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Coordinates: 30°27′29″N 91°08′25″W / 30.45809°N 91.140229°W / 30.45809; -91.140229
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|population_note =
|population_note =
|population_total = 227,017
|population_total = 227,017
|population_metro = 774,327
|population_metro = 1,000,000,000
|population_urban =
|population_urban =
|population_density_km2 = 1144.7
|population_density_km2 = 1144.7

Revision as of 13:48, 1 March 2010

For the restaurant, see Baton Rouge
City of Baton Rouge
Ville de Bâton Rouge
City
Downtown Baton Rouge (viewed from Port Allen across the Mississippi River)
Downtown Baton Rouge (viewed from Port Allen across the Mississippi River)
Flag of City of Baton Rouge Ville de Bâton Rouge
Flag
Official seal of City of Baton Rouge Ville de Bâton Rouge
Seal
Nickname: 
Red Stick
Motto: 
Authentic Louisiana at every turn
Location of Baton Rouge in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana
Location of Baton Rouge in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana
Country United States
State Louisiana
ParishEast Baton Rouge Parish
Founded1699
Incorporated16 January 1817
Government
 • MayorMelvin "Kip" Holden (D)
Area
 • City204.8 km2 (79.1 sq mi)
 • Land199 km2 (76.8 sq mi)
 • Water5.7 km2 (2.2 sq mi)  2.81%
Elevation
14 m (46 ft)
Population
 (2007)
 • City227,017
 • Density1,144.7/km2 (2,964.7/sq mi)
 • Metro
1,000,000,000
Time zoneUTC-6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
Area code225
Websitehttp://www.brgov.com

Baton Rouge (Template:Pron-en; French: Bâton-Rouge [bɑtɔ̃ ʀuʒ] ⓘ) is the capital and second-largest city of Louisiana. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish and has an estimated population of 227,017. The metropolitan area, known as Greater Baton Rouge, has an estimated population of 774,327. The Baton Rouge-Pierre Part Combined Statistical Area, consisting of the Baton Rouge metropolitan area and Pierre Part micropolitan area, has a population of 797,208, making it the 64th-largest urban area in the United States.

Baton Rouge is located in the southeast portion of the state along the Mississippi River. It owes its historical importance to its site upon Istrouma Bluff, the first bluff upriver from the Mississippi River Delta, which protects the city’s residents from flooding and other natural disasters. In addition to this natural barrier, the city has built a levee system stretching from the bluff southward to protect the riverfront and low-lying agricultural areas.

Baton Rouge is a major industrial and petrochemical center of the American South. The Port of Baton Rouge is the ninth largest in the United States in terms of tonnage shipped.[1]

The Baton Rouge region is called the "Capital Area."

History

Main article: Baton Rouge History
Pierre Le Moyne, Sieur d'Iberville provided Baton Rouge as well as Lakes Pontchartrain and Maurepas their current names

Beginnings

Baton Rouge dates from 1699, when French explorer Sieur d'Iberville leading an exploration party up the Mississippi River saw a reddish cypress pole festooned with bloody animals and fish that marked the boundary between Houma and Bayou Goula tribal hunting grounds. They called the pole and its location "le bâton rouge", or red stick. The local Native American name for the site had been "Istrouma". From evidence found along the Mississippi, Comite, and Amite rivers, and in three Native American mounds remaining in the city, archaeologists have been able to date habitation of the Baton Rouge area to 8000 BC.[2]

Old Louisiana State Capitol

Since European settlement, Baton Rouge has been governed by France, Britain, Spain, Louisiana, the Florida Republic, the Confederate States, and the United States. In 1755, when French-speaking settlers of Acadia in Canada's Maritime were driven into exile by British forces, many took up residence in rural Louisiana. Popularly known as Cajuns, the descendants of the Acadians maintained a separate culture that immeasurably enriched the Baton Rouge area. Incorporated in 1817, Baton Rouge became Louisiana's state capital in 1849. Architect James Dakin was hired to design the new Capital building in Baton Rouge, and rather than mimic the federal Capitol Building in Washington, as many other states had done, he conceived a Neo-Gothic medieval castle overlooking the Mississippi, complete with turrets and crenelations. During the first half of the nineteenth century the city grew steadily as the result of steamboat trade and transportation; at the outbreak of the Civil War the population was 5,500 people. The Civil War halted economic progress but did not actually touch the town until it was occupied by Union forces in 1862. The Confederates gave up Baton Rouge without a fight, deciding to consolidate their forces elsewhere, during which time, the state capital had been moved to Opelousas and later Shreveport. After the war's end, New Orleans served as the seat of the Reconstruction-era state government; but once Bourbon Democrat rule was restored in 1882, the state government returned to Baton Rouge where it has remained since.

