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Alexandria moves ahead on $2 million downtown sidewalk project with LADOTD TAP grant
Summary
The Alexandria council authorized the mayor to accept a Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) award for downtown sidewalk improvements, approving a design that includes curb ramps, larger tree wells and conduit for future street lighting. The agenda lists the award as $2,000,000; a numerical discrepancy was spoken during debate.
The Alexandria City Council voted June 2 to authorize the mayor to accept a Transportation Alternatives Program award for downtown sidewalk improvements, moving the project toward final design and construction.
The item on the agenda listed an award of $2,000,000 from the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development’s Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP). During discussion the mayor described the project’s scope — work on downtown corridors including Johnston to 6th–9th, DeSoto to Washington, and streets around the Rapides Parish Courthouse, City Court and the genealogical library — and said the design will include curb ramps, bulb-outs, larger tree wells and conduit and junction boxes for future street lighting. At one point the mayor misspoke and referred to $2,000,000,000; the agenda and ordinance language show $2,000,000, and the record reflects the council approved the item as presented on the agenda.
Councilmembers asked for maps and clarification of the limits; staff said copies of the project map would be distributed to full council. A member of the public, Cornelius Lawson White Jr., urged the council to use funds to add sidewalks in his neighborhood to protect children and older residents who currently walk in the roadway.
The motion to authorize the mayor to accept the TAP award carried without further amendment. Council members said the design work will attempt to avoid past problems with undersized tree wells and root damage by specifying larger wells.
The council did not set a construction start date at the meeting; staff said design and coordination with other projects (including a related MPO road project on Foyes Street) will determine timing.
