More people commuting from Ascension, Livingston

More people over the past decade are commuting from Livingston and Ascension parishes to work in East Baton Rouge, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.

The key factor behind the increase is the continued migration of former Baton Rouge residents to Ascension and Livingston, an ongoing phenomenon that predates Hurricane Katrina, when residents from the flood-ravaged New Orleans area sought refuge in the Baton Rouge area, says LSU demographer and sociology professor Troy C. Blanchard.

Between 2000 and the 2010, the number of Livingston commuters jumped from 19,266 to 24,693 and Ascension commuters from 11,707 to 16,522.

As a percentage of the East Baton Rouge workforce, however, those numbers remain relatively small.

The 2000 Livingston and Ascension commuters represented just 8.6 percent and 5.2 percent, respectively, of the East Baton Rouge workforce.

Those percentages grew to 9.6 and 6.4 percent, respectively, by 2010.

By contrast, the clear majority of people who work in East Baton Rouge also live in the parish, although that percentage declined from 74.5 percent to 71.6 percent over the decade, Blanchard said.

Nevertheless, the increase in cross-parish commuters is a reflection of a strong economy for the entire region, Lauren Hatcher, a spokeswoman for the Baton Rouge Area Chamber, said Friday.

“The important issues for BRAC are the rate of job growth, the ease of movement for people within the region, the availability of goods and services throughout the region, a strong transportation system, and the quality of life in all the communities in the nine-parish region,” Adam Knapp, BRAC’s president and CEO, said in an written statement.

“It is standard across metro areas in the U.S. for there to be significant commuting patterns. Ideally people would have options to live close to where they work, but they choose where to live for many different reasons. Our region has a strong urban core in the city-parish of Baton Rouge with opportunities for employment that benefits everyone, whether you live in Ascension or Livingston,” Knapp wrote.

Mark Musick, a 36-year-old sales executive for a crane company in Baton Rouge, said his family chose to move to Denham Springs six years ago after a residential stint in Baton Rouge.

“We moved for the schools, number one, as well as the quality of life. We are away from the crime and we sleep better at night,” Musick said.

Musick wakes up each morning at 5:30 a.m., grabs some coffee, reads the paper, gets ready for the day and leaves his house around 6:15 a.m. He drives onto Interstate 12 via the Juban exit and usually gets to work around 6:40 a.m. — if there are no traffic jams on I-12.

He once spent six hours in his car when an interstate wreck snarled traffic between Baton Rouge and Denham Springs.

“I left my office around 4:30 p.m. and got home at 11 p.m.,” Musick said.

That experience aside, Musick said he doesn’t mind the commute at all.

He also noted that seven of the eight technicians who work at his Baton Rouge office live in other parishes.

Laila Kuperman, a 34-year-old human resources information systems analyst with a Baton Rouge engineering firm, said she and her husband used to live in the midcity area of Baton Rouge.

The couple, who now have two children, moved to Prairieville in Ascension Parish in 2005 just before Hurricane Katrina struck Louisiana.

“We moved for the great school district and we wanted to get more bang for our buck in housing,” she said.

Kuperman said if she leaves her home at 6:30 a.m., she can make it to work in 20 minutes. If she leaves at 7:15 a.m. or later, it can take up to 45 minutes for the drive on Interstate 10. During some traffic jams, Kuperman said, the trip has taken her up to two hours.

More than once, she said, her husband, who commutes to New Orleans, has made it to work before she has.

“The commute doesn’t bother me,” Kuperman said. “Here (Prairieville), the kids can play in the street and you don’t have to worry about it. It’s not the same in Baton Rouge.”

Metro area commuters are not just traveling to Baton Rouge for work.

From 2000 to 2010, there was a big increase in East Baton Rouge, Ascension and Livingston residents commuting to work in Orleans Parish, Blanchard said.

For instance, he noted that the number of East Baton Rouge residents commuting to work in New Orleans jumped from 597 to 1,889 between 2000 and 2010.

The trend is similar for Ascension and Livingston.