Map of Baton Rouge in 1863

Today

Capitol Building.

In the 1950s and 1960s, Baton Rouge experienced a boom in the petrochemical industry, causing the city to expand away from the original center. In recent years, however, government and business have begun a move back to the central district. A building boom that began in the 1990s continues today, with multi-million dollar projects for quality of life improvements and new construction happening all over the city. In the 2000s, Baton Rouge has proven to be one of the fastest growing cities in the South in terms of technology. Baton Rouge's population exploded after Hurricane Katrina as residents from the New Orleans metropolitan area moved northward following the devastation. Estimates in late 2005 put the displaced population at about 200,000 in the Baton Rouge area. Despite claims from mayor-president Kip Holden of permanent growth in the region, however, the growth proved to be temporary as displaced citizens returned to their home regions. Due to the hurricane victims returning home and native Baton Rouge residents moving to outlying parishes, such as Ascension Parish and Livingston Parish, the U.S. Census Bureau has designated Baton Rouge the second fastest declining city in its 2007–2008 estimate. The US Census Bureau released its estimate for July 2008 on 19 March 2009, which reported that East Baton Rouge Parish's population had declined for the second consecutive year. However, Metropolitan Baton Rouge is one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in the U.S. (under 1 million), with 600,000 in 2000 and an estimate of 770,000 in 2008. There is a vibrant mix of cultures found throughout Louisiana, thus forming the basis of the city motto: "Authentic Louisiana at every turn".[3]

Geography and climate

File:Batonrougeaerial.JPG
A satellite image of Baton Rouge

Baton Rouge is located at 30°27′29″N 91°8′25″W / 30.45806°N 91.14028°W / 30.45806; -91.14028 (30.458090, -91.140229).Template:GR

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 79.1 square miles (204.8 km²), of which, 76.8 square miles (199.0 km²) of it is land and 2.2 square miles (5.7 km²) of it (2.81%) is water.

Baton Rouge is the third southmost capital city in the continental United States, after Austin, Texas and Tallahassee, Florida.

Climate

Baton Rouge is humid-subtropical, with mild winters, hot and humid summers, moderate to heavy rainfall, and the possibility of damaging winds and tornadoes yearlong. Baton Rouge's proximity to the coastline exposes the metropolitan region to hurricanes. Snow is fairly rare, although it has snowed for three consecutive years, on 11 December 2008, on 4 December 2009, and again on 12 February 2010.

Climate data for Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Source: NCDC [4]
Exxon Facility north of Baton Rouge

Economy

Baton Rouge is the farthest inland port on the Mississippi River that can accommodate ocean-going tankers and cargo carriers. As such, those ships transfer their cargo (grain, crude, cars, containers) at Baton Rouge onto rails and pipelines (to travel east-west) or barges (to travel north). Deep-draft vessels cannot pass the old Huey Long Bridge because the clearance is insufficient, and the river depth decreases significantly just to the north, near Port Hudson.[5]

Baton Rouge's biggest industry is petrochemical production. ExxonMobil has the second-largest oil refinery in the country here; it is among the world's 10 largest refineries. Baton Rouge also has rail, highway, pipeline, and deep water access.[6] Dow Chemical Company has a large plant in Iberville Parish near Plaquemine.[7] NanYa Technology Corporation has a large facility in North Baton Rouge that makes PVC and CPVC pipes. Shaw Construction, Turner, and Harmony all started with performing construction work at these plants.

The Shaw Group Headquarters on Essen Lane, a commercial office corridor

As well as being the state capital and parish seat, the city is also the home of Louisiana State University. The largest employer in Baton Rouge is government, which recently consolidated all branches of state government downtown the "Capitol Park" complex.[8]

The research hospitals Our Lady of the Lake and Earl K. Long, helped by an emerging medical corridor at Essen Lane/Summa Avenue/Bluebonnet Boulevard, are positioning Baton Rouge to eventually support a medical district similar to the Texas Medical Center.

