Loyola University New Orleans will be hosting the 2021 New Orleans Electric Vehicle Showcase on Saturday (Sept. 25). Owners and would-be owners of electric vehicles are invited to the free event giving the public a chance to look under the hood of some of the latest electric cars from brands like Chevrolet, Nissan and Tesla. It is part of National Drive Electric Week and is presented by the city of New Orleans, Entergy New Orleans and the Southeast Louisiana Clean Fuel Partnership. Loyola University has promoted transitioning to cleaner fuels since 2011, when it installed two electric charging stations in the main entrance to campus on St.
An unprecedented amount of infrastructure work is happening across New Orleans — altogether more than $500 million on roadways and on vertical construction projects and there is more to come. For the first time in more than five years, the city has approved nearly $300 million in bonds for a tax-exempt sale, which will lead to multiple projects out for advertisement in the coming months. These projects are designed to improve public spaces, add more stormwater storage and fix more streets. Additionally, about $110 million in joint infrastructure roadway projects, $10 million in capital building projects, and $100 million in green infrastructure projects will be out for bid in the next few months. Roadwork NOLA released updates on the following projects in Uptown neighborhoods.
From the Mayor’s Office
Beginning Monday (March 8) and continuing through Friday, (March 12), weather permitting, the 1800 block of Dublin Street, between Hickory and Cohn streets, will be closed to vehicular traffic to allow construction crews to start pavement restoration. Road closure signs will be in place throughout the process. During this time, street parking and driveway access will be impacted. Residents and visitors are reminded to adhere to “No Parking” signage to avoid being ticketed or towed, as well as to use caution when driving, bicycling and walking near the construction site. This work is part of the $15 million Hollygrove Leonidas Group A project that includes replacing/repairing damaged underground water, sewer and/or drainage lines; repairing damaged curbs and gutters; patching the roadway with asphalt; replacing damaged sidewalks and driveway aprons; and installing Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant curb ramps at intersections.
The NOPD’s Traffic Division will conduct an upcoming sobriety checkpoint within Orleans Parish. The checkpoint will be in operation from 9 p.m. on Thursday (Feb. 4) through Friday (Feb. 5) at 5 a.m.
During this time, motorists will experience minimal delays at the checkpoint and should have the proper documentation available if requested by officers (proof of vehicle insurance, driver’s license, etc.)
After taking a pause during the holidays, Boh Bros Construction Co. crews continued underground utility work and roadway restoration in the Audubon neighborhood as part of the $7.3 million Audubon Group A infrastructure improvement project. In January, crews continued excavation and milling work on Hurst and Octavia streets. Waterline work on Webster and Henry Clay streets continued in close collaboration with Sewerage & Water Board. The project is currently scheduled to be complete in summer 2021, weather permitting. Black Pearl, East Carrollton Group A
The $11.9 million Black Pearl, East Carrollton Group A project, which began construction in August 2020, continues to make progress.
Beginning on Monday (Feb. 1) and continuing through Friday (Feb. 5), weather permitting, Department of Public Works contractor Wallace C. Drennan Inc. will close the intersection at Cambronne and Birch streets to vehicular traffic as part of the Hollygrove, Leonidas Group A project. Traffic controls and signage will be in place; residents and commuters are reminded to use caution when driving, bicycling and walking near the construction site. Construction crews will close the intersection to remove and replace the entire intersection all at one time.
While the past year has taught us that the future is highly unpredictable, in New Orleans, roadwork will always endure.
As roadwork has been classified an “essential activity,” infrastructure improvements have continued through the pandemic, though with modifications aimed at worker safety. On Thursday (Jan. 14) evening, the Office of Neighborhood Engagement hosted an online meeting to notify St. Thomas and Irish Channel residents about street milling and reconstruction work coming to their area. The $7 million project is officially called East Riverside/Garden District/Irish Channel/St.Thomas Group A.
With about $2.2 billion in funding from FEMA, and additional funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Roadwork NOLA oversees over 200 Department of Public Works and Sewerage & Water Board projects.
Just days after the a cyclist was killed in traffic on St. Charles Avenue, a “ghost bike” was placed at the site to honor his memory. There are a number of groups that make and place these ghost bikes (not to be confused with the Germany-based bicycle company of the same name) around New Orleans. This one was made by Angie Bailleux, who has been fabricating the bikes for going on five years. Bailleux said she does not know the victim.
From the Mayor’s Office
Beginning on Monday (Jan. 11), weather permitting, the New Orleans Department of Public Works’ contractor, Hard Rock Construction Co., will close a travel lane in the 2400 block of South Claiborne Avenue and a portion of the bike lane in the 7900 block of St. Charles Avenue to accommodate sidewalk repairs as part of a city bond-funded sidewalk improvement program. The closures will be in effect from 8 a.m. Monday through the end of the month. Residents and commuters are reminded to use caution when driving, bicycling and walking near the construction site.
The city and the New Orleans Complete Streets Coalition, a group of organizations, businesses, civic leaders and community members, are on a mission to improve roadways and safe transportation options to enhance health, equity, sustainability, prosperity and quality of life in the city.
“It [NOCSC] really is focused on the fact that we as a coalition believe in constructing streets in a way that best accommodate all people safely and easily, no matter how they travel,” said Dan Favre, executive director of Bike Easy, a local bike advocacy and education program and a part of NOCSC. “Whether you’re someone driving, walking, riding a bike, taking transit or using a wheelchair or other mobility assistance devices, we really think that these streets are built to share.”
Through Moving New Orleans Bikes, a city initiative that began in April of last year that the NOCSC is heavily involved with, New Orleans is embarking on a city-wide bike planning effort, building low-stress bikeways in Central City, The Lower Garden District, Mid-City, Faubourg St. John, the 7th Ward, and the CBD. Data used for construction planning include a bicycle equity index, which looks at where people are shown to have historic disadvantages when it comes to transportation, as well as technical aspects such as street sizes and speed limits. In addition to research and data, feedback from the community has also been incorporated.
For the past two years, a group of planners has been working to turn around public transportation in New Orleans and the rest of the region. It is now seeking feedback on its New Links report, a plan for our buses and streetcars, reimagined with the idea that the system needs to serve more people more efficiently. New Links is a project of the Regional Planning Commission, building on long-range strategic plans by the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority and Jefferson Transit. Planners gathered public feedback and crunched numbers to come up with a transit design that takes existing resources and organizes them in a more effective way. During Phase 1 of the project in the summer and fall of 2019, the planners collected more than 1,000 surveys and held 75 public meetings, including open houses, community meetings and pop-up events.