“Overall, this is the lasting impact of 2005,” Blanchard said in reference to Katrina. “The data don’t tell us how many of these commuters were New Orleans residents back in 2005 or if these are people who are willing to commute a longer distance to access the New Orleans labor market.”

Comments

1) Comment by Area Man - 10/03/2013

As for the BR Murder conversation, here's the advocates running map, with predictable results as far as which areas (the poor ones) have almost all of the incidents: http://theadvocate.com/multimedia/homicidemap There's a dot right down the street from where I sit, now, but it involved drunk, privileged rugby players having a party and a fight and a death from a fall.

2) Comment by Area Man - 10/03/2013

This is all part of a pattern that's happening nation-wide. Socioeconomic groups are segregating themselves by location. Baton Rouge is becoming a place with affluent neighborhoods and non-affluent neighborhoods. The middle-ground between those two categories are moving to Ascension and Livingston for the schools (they need public schools, the affluent in BR pay for private schools) and lower housing prices (affluent neighborhoods in BR are becoming more cost-prohibitive, and they won't live in "transitional areas" like the bohemians who stay in the city). You could probably predict everything from gun ownership to political affiliation from who settles themselves in which area. There's two Baton Rouges: a rich one and a poor one. The rich citizens of Baton Rouge are insulated from the poor. The people in the middle (the service and working class sectors) are isolating themselves from it.

3) Comment by Grannee - 10/03/2013

Atilla if you believe the murder rate in BR is greater than Chicago's, then you do KNOW you are incorrect correct? No matter how you phrase this fantasy of yours, you are WRONG. Do you really know how many murders in BR there were in 2012 Atilla? Do you?

4) Comment by Attila - 10/03/2013

Granee: I did not say that B R. had MORE murders than Chicago. I said that the murder RATE in B. R. was greater than Chicago..there is a difference you know....or maybe not.

5) Comment by MBW - 10/03/2013

@nimby-- You're not addressing my point....I wasn't talking about policies like affirmative action, etc. My point is that many of the people moving to the outlying parishes are avoiding diversity. You're right that Maine, VT, NH, etc don't have much diversity...but they never have. That's not true here. We HAVE diversity in Louisiana, but we spend so much energy trying to avoid each other or to downplay it. We have lots of people who will pick up and move across town to avoid sending their kids to school with someone different than them. I've lived lots of places, and racial challenges exist everywhere, but this is one of the most racially polarized places I've ever lived. And I don't see much interest on the part of the majority of citizens in trying to do anything about it.

6) Comment by gjnyc - 10/03/2013

The most atrocious part of this commentary is when some posters consider Wal-Mart a major economic indicator on where to live in the Baton Rouge Metro area. What about quality of life, schools, culture and a vibrant mixed economy? Some posters need to leave Louisiana and visit other places with a more advanced educated society and where there are not too many chemical plants.

7) Comment by gjnyc - 10/03/2013

Attila, Well for one the Nation’s Capital. Washington DC, Like any other city, Washington DC had Its problems in the past but the Washington DC Metro area has some of the most educated and wealthy minorities in the country. Despite poverty and some social ills, 50% of D.C. residents had at least a four-year college degree and D.C. residents had a personal income per capita of $55,755; higher than any of the 50 U.S. states. Not bad for a predominately black city eh with a black mayor. The sad thing in Louisiana is, ther is still white flight, there is not a very educated populace on both sides of the racial divide and LSU is hardly an Ivy League Institution.

8) Comment by Grannee - 10/03/2013

Chicago had 508 murders in 2012. According to Atilla there were more in EBR. Kip may not be well liked, but BR has made several list for places to live. His budgets have been balanced in terrible economic times. On the other hand, the state's budget is out of control and has been since Jindal took over (ran by white males).

9) Comment by zealer99 - 10/03/2013

I respect people's life choices BUT....It does not matter why people choose the life in a particular location, that is their choice. You would not expect a person with same sex interests to adopt a heterosexual lifestyle because that would be best for society, or would you? Would you expect a Muslim to accept Christianity because that is convenient for his neighborhood? It is not your business why a person chooses to live in a particular place.