Thanks to generous state and local tax credits for the film industry, Baton Rouge has followed other Louisiana cities in developing into an important part of the "Hollywood South" initiative. The new Celtic Media Centre is Louisiana's first and so far the only full-service studio/sound stage, and two other studios are being built to meet the needs of this growing industry.[9]

Demographics

Baton Rouge Governmental Building
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18503,905—
190011,269—
194049,654—
1950125,629153.0%
1960152,41921.3%
1970165,9638.9%
1980219,41932.2%
1990219,5310.1%
2000227,8183.8%
2006 (est.)229,553
U.S. Census Bureau[10]

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 227,818 people, 88,973 households, and 52,672 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,964.7 people per square mile (1,144.7/km²). There were 97,388 housing units at an average density of 1,267.3/sq mi (489.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 50.02% African American, 45.70% White, 0.18% Native American, 2.62% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.49% from other races, and 0.96% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.72% of the population.

Of all households, 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.8% were married couples living together, 19.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.8% were non-families. 31.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 3.12.

In the city the population was spread out with 24.4% under the age of 18, 17.5% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 90.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $30,368, and the median income for a family was $40,266. Males had a median income of $34,893 versus $23,115 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,512. About 18.0% of families and 24.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 31.4% of those under age 18 and 13.8% of those ages 65 or over.

Cityscape

Baton Rouge and the Mississippi River

Tallest buildings

Baton Rouge currently has several towers in the works. One project includes a 12 story office building, another a 30+ story condominium. They will be the first towers built downtown in two decades.

File:Riverplace2.JPG
3D Render of RiverPlace Condominiums
JP Morgan Chase Building and Riverside Tower
Name Stories Height
Louisiana State Capitol (tallest state capitol building in the U.S.) 34 460 ft (140 m)
RiverPlace Condominiums (on hold due to financing problems) 30+
One American Place 24 310 ft (94 m)
JPMorgan Chase Tower 21 277 ft (84 m)
Riverside Tower North 20 229 ft (70 m)
Marriott Hotel Baton Rouge 22 224 ft (68 m)
Catholic-Presbyterian Apartments 14
Dean Tower 14
Two City Plaza 12
Galvez Office Building 12
Kirby Smith Hall (LSU) 13
Memorial Tower (LSU) 175 ft (52m)
Saint Joseph's Cathedral 165 ft (50m)
Louisiana State Office Building 12 160 ft (49 m)
Jacobs Plaza 13 144 ft (44 m)
Bluebonnet Towers (2 residential towers and one to be renovated into a Renaissance Hotel) 12
LaSalle Office Building 12
Shaw Plaza 12
Wooddale State Office Building 12
Hilton Capitol Center 11 132 ft (40 m)
19th Judicial District Court Building(under construction) 12
Sheraton Baton Rouge Convention Center Hotel 10 125 ft (38 m)

Neighborhoods

Main article: Neighborhoods of Baton Rouge

Baton Rouge has many neighborhoods both inside and outside the city limits:

Houses in the University Lakes neighborhood
  • Banks
  • Beauregard Town
  • Bird Station (Old)
  • Bird Station (New)
  • Bocage
  • Broadmoor
  • Brookstown
  • Brownfields
  • Camelot
  • Capitol Heights
  • Cedarcrest
  • Centurion Place
  • Concord
  • Country Club of Louisiana
  • Dixie
  • Eden Park
  • Easytown
  • Fairfields
  • Belfair
  • Gardere
  • Garden District
  • Goodwood
  • Glen Oaks
  • Greendale
  • Inniswold
  • Jefferson Terrace
  • Kenilworth
  • Lake Beau Pre
  • Lake Side
  • Mall City
  • Magnolia Woods
  • Melrose Place
  • Mid-City
  • Millerville
  • Monticello
  • Northdale
  • Oak Hills Place
  • Old Hermitage
  • Old Jefferson
  • Parkview Oaks
  • Pollard Estates
  • Riverbend
  • Santa Maria
  • Scotlandville
  • Shenandoah
  • Sherwood Forest
  • South Baton Rouge
  • Southdowns
  • Southern Heights
  • Spanish Town
  • Stratford Place
  • Tara
  • Tigerland
  • University Acres
  • University Club
  • University Gardens
  • University Hills
  • University Lakes
  • Wedgewood
  • Westminster
  • Woodgate
  • Woodlawn Estates
  • Woodstone
  • Village St. George
  • Zion City

