Roadwork ahead: Second round of repairs set to begin in Central City

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A swath of Central City will see repairs to its streets and sidewalks, from basic repaving to the total replacement of sewerage, water and drainage lines and reconstruction of the streets and sidewalks. The work is scheduled for January 2022 to January 2023. The project is under the Sewerage & Water Board and Department of Public Works’ Joint Infrastructure Program, which oversees the implementation of more than $2 billion of federal funding allocated for hundreds of miles of road repair. The $18.4 million Central City Group B project covers a roughly triangular area from Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Washington Avenue to St. Charles Avenue, bounded by Toledano Street and MLK Boulevard.

Curbside recycling returning to Uptown neighborhoods

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Uptown neighborhoods will get curbside recycling again in the new year, beginning the week of Jan. 3, 2022. 

Residents serviced by Richard’s Disposal can once again roll their city-issued recycling cart to the curb. Recycling pickup was suspended after Hurricane Ida hit the area on Aug. 29. Recycling will resume on the same day it was picked up before the suspension.

coastal preservation

How and why to recycle your Christmas tree for coastal restoration

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When you take down your Christmas tree on Jan. 6 — the day we transition from red and green to purple, green and gold — set it aside. It can be turned into a gift to Louisiana’s fragile coastline. The city’s solid waste contractors will be collecting the trees for recycling between Jan. 10 and Jan.

Mardi Gras

After pandemic losses, Magazine Street businesses were counting on Carnival parade revenue. Then the routes changed.

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While most New Orleanians are glad the parades will return to the streets for the 2022 Carnival season, the route changes will hurt many of the small businesses along Magazine Street. The 2022 routes, announced on Tuesday by Mayor LaToya Cantrell, eliminate the  stretch of Magazine Street from Jefferson to Napoleon Avenue, where nine krewes begin their procession, and the longer stretch of Magazine from Henry Clay Avenue that the Krewe of Thoth commands. Instead, these parades will all line up at Napoleon and Prytania Street. The owners of Tito’s Ceviche and Pisco at 5015 Magazine were expecting the revenue from the parade-viewing crowds to help with their financial recovery from the pandemic. “Mardi Gras parades are a financial boost for us,” said Tito’s co-owner Tatiana Lock.

Mardi Gras

Carnival 2022 parade changes leave out Magazine Street, Thoth’s altruistic route

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All Carnival krewes will see route changes for 2022 Mardi Gras, Mayor LaToya Cantrell announced Tuesday (Dec. 21). The Magazine Street leg of many parade routes has been eliminated, she said at a press conference. Magazine Street — where neighbors gather for a more laid-back parade experience — is a favorite viewing spot for many Uptown residents. The changes are necessary, officials said, because of staff shortages in the city’s public safety agencies, including the police, emergency medical and fire departments.

Traffic advisory: Work set to begin on Magazine Street reconstruction in Audubon Park

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From the Mayor’s Office

New Orleans Department of Public Works and Louisiana Department of Transportation contractor Hard Rock Construction will begin construction on Magazine Street in and near Audubon Park next week. On Jan. 4, 2022, crews will begin lane closures on Magazine Street from Leake Avenue to West Drive to begin sewer and water line work on the first phase of the project, on the river side of Magazine. During this phase of work, eastbound traffic will be detoured to St. Charles Avenue via Broadway Street.

roadwork

Traffic advisory: Nashville and Clara intersection to close for one week

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From the Mayor’s Office

On Monday (Dec. 20), weather permitting, the city’s Public Works’ contractor, Boh Bros. Construction, will close the intersection of Nashville and Clara streets to vehicular traffic for approximately one week to accommodate construction on the Audubon Group A project. Residents in this area are being notified of the closure via neighborhood canvass, according to RoadWork NOLA. During this time, crews will conduct exploratory work around the underground water lines.

city government

Uptown neighborhoods south of St. Charles Avenue hand Council B seat to Lesli Harris

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In this year’s municipal elections, voters either went all in for their incumbents or they voted them out. Unfortunately for District B’s Jay H. Banks, he landed in the latter category. The council member lost his seat in the runoff election on Saturday (Dec. 11), and attorney Lesli Harris will be taking his place. Harris lost to Banks in the first round of voting in the November primary, but she got 57% of the vote in the runoff.

opinion

Viewpoint: Opponents of the affordable housing tax are making the perfect the enemy of the good

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New Orleans is in the midst of an affordable housing crisis that can only be mitigated by addressing the racial equity needs of the city’s most marginalized citizens, said Andreanecia Morris, who leads the Greater New Orleans Housing Alliance (GNOHA). A respected affordable housing professional, Morris is having a hard time understanding the mindset of groups, including the Bureau of Governmental Research, that are either neutral or opposed to the renewal of the city’s property tax dedicated to increased affordable housing and blight elimination. The proposition appears on the ballot this Saturday (Dec. 11). If voters reject the renewal, the tax will expire at the end of the year.

bike lanes

City refurbishes bike lanes on the Broad Street overpass

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The Department of Public Works and its contractor Pavement Markings last week completed work on the Broad Street overpass that featured upgrades and maintenance on the bike lanes between Third Street and Tulane Avenue. The wide bollards on the overpass were replaced with narrow delineator flexposts to allow for regular cleaning by the city’s bike lane sweeper. The renovation of the bike lanes also included refreshed roadway markings, overall cleaning and green bike lane surfacing. “We recognize that infrastructure maintenance is just as important as the infrastructure work itself,” said Josh Hartley, the acting director of the city’s Department of Public Works. The protected bike lanes were added to the Broad Street overpass in 2019 to more safely connect Mid-City and Uptown neighborhoods, Hartley said.