Committee introduces 2024 Complete Streets update for master plan review; DPW director to present next meeting

Committee members on June 16 received an introductory briefing on the 2024 Complete Streets update prepared by the Department of Transportation Development and discussed whether to recommend including it in the parish master plan.

Committee member Bridal Clemons presented the material and said the update is a resource the committee should review. "This is an introduction today of the 2024 complete streets update from the Department of Transportation Development. Give everybody a chance to, take a look at it," Clemons said, adding that he would forward copies to any member who requested one.

Members discussed potential benefits and constraints. Speakers noted Complete Streets can unlock grant funding for sidewalks, multimodal projects and green infrastructure such as rain gardens, but also warned about maintenance responsibilities and potentially high implementation costs for a suburban/rural parish. One committee member said the program "can be extremely costly, but there's also opportunities to get a lot of grants out of it too." The committee asked the Department of Public Works to provide a fuller briefing.

As a next step, members asked Director of Public Works Robert Dugas to attend the next meeting so staff can present the Complete Streets update in detail and answer questions about grant eligibility, maintenance obligations and costs. The committee plans a full discussion and possible recommendation after the staff briefing.