Government

Federal representation

The United States Postal Service operates post offices in Baton Rouge. The Baton Rouge Central Post Office is located at 750 Florida Street in Downtown Baton Rouge.[11]

Culture

See also: Notable inhabitants of Baton Rouge

Baton Rouge is the middle ground of South Louisiana cultures, having a mix of Cajun and Creole Catholics and Baptists of the Florida Parishes and South Mississippi. Baton Rouge is a college city with Baton Rouge Community College, Louisiana State University, Our Lady of the Lake College, and Southern University whose students make up some 20% of the city population. There is a sizable international population of about 11,300, the largest of which are people of Hispanic or Vietnamese descent. Due to this, Baton Rouge has come to have a unique culture as well as be a representation of many different heritages.[12]

Baton Rouge River Center in Downtown

Arts and theater

Baton Rouge has an expanding visual arts scene, which is centered downtown. This increasing collection of venues is anchored by the Shaw Center for the Arts.[13] Opened in 2005, this award-winning facility houses the Brunner Gallery, LSU Museum of Art, the Manship Theatre, a contemporary art gallery, traveling exhibits, and several eateries. Another prominent facility is the Louisiana Art and Science Museum (LASM),[14] which contains Irene W. Pennington Planetarium, traveling art exhibits, space displays, and an ancient Egyptian section. Several smaller art galleries, including the Baton Rouge Gallery, offering a range of local art are scattered throughout the city.

There is also an emerging performance arts scene. The Baton Rouge Little Theater, Baton Rouge River Center, and Manship Theatre mostly host traveling shows, including broadways, musical artists, and plays. Opera Louisiane is Baton Rouge's newest and only professional opera company.[15][16] Other venues include Reilly Theater which is home to Swine Palace, a non-profit professional theater company associated with the Louisiana State University Department of Theatre.

Shaw Center for the Arts in Downtown

Events

See also: List of Events in Baton Rouge

Many events take place throughout the year, the biggest of which is Mardi Gras. Every year Baton Rouge hosts many Mardi Gras parades, the largest one being held in historic Spanish Town. Other festivals include FestforAll, Louisiana Earth Day, Mardi Gras season, Pennington Balloon Festival, the St. Patrick's Day Parade, and Red Stick International Animation Festival.[17]

Pennington Balloon Festival

Media

The major daily newspaper is The Advocate, publishing since 1925. Prior to October 1991, Baton Rouge also had an evening newspaper, The State-Times—at that time, the morning paper was known as "The Morning Advocate." Other publications include: 225Alive 225batonrouge, LSU Daily Reveille, Tiger Weekly, Healthcare Journal of Baton Rouge, Southern University Digest, Greater Baton Rouge Business Report, and the South Baton Rouge Journal. Other newspapers in East Baton Rouge Parish include the Central City News and the Zachary Post.

Greater Baton Rouge area is well served by television and radio. The market is the 95th largest Designated Market Area (DMA) in the U.S. Major television network affiliates serving the area include:

Tiger Stadium at Louisiana State University

Baton Rouge also offer local cable only channels on Cox Cable. Metro 21 on channel 21, Cox 4 on channel 4, and Catholic Life on channel 15.

See also: List of radio stations in Louisiana (Baton Rouge area)

Sports

Baton Rouge is heavily into college sports. The LSU Tigers and the Southern University Jaguars are the two most popular teams and provide the city's biggest entertainment during football season. The teams' dominance of the city's sports scene is evidenced by the numerous shops and restaurants around town that sell and display memorabilia. College baseball, basketball and gymnastics are also popular.[18][19]

Baton Rouge has a successful rugby team, the Baton Rouge Redfishes, which began playing in 1977 and has won numerous conference championships. Currently, the team competes in the Deep South Rugby Union as a Division II team.[20]

The city also has a minor-league soccer team, the Capitals, who play in the PDL[21] (Premier Development League). Currently, the team plays home games in Olympia Stadium.[22]