10) Comment by nimby? - 10/03/2013

MBW , Maine , Vermont and New Hampshire are very liberal states , where is their diversity ? may I offer another side to your train of thought . I am lakota , grew up the rez near Pine Ridge . the war on poverty , civil rights movement , affirmative action didn't do a d**n thing for us . the dems paid us no mind , we didn't have enough votes to buy . we call it selective white guilt . diversity only goes so far ...

11) Comment by MBW - 09/03/2013

@Atilla- Either way, you've dodged my point. People who try to ignore diversity are ignoring reality. You can't pretend that 30% of the US population doesn't exist. But that's exactly what you and others are trying to do when you complain about having to learn about other cultures and races.

12) Comment by MBW - 09/03/2013

@Atilla- You also cited L.A. as a "disaster" city. Again, not really a disaster...and not run by black people as you imply. Have you actually recently been to any of these cities that you call "disasters"? Especially Atlanta....try visiting sometime. You'd be hard pressed to call it a disaster. Again, there's a reason 4.5 million people live there and not here.

13) Comment by MBW - 09/03/2013

@Attila- Sorry, but I'd pick Atlanta over BTR any day. No contest. You actually hear people talk about wanting to move to Atlanta. I can't say I've ever heard anyone say "You know, I'd really love to move to Baton Rouge".

14) Comment by MBW - 09/03/2013

@Attila- By what measure would you consider Atlanta to be a "disaster"? Atlanta has been growing consistently for the last two decades and has seen significant growth from people moving back INTO the city, not out of it.....which is more than any city in LA can say. I know because I grew up there and lived/worked there as an adult. And Atlanta has one of the strongest black middle and upper classes of any place in the country, so the black population may be high, but they're not all poor and they've proven they can be successful. The current mayor, Kasim Reed is black but was elected with large support from white voters even though running against a white candidate. I notice that you didn't call Phoenix and Houston "disasters", even though they have high latino populations.

15) Comment by Costanza - 09/03/2013

Baton Rouge has become a cesspool. The crime, taxes, and traffic more than outweigh the benefits. I look forward to the day when I can get out of here.

16) Comment by Attila - 09/03/2013

@MBW: You wrote "or Atlanta where black people are around 50%". I agree with you 100%...and while we are at it let's include Detroit...L. A....and how can we forget the mecca of the progressives..Oakland. Yeh, MBW keep on citing things that only make my point. Most every place where blacks and other minorities have administrative control are a total disaster. Please list a few success stories?

17) Comment by Woody - 09/03/2013

i can't think of another metropolitan area in the entire country where people live in the suburbs and work in the city.

18) Comment by Scrooge - 09/03/2013

Bouncer, great stuff. I'm with you, just wait a few years. I hope to get out of this third world of a state before then.

19) Comment by phil - 09/03/2013

For the message "This region needs light rail and the baton rouge metro and commuter rail to new orleans and areas north of Baton Rouge. Why people aren't demanding this?" - The only people who seem to be demanding this are folks who will make money on it. What in the world do we need light rail for in EBR Parish, especially when we JUST passed a large tax for the bus system, and who in the world is going to ride that train to New Orleans? I will add that IF a private company wants to build all of that stuff and pay for it with private funds and with profits from paying riders, then go for it.

20) Comment by phil - 09/03/2013

Smart growth = smart to move where it is safe to live and less expensive. Take EBR Parish for example. Move to the suburbs out of the city-limits and you have parish taxes. Move into the city limits and you get municipal taxes (like CATS). Move to the downtown area of BR and then you can add on DDD taxes. Guess where I would chose to live in EBR Parish. Next smart growth = get the heck out of Dodge and move to a better Parish.

21) Comment by Bouncer - 09/03/2013

On a map, Louisiana is shaped like a toilet bowl. Coincidence? I think not. I think the original cartographers were clairvoyant.

22) Comment by MBW - 09/03/2013

@Attila- As I former teacher, I can tell you that my school was not "concentrating on celebrating our differences". We just taught., like you would at most schools. Again, acknowledging the different people in our country is called teaching reality instead of pretending that 30% of the country doesn't exist. Try living in Phoenix or Houston, as I did, where 40% of the population is Latino, or Atlanta where black people are around 50%. It's just reality. Yet these cities, despite what you may believe, are thriving, growing cities.

