CONNECT

Workers–about 50,000 of them actually.  A new study by CONNECT Coalition member, the Greater New Orleans Community Data Center (GNOCDC), confirms the inter-dependencies of Baton Rouge and New Orleans for jobs and workers.  The GNOCDC report, Economic Ties Across Southeast Louisiana, presents evidence of the cross-metro commuting in the super region and best practices from similar areas around the country.  As the report states, “in a complex and globalized economy, the competitive advantage of Southeast Louisiana lies in achieving a critical mass of local interconnected firms and institutions.”  We’re beginning to shift the paradigm to more collaborative ways of planning, investing and decision making in Southeast Louisiana, but there is still much work to be done to meet the needs of our workforce.  Download the full report here.

CONNECT and AARP are pleased to bring national pedestrian and bicycle safety expert Dan Burden‘s unique perspectives to the Baton Rouge community on Thursday, April 5th, at the Louisiana Arts and Science Museum (LASM) from 5:30-7:00.  Continue reading →

Great cities have great transit–as do strong metros, regions and super regions.  For Baton Rouge and New Orleans to achieve a sustainable, equitable, alternative transportation system, high-quality public transit systems within the metro areas of Baton Rouge and New Orleans are critical foundations to establish.  Continue reading →

In a time of fiscal crisis and shrinking budgets, leveraged investments and well coordinated decision making is more important for American communities than ever before.  While our country and state have a shallow history of such collaborative, well-planned and well-executed projects to point to, the effects of  programs like the HUD Sustainable Communities Planning Grant, DOT TIGER and HUD Challenge Grants will undoubtedly impact communities for years to come.  Continue reading →

CONNECT is pleased to report that last week’s Policy Forum was a tremendous success.  To those who presented, attended, or contributed in anyway, thank you: we greatly appreciate the broad-based interest in this work.  If you missed the forum, or would like to revisit some of the information presented, the speaker presentations have been posted on our Policy Forum page. Continue reading →

CONNECT is pleased to bring you Getting from Here to There, the third and final policy brief in our latest research series, which has outlined the vision for, benefits of and strategies leading to an integrated, equitable transportation system across the super region.  While the first two briefs have made a compelling case for super regional collaboration, Getting from Here to There offers dynamic recommendations to move the metros forward.  The six “next steps” provided by this brief include not only concrete examples and strategies, but also suggest the “key players” who should be brought to the table to bring CONNECT’s vision to fruition.  Download this brief and read more about this series here>

Do you ever look at the alphabet soup of transportation agencies and wonder who does what exactly?  Do you recognize terms like DOTD, RPC or RTA but not understand what each does or who reports where?  Whether you’re a pro and deciphering the acronyms swirling around transportation agencies or not, the CONNECT Coalition is bringing a unique opportunity to its members, elected officials and the general public. Continue reading →

“You get what you pay for” is a great way to describe Baton Rouge’s public transportation system–and it’s a phrase the Blue Ribbon Commission members have been using frequently.  While many people tend to think bus fares pay for bus service, nearly all transit services in the country and the state are subsidized by an additional dedicated source of revenue. Unfortunately, Baton Rouge is not in the majority on this issue, as it lacks a dedicated stream of funding to support its transit operations.  As a result, the system relies on funding from city, state and federal sources that vary from year to year.  Continue reading →

Following the success of CONNECT’s first policy brief, “One Great Region,” the Coalition is pleased to release its second brief in a series of three:  “Connected and Read to Compete: The Role of Transit and Coordinated Regional Planning in the Economic Future of Baton Rouge and New Orleans.”  As CONNECT continues to bring research and resources to the conversation surrounding regional transportation, this brief outlines the clear economic benefits that result from coordinated planning and investments by the metro areas.  Through “Connected” business and industry leaders, as well as elected officials, will realize the advantages and finical gains associated with high quality transit and land-use planning.  Read more about this project and download the first and second briefs>

The red indicates the areas of the Baton Rouge MSA where residents spend over $3600 a year on gas in 2008.

As gas prices soar, families across America are feeling the financial pinch.  Using the Center for Neighborhood Technology’s Housing and Transportation Affordability Index, gas prices from 2000 and 2008 are highlighted to show the monthly and annual impact on household budgets in metros nation wide.  For the Baton Rouge and New Orleans areas, a shocking majority of residents are paying over $3600 a year for gas–a stark contrast to the $900-1800 price range these same neighborhoods enjoyed in 2000. What’s most interesting, however, in viewing the maps of New Orleans and Baton Rouge, is that the money spent on gas decreases closer to the urban core. Continue reading →