Nottoway Plantation Located near White Castle, Louisiana

Tourism and recreation

See also: Points of Interest of Baton Rouge

There are many architectural points of interest in Baton Rouge, ranging from antebellum to modern. The neo-gothic Old Louisiana State Capitol was built in the 1890s as the first state house in Baton Rouge and was later replaced by the 450 feet (137 m) tall, art-deco New Louisiana State Capitol which was the tallest building in the South when it was completed. Several plantation homes in the area such as Magnolia Mound Plantation House, Myrtles Plantation, and Nottoway Plantation showcase antebellum-era architecture. Louisiana State University has over 250 buildings in Italian Renaissance style, one of the nation's largest college stadiums, and is endowed with many live oaks. Several examples of modern and contemporary buildings are downtown, including the Louisiana State Museum.[23][24] A number of structures, including the Baton Rouge River Center, Louisiana State Library, LSU Student Union, Louisiana Naval Museum, Bluebonnet Swamp Interpretive Center, Louisiana Arts and Sciences Center, Louisiana State Archive and Research Library, and the Pennington Biomedical Research Center, were designed by local architect John Desmond.[25] Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad Company Depot, currently houses the Louisiana Arts and Science Museum.[26]

File:Ussrkid.JPG
USS Kidd Located downtown on the river. Part of the Louisiana Naval Museum

Museums around town offer a variety of genres. The Louisiana State Museum and the Old Louisiana State Capitol Museum display information on state history and have many interactive exhibits. The Shaw Center for the Arts showcases and the Louisiana Art and Science Museum showcase varied arts. LASM also includes science exhibits and a planetarium. Other museums include the LSU Museum of Natural Science and the USS Kidd.

Baton Rouge has an extensive park collection run through BREC (The Recreation & Park Commission for the Parish of East Baton Rouge). The largest park is City Park near LSU and is currently undergoing a complete remodeling. The Baton Rouge Zoo is run through BREC and includes 1800+ species.[27]

Other attractions include the Mall at Cortana and the Mall of Louisiana (Louisiana's two largest malls) and Perkins Rowe, amusement parks of Dixie Landin'/ Blue Bayou, and dining at the Louisiana-cuisine restaurants.

Education

Main article: Education in Baton Rouge
Memorial Tower at LSU

The Baton Rouge area contains 12 public school districts—Ascension, Baker, Central Community, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberville, Livingston, Pointe Coupee, St. Helena, West Baton Rouge, West Feliciana, and Zachary. School districts in the region provide opportunities for advanced learning through Gifted and Academic Magnet programs and tailored programs in music, visual arts, and dramatic arts. Additionally, the Capital Region is home to four of the top ten performing districts (Ascension, Livington, West Feliciana, Zachary) in the state.

Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, generally known as Louisiana State University or LSU, is a public, coeducational university that is the main campus of the Louisiana State University System. LSU includes nine senior colleges and three schools, in addition to specialized centers, divisions, institutes, and offices. Enrollment stands at over 32,000 students, with 1,300 full-time faculty members. LSU is also one of twenty-one American universities designated as a land-grant, sea-grant and space-grant research center. In order to reverse decades of underfunding, the university recently launched an ambitious fundraising drive, called the "Forever LSU" campaign.

Southern University and A&M College is a comprehensive institution offering two associate's degree programs, 42 bachelor's degree programs, 19 master's degree programs, and five doctoral programs. The University is part of the only historically black land grant university system in the United States. Southern became a land-grant school in 1890, and an Agricultural and Mechanical department was established. The University offers programs of study ranging from associate degree to doctoral and professional degrees. It provides opportunities for students to participate in internships and summer assignments in industry and with the federal government.

Baton Rouge Community College Library

Baton Rouge Community College is an open-admissions, two-year post-secondary public community college, established on 28 June 1995. The college settled into a permanent location in 1998. The 60-acre (240,000 m2) campus consists of five main buildings: Governor's Building, Louisiana Building, Cypress Building, Bienvenue Building (student center), and the Magnolia Library Building. The college's current enrollment is more than 8,000 students. The curricular offerings include courses and programs leading to transfer credits, certificates and associate degrees.[28]

Infrastructure

Health and medicine

Baton Rouge is served by several hospitals and clinics:

Utilities

  • Electric: Cajun Electric Power Cooperative, DEMCO, Entergy
  • Natural Gas: Entergy, Louisiana Gas Service Company, Mid-Louisiana Gas Company
  • Telephone: AT&T Inc.
  • Water: Baton Rouge Water Company, City of Baker, City of Zachary
  • Sewer: City of Baker, City of Zachary, East Baton Rouge Parish
  • Trash: Allied Waste

Military

Baton Rouge is home station to the Army National Guard 769th Engineer Battalion, which recently had units deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. The armory located near the Baton Rouge Airport houses three company-sized units: 769th HSC (headquarters support company); 769th FSC (forward support company); and the 927th Sapper Company. Other units of the battalion are located at Napoleonville (928th Sapper Company); Baker, Louisiana (926th MAC mobility augmentation company); and Gonzales, Louisiana (922nd Horizontal Construction Company).

