Ask The Advocate: Interstate 12 traffic

Advocate file photo by RICHARD ALAN HANNON -- Although the barriers are removed and three lanes of traffic are open both directions on Interstate 12 between O’Neal Lane and Range Avenue, westbound traffic in the morning remains heavy.

Traffic on Interstate 12 eastbound in Baton Rouge in the afternoon was terrible before the completion of the additional lane. I live in the O’Neal Lane area. Now that the stretch of interstate between the O’Neal Lane and Range Avenue exits is complete, going home is a breeze, which I appreciate greatly. However, my morning commute time has doubled since the opening of all three lanes. Why?

Response from Dustin Annison, public information officer, Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development:

There has been an increase in drivers using I-12 westbound during the morning commute instead of alternate routes since the new lanes opened between O’Neal Lane and Juban Road.

Traffic flow on I-12 westbound should improve once the I-10 widening project between the I-10/I-12 split and Siegen Lane is complete, and the ramp meters at the I-12/O’Neal Lane interchange are activated. The widening project is scheduled to be complete in early 2013. The ramp meters will be activated upon completion of the East Baton Rouge city-parish’s Green Light Plan project on O’Neal Lane.

DOTD is also in the process of defining the scope for a study that will help identify projects that can improve the robustness and resiliency of Baton Rouge’s local surface street network. This will allow the state to get relatively low- cost projects that have the maximum benefit on the street more quickly that will give drivers in the Baton Rouge area more options for their daily commutes.

Comments

1) Comment by redavaw1 - 03/12/2012

There is no more traffic on I-12 than before the completion of the interestate. (what a idiot response) That just proves that you are out of touch with what is really happening. Go back to giving out traffic tickets Dustin Annison. CLUELESS!!

2) Comment by redavaw1 - 03/12/2012

There is no more traffic on I-12 than before the completion of the interestate. (what a idiot response) The difference is that traffic use to be held back before Range Ave. and was flowing into the O'Neal Lane/Millerville at a slower rate. Now there is nothing holding all the traffic back and it all converges on Airline, Sherwood Forest, Millerville. Don't you remember that we use to stop at Millerville before the construction started. Nothing new! But very aggrevating. It would certainly help if there was a bridge across the Amite at Harrells Ferry Rd to take some of the southern traffic into Baton Rouge from another route. Or even if the traffic from Denham could get into Asension Parish easier. The problem here is that no one thinks out of the box. Same ole men making the same ole stupid suggestions to make things better. It would be nice traffic on Florida wasn't inhibited by so many red lights. It should be free flowing all the way into sherwood forest. Even if it's just during peak hours. But Denham Springs won't co-operate by allowing the lights to blink going into Denham Springs. The police there are idiots!!!

3) Comment by DMJ - 03/12/2012

The only way to reduce traffic is to reduce driving. Until a wide majority in the area at least agree to that basic premise, we'll keep keep spending insane amounts of money on short-term solutions only to do the same years later and so on, and so on... Everyone wants to take their own car everywhere they go every day. It's not sustainable and no amount of extra lanes will make it so.

4) Comment by CitizensArrest - 03/12/2012

This is the kind of answer touted as logic that disgusts me. Keep spending money on band-aids. Ad a lane here or there, which takes so long that another two lanes are needed by the time it is done. And traffic is not a breeze on I-12 in any direction...ever. And what about I-10? Jesus, Mary and Joseph....stop already!

5) Comment by LSULaw2009 - 03/12/2012

Wonder if the fact that I-12 merges into I-10 (two right most lanes terminate into exits for College Drive and Acadian) is the cause of the bottleneck. Similar to the bottleneck that occurs to I-10 West as it essentially merges into 110 after the Mississippi River Bridge.

6) Comment by BR is Ruined - 03/12/2012

We can't have successful and widely used mass transit for the same reason we can't have successful public schools: demographics. Which is the same reason that these commuters we are talking about fled to Livingston Parish in the first place. In Baton Rouge, anybody who can afford an alternative to public ANYTHING will use it, and with good reason. Widen away....

7) Comment by Being_Stupid - 03/12/2012

Turn Florida Blvd into a non stop highway.

8) Comment by A_Sustainable_BR - 03/12/2012

I'm with DMJ on this one. Traffic congestion is only going to increase as long as you give people the incentive to drive. In this case, an extra lane on both interstates 10 and 12. What if the extra millions spent on the Geaux Wider projects were directed toward a comprehensive regional mass transit system? What if only a portion was dedicated to CATS, or dedicated bike lanes, or basic sidewalks? It all goes to show what our transportation priorities are for this area.

9) Comment by NewsReader - 03/12/2012

DMJ, but that same volume of traffic returns home too so your argument makes no sense. Unless you drive on I-12 you wouldn't understand the question. I completely comprehend where this person is coming from. In the mornings traffic is at a standstill approaching Millerville. It has zip to do with I-10 as the DOT alludes to because it opens up well before that. As for the surface streets, that's what eminent domain is for. The same way it should and hopefully will be used in outer parishes for a loop, is the same way it should be used in BR to fix local street issues and discourage people jumping in the Interstate for 1 exit.

10) Comment by DMJ - 03/12/2012

"However, my morning commute time has doubled since the opening of all three lanes. Why?" Because more lanes enables more traffic, that's why. It's like giving a fat person bigger pants while also putting a bacon cheeseburger in front of them. As far as improving the "robustness and resiliency" of surface streets....unfortunately, we can't go back in time and make developers and city officials build neighborhoods on a grid. Making more streets actually connect will require purchasing right-of-ways, easements and even people's property. I don't see that happening.