23) Comment by Bouncer - 09/03/2013

The truth is that regardless of where you live, the whole hurricane-plagued, swamp-infested, sinkhole-prone state blows the big one, but everyone is just too dumb to see it or too stubborn to admit it. Confess the truth. It will be good for you.

24) Comment by MBW - 09/03/2013

@BeingStupid- We agree. Widen i-10 from Perkins to the split and widen the bridge. The highways in this town are terrible and are the reason for our traffic problems. The problem isn't too many people...it's that we have roads that were built in the 70s.

25) Comment by MBW - 09/03/2013

@Attila-- Here's the problem: learning about diversity and differences isn't "kumbya" as you call it....it's learning about REALITY. A reality which has yet to sink in for the Republican Party. I want my kids to grow up ready to handle a world that looks different than Walker or Central. Because if you set foot in most places in the US, that IS the reality. Did conservatives figure that out after Mitt Romney got his clock cleaned in ever demographic except old white people? A good education prepares kids for the real world, to get out some and experience life...not to hide from it. As for education, I want my kids learning the "three R's"....and MORE than that. Kids need art, music, home ec, computers. etc....not the outdated education we give them now.

26) Comment by Being_Stupid - 09/03/2013

We need another bridge across the Mississippi River.

27) Comment by Grannee - 09/03/2013

Attila, please, please before you publicly state anything about crime stats please logon to WWW.FBI.gov. There you will learn first of all not to compare other cities crimes to others unless all factors are equal. Second, if BR had a higher rate than Chicago's, that would prompt our esteemed governor to stay home and address the issue. Stop babbling untruths and scaring our neighbors.

28) Comment by Being_Stupid - 09/03/2013

We also need to widen I-10 Over Perkins Road between College and the I-110 Split.

29) Comment by Being_Stupid - 09/03/2013

We need a loop.

30) Comment by Attila - 09/03/2013

@MBW, and squiggly et al: Tell me again how safe B. R is...a murder rate higher than Chicago...and public education system that has been dumbed down to a level about one point higher than a plant ??? All one has to do is read the police actions in the Advocate daily. You may infer what you will from that statement, but facts is facts...no matter how much you would like to tap dance. I salute you guys for wanting to send your kids to diverse schools. I also salute those who choose to send the kids to schools that actually teach the 3 R's, rather than concentrating on "celebrating our differences". I do not need to celebrate anyone's differences. I can plainly see them. I cannot blame a parent for not wanting their children to be indoctrinated into the kumbya club. They prefer that their children receive a quality education and not worry about other kids bringing guns to school. Say what you will, but if you drive from the Miss river to the Amite river down Fla. Blvd. you are taking a chance on your safety if you make a left turn before you cross the Amite river...especially at night....and I wonder why Livingston and Ascension parishes consistently score in the top 10 school districts in the state while EBR is near the bottom? Just asking.

31) Comment by nimby? - 09/03/2013

trailer parks , meth heads . thought "you people" didn't like profiling . we left to get away from people in general ...

32) Comment by MBW - 09/03/2013

@Zealer- I do respect people's life choices...I completely understand a desire to make sure one's kids get the best education possible or to live in a safe neighborhood. But I also don't always agree with some of those life choices that people, because I know that for some people, those choices are grounded in misconceptions or in fears rather than in taking an honest look at the facts. In reality, for example, most schools in Louisiana lag behind their peers nationally. So moving to Livingston is like choosing "slightly less bad" over "bad". In reality, the instruction the kids are receiving is probably not that different. And, from a personal perspective, I think it's best for children to go to school with a diverse mix of students. I want my kids to go to a school that is safe and orderly. Some EBR schools are not, but others ARE. I also want them to go to a school with a healthy number of kids that are different from themselves. I don't want my kids to fear people who are different...I want them to feel comfortable around a wide range of people and to be able to conduct themselves with understanding and humility. So, yes, I will admit that I am somewhat skeptical when people move/retreat to areas that are very homogeneous and lacking in diversity. Because in reality, we could have good schools in EBR if parents would stick together and get involved in their neighborhood school. The squeaky wheel gets the grease, so to speak....but if the most committed parents all leave, there's nobody to demand that the schools get better.