The 769th Engineer Battalion is part of the 225th Engineer Brigade which is headquartered in Pineville, Louisiana at Camp Beauregard. There are four engineer battalions and an independent bridging company in the 225th Engineer Brigade which makes it the largest engineer group in the US Army Engineer Corps.

Transportation

  • Horace Wilkinson Bridge I-10
    Horace Wilkinson Bridge I-10
  • Huey Long Bridge
    Huey Long Bridge

Highways and roads

Baton Rouge is connected by the following major routes: I-10 (Capital City Expressway via the Horace Wilkinson Bridge), I-12 (Republic of West Florida Parkway), I-110 (Martin Luther King Jr. Freeway), Airline Highway (US 61), Florida Boulevard (US 190) (via the Huey P. Long Bridge), Greenwell Springs Road (LA 37), Plank Road/22nd Street (LA 67), Burbank Drive & Highland Road(LA 42), Nicholson Drive (LA 30), Jefferson Highway (LA 73), Louisiana Highway 1 (LA 1) and Scotland/Baker/Zachary Highway (LA 19). The business routes of US 61/190 run west along Florida Blvd. from Airline Highway to River Road downtown. The routes also run along River Rd., Chippewa Street, and Scenic Highway from Chippewa to Airline. US 190 joins US 61 on Airline Hwy. from Florida Blvd. to Scenic Hwy., where the two highways split. US 190 continues westward on Airline to the Huey P. Long Bridge, while US 61 heads north on Scenic Hwy.

To accommodate the rapid growth of Baton Rouge, sections of its freeways have been upgraded in recent decades and there are currenlty plans to create a tolled freeway loop around the metropolitan area. According to the 2008 INRIX National Traffic Scorecard, which ranks the top 100 congested metropolitan areas in the U.S., Baton Rouge is the 33rd-most-congested metro area in the country. However, at a population rank of 67 out of 100, it has the second-highest ratio of population rank to congestion rank, higher than even the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana metropolitan area, indicating a remarkably high level of congestion for the comparatively low population. According to the Scorecard, Baton Rouge was the only area out of all 100 to show an increase in congestion from 2007 to 2008 (+6%). The city also tied for the highest jump in congestion rank over the same period (14 places).[29]

Specific problem areas include a stretch of I-12E between the Airline Highway and O'Neal Lane exits, which extends even further to the Denham Springs exit in Livingston Parish. The S. Sherwood Forest Blvd., Millerville Road, and O'Neal Lane exits all made the list of the nation's top 1000 bottlenecks in the aforementioned INRIX study.[30] Three lanes wide until the O'Neal Lane exit, the interstate abruptly becomes two lanes thereafter. This stretch of road, called "a deathtrap"[31] by one lawmaker, has become notorious for traffic accidents, many with fatalities. In 2007, ten people died in traffic accidents within a three-month period on this section of road.[32] Plans are in the works to widen the two-lane portions of this segment to three lanes, eastbound and westbound, by November 2011 at a cost of $100 million.[33]

I-10W at Bluebonnet Road also ranks within the top 1000 bottlenecks for 2008, and I-10E at Essen Lane and at Nicholson Drive rank not far out of the top 1000. Though significant improvements to I-10 were made to allow for easier access to the Mall of Louisiana, the stretch of I-10 from the I-10/I-12 split to Siegen Lane, which includes the Bluebonnet exit, was not part of these improvements and remains heavily congested during peak hours. Initial work in the 87-million-dollar project to widen this segment to three lanes in both directions has begun and may take up to three years to complete.[34]

Surface streets in Baton Rouge are no stranger to severe congestion, either. However, relief is starting to be felt after years of stagnation in road upgrades. Baton Rouge Mayor Kip Holden has instituted an extensive upgrade of East Baton Rouge Parish roads known as the Green Light Plan, geared toward improving areas of congestion on the city's surface streets. With its first project completed in October 2008, it has seen numerous others reach completion as of mid-2009, with several more under construction and still others yet to break ground.[35]

