher than the national average.

Infrastructure and transportation also have an effect on the economy in a number of ways. Measurements such as venture capital investment are extraordinarily low in Louisiana at $0.12 per $1K GDP compared to the national average at $3.80.

These rankings factor in all components of daily life within a state. Infrastructure, including roads, highways, and bridges have a huge impact on the daily life of a state’s citizens. This recent last-place ranking by U.S. News and World Report is paired with a D rating by the American Society of Civil Engineer’s 2017 Infrastructure Report Card.

photo credit: Louisiana DOTD

On October 12, a barge-mounted crane collided with the bottom of the Sunshine Bridge in Donaldsonville. The damages done to the diagonal bracing of the bridge led the bridge to be deemed unsafe by the Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) closing the bridge until December 1, when one lane in each direction was reopened.

According to The Advocate, the maintenance will not only include emergency repairs as a result of the collision but maintenance which was scheduled before the accident occurred. The previously scheduled maintenance on the 54-year old structure, “will make the bridge safer and will extend its life,” said Shawn D. Wilson, secretary of the state DOTD.

The bridge is partially opened as of now but will be completely closed during the weekend of January 19-20. The emergency repairs have been completed, but maintenance on the bridge will be ongoing, with varying lane closures during the upcoming months. The aging structure was in need of repair before the accident, a trend which is seen throughout Louisiana. Our state’s roads and bridges recently received a grade of D – from the American Society of Civil Engineers’ 2017 Infrastructure Report Card. Louisiana was also listed as 2nd in the nation in the number of structurally deficient bridges based on square footage of bridge deck.

In all reality, it shouldn’t take a barge collision to put bridge maintenance in motion as the dangers of Louisiana residents riding on neglected structures every day can be extremely dangerous. The safety of the Louisiana citizens who ride these bridges daily should be a priority the state.

Source: https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/article_cc2f89b2-1289-11e9-be97-b76454ab949c.html

Baton Rouge – A coalition of advocates for fixing the state’s roads and bridges have launched a new campaign to build support for fixing and improving Louisiana’s failing bridges and roads. The Louisiana Coalition To Fix Our Roads (LCFOR) is asking drivers and the public to join them in their efforts to rally lawmakers to pass a comprehensive plan to meet the state’s growing transportation needs.

“People across the political spectrum agree, maintaining our roads and bridges is a core function of government. It affects us all – our families, our businesses, our state’s economic opportunities,” said Erich Ponti, LCFOR’s Director. “Legislators in Baton Rouge need to stop ignoring the issue and begin working together on a plan to stop the crumbling of our roads and bridges.”

A 2017 study from a national transportation research group, TRIP, examined the state of Louisiana’s roads and bridges. The numbers show the state’s transportation system is in poor shape.

• At least 38% of our state’s roads are in poor or worse condition.
• 1,821 bridges are structurally deficient or functionally obsolete
• 15% of the state’s bridges are “substandard”
• 12th highest in the nation highway fatality rate in 2017

Business leaders from around the state have joined the coalition calling for lawmakers to pass a plan for fixing the state’s transportation infrastructure because of the benefits to Louisiana’s economic growth.

“Our public infrastructure is crumbling beneath us,” said Mike Olivier, executive director of the economic development organization Louisiana’s Committee of 100. “Car repairs are hitting people in their wallets, holding our state’s economy back and putting our people’s lives at risk. Now is the time for Legislators to address sustainable funding to fix our roads and bridges.”

“Roads and bridges are the arteries of our economy,” said Michael Hecht, President & CEO of Greater New Orleans, Inc. “If they are clogged and failing, our economic performance will suffer due to higher costs, decreased safety, and foregone opportunity – as companies take their businesses to where they can safely and expeditiously move their people and products.  Looking forward, an investment in transportation infrastructure is an investment in economic opportunity for the next generation of Louisianans.”

“The condition of roads and bridges greatly influences the economy’s ability to function and grow,” said Deborah Randolph, President, Central LA Regional Chamber of Commerce. “ State investment in transportation and other forms of vital infrastructure is key to creating good jobs and a foundation for a strong economy now and in the future. Now is the time for the Louisiana Legislature to develop a plan to fund infrastructure improvements that have the potential to pay off economically in private-sector investment and job growth.”

“We all know that Louisiana must increase its investment in transportation infrastructure statewide.  It is critical to the state economy,” said Baton Rouge Area Chamber (BRAC) President and CEO Adam Knapp.

Road repair and improvements were top of mind at the local level recently. Voters in East Baton Rouge Parish on December 8th overwhelmingly voted in favor of a local half cent sales tax for transportation infrastructure projects.

“Lawmakers at the state level need to make fixing our roads a statewide priority like local governments are doing,” said Ponti.

LCFOR has launched a grassroots campaign to encourage people to share what they think of the state’s roads. Their fill in the blank digital ad asks Louisianans to complete the sentence “LA Roads Are ________.”  

“We want to hear from those who drive on our roads and bridges every day,” said Ponti. “We’ll make sure your voice is heard by sharing those responses with lawmakers. The only way we’re going solve this problem is for people to step up and demand a plan from their elected officials.

“Our campaign will empower people to directly connect with their lawmakers and share with their friends and followers that they are in fact fed up with our state’s terrible roads and bridges,” said Ponti.

The Louisiana Coalition to Fix Our Roads (LCFOR) is a nonprofit, statewide organization that advocates for improving roads and bridges. LCFOR is made up of business leaders, associations, and chambers of commerce who believe that a safe and efficient highway system is essential to continuing our state’s economic growth.

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