33) Comment by zealer99 - 09/03/2013

" I respect people's life choices." That is a nice thought and I do as well. A lot of the comments that I have read with comments like "backward and small thinking", "elitists" ", and so on suggest that many people are not as accepting. People have their preferences on where they want to live and with who they wish to associate, for whatever reasons. Why is that such a big problem? I see more verbal attacks against people who moved out of Baton Rouge than I do against Baton Rouge or the people who live here.

34) Comment by squiggly - 09/03/2013

@BR is Ruined, how can you judge someone's mindset just by looking at them. I really think that you need to honestly examine the root your perceptions.

35) Comment by MBW - 09/03/2013

@BR is Ruined- Maybe those Walmarts are "better"...but I wonder if sometimes people are more willing to overlook mistakes when the people are more like you. Just saying. From my experience, the problems I have at the Walmart on College have been the same at every Walmart I've ever been to: long lines, slightly messy store, ambivalent customer service....and the fact that it's hard to just run in and quickly grab a couple of things. Some maybe slightly better or slightly worse, but Walmart stores are usually within just degree or two of difference betwen one another. But I digress.

36) Comment by squiggly - 09/03/2013

MBW, I regularly shop at the Siegen Walmart for close to 2 decades, and sometimes at the College drive Walmart, and I too have never experienced any unpleasant events. Everyone comes and do their shopping and get in their cars and leave. I have never felt unsafe at either store.

37) Comment by MBW - 09/03/2013

In Atlanta, where I grew up, the story has been interesting. A lot of "white flight" happened in the 80s and 90s, but in the last decade or so, white people have been moving back IN to the city because they realize that long commutes suck...and that there are advantages to living in town. I'm not saying Atlanta has 'solved' its racial issues....but it's definitely less polarized than it is here.

38) Comment by 8point6 - 09/03/2013

IMO, the recently passed property tax for CATS will have more people living within the city limits looking for residence outside BR city limits.

39) Comment by BR is Ruined - 09/03/2013

I really wasn't even referring to safety (although that is a factor as there have been numerous robberies in College Dr. parking lots in the last few months). It's just a completely different environment. At Prairieville or Central, people are more courteous and considerate, store is much cleaner, employees more helpful, checkouts run smoother/faster. Like I said, just a different experience. Correlation to racial make-up? Perhaps, but it really goes beyond that. The clientele, no matter their race, just seem to have a different mindset.

40) Comment by BRLA1982 - 09/03/2013

They want people to believe EBR is dangerous, so that their property value in the middle of nowhere will rise. The fact is much of Livingston Parish is in a flood zone, so good luck with that.

41) Comment by MBW - 09/03/2013

@BR is Ruined- I actually shop at the Walmart on College Drive regularly, and sometimes at night. I've never been robbed, threatened, followed, or even had an unkind word said to me. I'm not really sure what you're referring to. I've never had any issues there...I've also been a couple of times to the one on Siegen. Same story, no problems. Walmart is Walmart as far as I can tell. So the only difference I can imagine is the racial make-up of the clientele. I'm not calling you a racist (I don't know you), but I do wonder if that is a subconscious factor in why you are differentiating between the Prairieville and College stores.

42) Comment by Tally - 09/03/2013

The London Congestion Charge. Everybody moaned and groaned at first, then finally started carpooling.

43) Comment by BRLA1982 - 09/03/2013

It still baffles me why the areas west of the river have never developed to a great extent, especially with the proximity to Lafayette.

44) Comment by BRLA1982 - 09/03/2013

If you finish school and still believe a literal interpretation of the Bible, than your school has already failed you. So the schools in Livingston and Ascension Parishes may be more white, but they certainly aren't better schools by any stretch. Additionally, traffic in some parts of Livingston and Ascension is just as bad as EBR. I would suggest if you have moved so far into Livingston and Ascension that it takes you an hour to come to work in EBR, you may as well just move or commute to Hammond and never come back. I would love for East Baton Rouge to be a must smaller, more efficient and smarter city without the scared suburbanites stirring up fear among our citizens. I would also suppose most of the guns that end up in the hands of our local thugs originated from some "law-abiding" gun owner/meth head in a trailer park out in Livingston Parish.

