[StBernard] WEDNESDAY - LPB to Broadcast "Gridlock 2050: Transportation and Land Use in South Louisiana

[Westley Annis]

WEDNESDAY: LPB to Broadcast "Gridlock 2050: Transportation and Land Use in South Louisiana" 


BATON ROUGE, La. (November 14, 2006) - Louisiana Public Broadcasting (LPB) will air "Gridlock 2050: Transportation and Land Use in South Louisiana" Wednesday night on its community dialogue forum, Louisiana Public Square. Transportation and land use are critical issues facing the rebuilding of post-hurricane South Louisiana. The purpose of Louisiana Public Square is to stimulate a focused discussion of topical issues. LPB is partnering with the Louisiana Recovery Authority (LRA) to produce the show and develop solutions to address the growing issue of traffic congestion in the region. 

WHAT: "Gridlock 2050: Transportation and Land Use in South Louisiana" 

WHEN: 

*	Wednesday, November 15 at 7 p.m. on the LPB TV network
*	Sunday, November 19 at 4 p.m. on the LPB TV network 
*	Sunday, November 19 at 3 p.m. on Baton Rouge radio station WRKF and Lafayette radio station KRVS 
	
	Click here <http://keelson.eatel.net/websites/la.gov/action.cfm?md=communication&task=addClick&msg_ID=2841&ID=d%26iVe%3Fi%2Bn%5Bn9&redirect=http://www.lpb.org/aboutlpb/technology/stations.html>  for your local LPB broadcast station. 

WHY: Continuous traffic congestion on Interstates 10 and 12 all the way from the Texas border to the Mississippi line. Major connecting roads filled beyond capacity. A 22% increase in urbanized land. These are some of the projected outcomes over the next four decades for the southern tier of the state - home to 35 parishes and nearly three-fourths of Louisiana's population.

PANELISTS: 

*	
	Andy Kopplin, Executive Director, LRA
*	
	Peter Calthorpe, architect and urban designer who is serving as the lead planner for the Louisiana Speaks planning initiative
*	
	Walter Brooks, N.O. Regional Planning Commission and a member of the LRA's Infrastructure Task Force 
*	
	Cedric Grant, Deputy Secretary of the Louisiana Dept. of Transportation and Development

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated South Louisiana, claiming 1,464 lives, destroying more than 200,000 homes and 18,000 businesses. The Louisiana Recovery Authority (LRA) is the planning and coordinating body that was created in the aftermath of these storms by Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco to lead one of the most extensive rebuilding efforts in the world. The LRA is a 33-member body which is coordinating across jurisdictions, supporting community recovery and resurgence, ensuring integrity and effectiveness, and planning for the recovery and rebuilding of Louisiana. 

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