A circumferential loop freeway has been proposed for the greater Baton Rouge metro area to help alleviate congestion on the existing through-town routes. The proposed loop would pass through the outlying parishes of Livingston (running alongside property owned and marketed as an industrial development by Al Coburn, a member of President Mike Grimmer's staff), Ascension, West Baton Rouge, and Iberville, as well as northern East Baton Rouge Parish. This proposal has been subject to much contention, particularly by residents living in the outer parishes through which the loop would pass. If made a reality, the project would cost approximately $4 billion and would not be completed until 2016 at the earliest.[36]

Commuting

The average one-way commute time in Baton Rouge is 22 minutes, 13% shorter than the US average. Interstates 10 and 12, the two interstates that feed into the city, are highly traveled and connected by highways and four-lane roads that connect the downtown business area to surrounding parishes. 99% of the Baton Rouge workforce drives a personal vehicle to work.

Airport

Located 10 minutes north of downtown near Baker, the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport connects the area with the four major airline hubs serving the southern United States. Commercial carriers include American Eagle, Continental Airlines, and Delta Airlines. Nonstop service is available to Atlanta, Dallas-Ft. Worth, Houston, and Memphis.

Buses

Capital Area Transit System (CATS) provides modern urban transportation throughout Baton Rouge, including service to Southern University, Baton Rouge Community College, and Louisiana State University, with affordable fares and an updated fleet of buses. Many CATS buses are equipped with bike racks for commuters to easily combine biking with bus transit.

Greyhound Bus Lines, offering passenger and cargo service throughout the United States, has a downtown terminal on Florida Boulevard.

Sister cities

After a visit to the Republic of China (Taiwan), Mayor-President Kip Holden unveiled plans to pursue a sister city agreement with a second Taiwanese city, Taipei.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Top 25 Water Ports by Weight: 2004 (Million short tons)". Freight Facts and Figures 2006. Federal Highway Administration. November 2006. Retrieved 18 August 2007.
  2. ^ Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism. "Baton Rouge Historical Marker".
  3. ^ "Baton Rouge: History". Retrieved 14 April 2008.
  4. ^ "NCDC: U.S. Climate Normals" (PDF).
  5. ^ "Port of Greater Baton Rouge". Retrieved 26 April 2008.
  6. ^ "Exxon Mobil Refinery". Retrieved 26 April 2008.
  7. ^ "DowChemicals". Retrieved 26 April 2008.
  8. ^ "Capitol Park". Retrieved 26 April 2008.
  9. ^ "Celtic Media Centre". Retrieved 26 April 2008.
  10. ^ "Baton Rouge (city) QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2009-12-21.
  11. ^ "Post Office Location - MAIN OFFICE DOWNTOWN UNIT." United States Postal Service. Accessed 5 May 2009.
  12. ^ "Races in Baton Rouge on City-Data.com". Retrieved 13 April 2008.
  13. ^ "Shaw Center for the Arts". Retrieved 12 April 2008.
  14. ^ "Louisiana Arts and Science Museum". Retrieved 12 April 2008.
  15. ^ "Baton Rouge River Center". Retrieved 12 April 2008.
  16. ^ "Baton Rouge Little Theater". Retrieved 12 April 2008.
  17. ^ "Forum with list of events". Retrieved 12 April 2008.
  18. ^ "Louisiana State University Sports". Retrieved 13 April 2008.
  19. ^ "Southern Jaguars". Retrieved 13 April 2008.
  20. ^ Baton Rouge Rugby.net
  21. ^ Premier Development League
  22. ^ BR Capitals.com
  23. ^ "Louisiana State University". Retrieved 14 April 2008.
  24. ^ "Louisiana State Museum". Retrieved 14 April 2008.
  25. ^ 2theadvocate.com | News | Architect Desmond dies — Baton Rouge, LA
  26. ^ "LOUISIANA ART AND SCIENCE MUSEUM". www.lasm.org. Retrieved 29 May 2008.
  27. ^ "The Recreation and Park Commission for the Parish of East Baton Rouge". Retrieved 14 April 2008.
  28. ^ "Baton Rouge Area Education". Retrieved 5 June 2008.
  29. ^ INRIX National Traffic Scorecard
  30. ^ INRIX National Traffic Scorecard
  31. ^ I-12 accidents piling up
  32. ^ More funds sought for I-12 widening project
  33. ^ I-12 work to begin
  34. ^ Project on I-10 to begin
  35. ^ The Green Light Plan
  36. ^ Poll shows public support for loop
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30°27′29″N 91°08′25″W / 30.45809°N 91.140229°W / 30.45809; -91.140229

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