45) Comment by squiggly - 09/03/2013

MBW, I'm sure you've figured out that the people here are backward and small thinking. I live in BR in a "nice" neighborhood and my kids have always played outside with no fear on my part. @BR is Ruined, you should pay attention to what goes on in Livingston and Ascension Parish. I always get a kick out of watching the news about the meth heads, exploding meth labs, their criminal activities, and the higher than usual rates of sex offenders. So exactly what are you running from again? Could it be so that you have the illusion of safety?

46) Comment by BR is Ruined - 09/03/2013

MBW, if you really want to understand the difference, go spend an hour at Walmart on College (WARNING: If leaving the store at night, try not to get robbed in the parking lot) or Siegen. Then leave there and go spend an hour at Walmart in Prairieville. You will leave with two completely different experiences, and it should help you understand why people choose to move outside of EBR. And College/Siegen are considered the better parts of town! I would much rather stay in EBR than commute, but unfortunately I can't afford a house in the few true "good parts of town" that are left.

47) Comment by nimby? - 09/03/2013

reality is not fear , all one need do is turn to the local media for the days events . so called white flight included all races seeking better education . "No one in this parish complains about Livingston or Ascension parishes" , and the point of this article is ...

48) Comment by MBW - 09/03/2013

@nimby- I really don't want to come off as elitist. I respect people's life choices. But I really don't see that big a difference between living in Livingston vs. living in some of the nicer areas of EBR. From my perspective, there is very little difference. And EBR has some perfectly reasonable magnet programs available if you're looking for a decent school for your kids. I just don't buy the notion that an average Livingston school is any better than a Baton Rouge High or similar. As for other quality of life issues, it all feels the same to me. It all feels like perfectly middle-of-the-road suburbs. Obviously, I'm not going to choose to live in a really run-down area of town....but outside of those areas, EBR is just fine.

49) Comment by MBW - 09/03/2013

The irrational fear of "the city" is interesting to me. I grew up in Atlanta, have lived in Phx, Houston, and NYC...Baton Rouge feels like a small town to me (even when you go downtown). To me, it's not scary at all. I realize that to some extent I'm an outsider who's only lived here for a while, but it is interesting to me to see the level of fear that some people have about a city that is really not that big and scary.

50) Comment by MBW - 09/03/2013

What's laughable to me is how many people talk about Baton Rouge like it is this big bad scary urban metropolis. Get a grip folks, BR is basically an overgrown small town. If you're scared of a small-medium sized city like Baton Rouge, no telling how you would react if you lived in an actual city of size (Houston, Atlanta, Chicago, etc).

51) Comment by Attila - 09/03/2013

The people of Ascension and Livingston would like to extend their heartfelt thanks and appreciation for all of the tax money that you spend on infrastructure improvements in their parishes. If you will be so kind as to provide the address of the "safe" area in which you live I, for one, will be glad to send you a check for the amount of taxes that you pay that go to these parishes..I just hate to write a check for twenty five cents...it costs more than that to buy the stamp to send it to you.

52) Comment by Grannee - 09/03/2013

My point is, if they don't like EBR, don't come here for anything - not even the jobs. No one in this parish complains about Livingston or Ascension parishes. We respect them as neighboring parishes. However, everytime you turn around there's an article about them whining about how scared they are to venture into EBR, how their children can't play outside and the bad Mall of Louisiana. Our children can and do go outside in EBR neighborhoods. For the populations of these neighboring parishes you are all running to, check out your crime rates. If the truth were told, this is nothing but cases of white flight. You can run, but you can't hide. FYI, when commuting from your nice parishes on the interstate - the left lane is not the cruising lane. Slow traffic should travel in the right lane.

