Abita Springs Safe Streets for All: A Dissenting Report by Stewart Eastman
The background information in the report is well known. The need for crossings of the highways has long been discussed. But the report selects for action 15 projects of which 14 require outside approval from the LDHT and the overall average cost is over a million dollars each. The projects listed here do not require LDHT approval and are relatively modest in cost.
Fifteen things the Town of Abita Springs could do by itself to improve the safety of its streets and increase use by pedestrians and bicyclists:
Post the speed limit signs. The current speed limit is 20 mph on unposted streets but almost no one knows this. A reasonable number of signs should be put up around town, and the 25 mph signs should be replaced.
Connect 10th St by the cemetery to the Trace with a bicycle path. Improvements between the cemetery and Hwy 59 are unnecessary and make the cost excessive.
Purchase one or more electronic radar speed signs and deploy them on the longer straight streets in town that have speeding problems.
Connect St Charles to the Trace at 9th and at 7th streets with bike/pedestrian paths, a matter of a few feet for each.
Connect the two subdivisions west of Hwy 59 to increase safe access and egress during emergencies by connecting South St to one of Ketch, Schooner, or Packet streets.
Make Talisheek Road (the one block curved street between Level and Main) one way going north. This will increase safety in multiple ways, including the two dangerous traffic intersections at the ends and the nearby pedestrian crossing points. And it will reduce the number of highway vehicles continuing onto Level St at excessive speeds and wearing out the street.
Pass the proposed ordinance legalizing and regulating golf carts on town streets currently tabled. This will encourage safer, better equipped golf carts and require licensed drivers. Highway crossings can become a later issue.
Improve the method of patching potholes by using resin patch strips over the repairs.
Make most town streets NO TRUCKS. Heavy trucks are not only dangerous in themselves but they damage the streets causing dangerous street conditions.
Provide traffic signage for bicyclists so that visiting bicyclists can find their way to the Trace and to parts of town that have connections that are not obvious.
Extend North Street to its full length as a bicycle path. Together with other improvements this would create a significant attraction for residents and visitors to Abita Springs.
Connect Golden Street to the Trace with a bicycle path by extending either Short St or Palmer St., a matter of a few feet.
Provide modern bicycle parking at all town buildings
Provide a tax incentive of some modest sort to encourage established businesses to provide modern bicycle parking at their locations.
Connect the Trace with Hwy 59 at the intersection with Harrison by building a bicycle/pedestrian path.
About Safe Streets for All
I am one of the citizens who was appointed to help with the Safe Streets plan, and I am doing my best to provide whatever advice and local information I can to help the project be positive. It is a shame that so few citizens are stepping forward to help. It is not too late to put in comments, it is easy to do online. They are using a map full of errors and need help to understand the town. The railroad doesn’t run through town anymore, even if we do still have an ordinance with a speed limit for trains. However, I want to say that I am absolutely outraged by this project. The town is spending $312,000 for pieces of paper. Somehow I had the impression when the grant was being sought that the project was to actually do something, like put in a sidewalk or pedestrian crossing or just something. Instead it is to hire outside consultants to make a glossy brochure telling us nothing new! Our Mayor and Town Council should be held responsible for this. Although much of the money is a government grant, $63,000 is coming directly from the Town. $63,000 is a lot of money itself. And I resent the rest of the $312,000 because it is coming from other taxes that I help pay and now is being wasted in feeding not even bureaucracy but consultant companies to the bureaucracy. In so far as we needed a safety plan, it should have been done by the Town Council and the Planning and Zoning Commission. The Aldermen are paid even if the commissioners are volunteers. The Council has been approving large sums of money to pay consultants to do the Council’s job regarding this plan, the Master Plan, and revising the ordinances. At this point the citizens of Abita Springs will not be doing their civic duty unless they clean house and elect a new Mayor and entirely new Town Council at the next opportunity. *update* The plan was finished and approved. The Council used it to apply for huge grants. These were rejected because the Trump administration gutted Biden's Infrastructure program leaving little money to be granted. The entire process was a waste.