53) Comment by nimby? - 09/03/2013

MBW , ask anyone why the fled the parish , quality of life is worth the commute . Grannee , what a wonderful idea . charge B.R. an additional tariff on goods entering the city . better yet erect a wall keeping all those bad people out , and all the good in . recent charts have shown most of the growth in the metro area outside the city limits , jobs moving out of the city will eventually leave the parish , leaving nothing but government workers . one more point , why no mention of the cities worst gridlock , those evil people from across the river clogging up the new bridge every morning , afternoon ?

54) Comment by MBW - 09/03/2013

Sprawl costs money. Everytime someone builds a new housing development YOU and ME both pay taxes to fund that......to extend sewer lines and power lines, to offer police protection, to widen roads and install traffic lights, etc.

55) Comment by MBW - 09/03/2013

The line about kids not being able to play in the street is nonsense. I live in EBR and would feel perfectly comfortable allowing children to play in the neighborhood where I live. Get a grip. Unless you live in some of the roughest parts of town, your kids would be fine in EBR.

56) Comment by MBW - 09/03/2013

These commuters from other parishes complain about our roads, our schools, etc.....but they don't complain about their jobs in EBR. But, rather than stay in EBR and be active in the community, they contribute to the decline by taking the easy way out and moving to Ascension or Livingston.

57) Comment by MBW - 09/03/2013

And those same commuters from other parishes now want us to spend OUR tax money to improve the roads and the sewer systems so they can live in their gated community out in the middle nowhere.

58) Comment by Bouncer - 09/03/2013

The typical Baton Rougeoisie has the same attitude toward "outsiders" from other parishes that a Manhattanite has toward people from other boroughs in New York City: that is, these "outsiders" are somehow viewed as "less than" the residents of the city proper. Get over yourselves, Baton Rougeoisie, and welcome with open arms your brothers and sisters from surrounding parishes. After all, aren't you ALL "Louisianans"? How can you expect for the nation to work together when all of you right here in the state hate and resent each other?

59) Comment by Attila - 09/03/2013

Different strokes for different folks there LawyerDan. Those same people you berate for having the audacity to use the roads that YOU pay to build and maintain. Here's a little tip for you counselor. Those people spend loads of money in B. R. helping to support the economy here, and they have the same rights to the roads as you. I think the statistics in this column should also lay to rest the need for Kip Holden Pkwy, also known as the B. R. loop as commutes from Livingston and Ascension make up only 16% of the users on these interstate systems. That means that allowing for the 27% that the DOTD says is the THROUGH traffic, B. R. people who refuse to get off onto the surface streets make up 60% of the traffic. I will close by answering your question about trying to find the same job in P'ville or Watson by asking you to try to find a crime rate equal to that of Chicago, or a dumbed down and failing school system in P'ville or Watson. Case closed.

60) Comment by LawyerDan65 - 09/03/2013

I have lived in Baton Rouge my entire life...I played in my neighborhood as a child and my children play in my neigborhood now. What a collosal waste of gas to commute. A bunch of people who do not pay taxes here regularly use the roads we build and maintain, all the while complaining about how bad Baton Rouge is. Try to find your same job in Prairieville or Watson.

61) Comment by gjnyc - 09/03/2013

This region needs light rail and the baton rouge metro and commuter rail to new orlleans and areas north of Baton Rouge. Why people aren't demanding this?

62) Comment by zealer99 - 09/03/2013

Baton Rouge is home to the State Capital and the thousands of State jobs. Baton Rouge is home to LSU, Southern, BRCC, the School for the Deaf and Visually Impared, and the Pennington Bimedical Center which provides many more thousands of jobs. I do not think tolls will be placed on State financed highways anytime soon.

63) Comment by CountryBoysCanSurvive - 09/03/2013

(Swat)Those pesky commuters (Swat Swat)

64) Comment by Grannee - 09/03/2013

Charge them a toll to enter EBR and a fee for an EBR work permit if they live outside of the parish.

65) Comment by LouisCannon - 08/03/2013

Of course people are living outside of BR then commuting to BR for work. Most of those folks probably wish they didn't have to work in BR, if it were possible not to.

66) Comment by Woody - 08/03/2013

in other news, water is wet.