Oh noes, that girl's a geek?!

Road Video of the Week - Day Late Edition

2012-01-29T02:33:00.000-06:00

Pickings have been slim this week. However, one of my favorite road videographers released a new video this week. While I'm not normally a fan of "Highway Tour" type videos, this one is executed well enough.

It helps that it was made by the same person who made The Most Awesome Road Vid Ever (TM).

I didn't know I-229 was so substandard, but that double-decked viaduct kicks ass.

Anyway, enjoy eluko79's Highway Tour of St. Joseph, MO.

Road Video of the Week - Inaugural Edition

2012-01-20T05:56:00.001-06:00

I guess I should post something road-related on here, huh? With all the activist and political posts here, I'm worried I might scare off both of my readers.

So, one of my passions is road videos. However, since I don't get to go out as often as I like with gas prices being so high, and since I don't have a video camera of my own, I watch the videos of others.

Sadly, it's been slim pickings on YouTube this week as far as road videos go. Perhaps I'm not subscribed to enough people. So, let's go with one of the few Interstate vids on my feed this week, from a YouTube user going by cochrab.

Nice video. The sign graphics in the vid are a little low-quality, though that comes from using SignMaker rather than creating images by hand in PS or Gimp or something. (SignMaker really needs an upgrade...) Still, the use of Nirvana as the backing music is extremely fitting for a vid of the Interstates in Seattle. The vid being at actual speed as opposed to timelapse is a nice change of pace that can rarely be executed well. It's pulled off well here, though.

So, here's the deal. I want to make this a weekly feature, most likely posted on Thursday nights or Friday mornings. Want your vid to have a shot of being Road Video of the Week? You can shoot me a link here in the comments to wherever you host them, be it YouTube or someplace else. Both my readers may not seem like a huge bump in traffic, and neither would my 60 Twitter followers, but still... any increase in traffic is a good thing, right?

(As an aside, I've widened the blog slightly to better accommodate YouTube vids. Sadly, that means those viewing this on 800x600 or lower resolutions won't be able to see across without scrolling horizontally. The price of progress, I'm afraid...)

Collateral Damage: A Specialty of the Feds

2012-01-20T05:08:00.002-06:00

As we no doubt all know by now, the Feds took down Megaupload. Now, this may mean that a source of widespread "piracy" has gone dark, and the Feds' paymasters at the RIAA and MPAA are likely rejoicing a little about that.

(Just a little, though, considering they brought the fury of Anonymous upon themselves.)

The thing is, Megaupload had legitimate uses as well, uses that a lot of people are reconsidering. One such thing? Offsite backups. Yes, the promise of the vaunted Cloud. Whether it's a library of personal music rips or a priceless digital copy of precious photos, those were taken down along with the pirated copies of crappy movies, albums and porn vids.

Of course, being the highly paranoid type of girl I am, I keep onsite backups. I even have a copy of the contents of my first computer on a CD-ROM somewhere (which shows that machine's age.) I didn't trust the "cloud" from Day One because I was worried something like this would happen.

Now, it has. I feel like the smart one, but the fact is, many people lost a lot of stuff. One would hope that the Feds would show some compassion and try to make these people whole, but... I highly doubt that will happen. The more likely result is that the drives of the servers housing this info will likely rot in some evidence locker until the next Ice Age.

...And in the end, this is the M.O. of U.S. government agencies as of late, from the FBI to the military. To hell with the consequences, so long as the primary target is taken out.

I cannot stand for this. Something must give.

2012-01-17T23:43:00.002-06:00

The posts on this site have all been blacked out in protest of SOPA and PIPA. If those two bills pass, it would only be a matter of time before this site is like this permanently.

SOPA IS NOT DEAD YET! ITS MAIN SPONSOR WISHES TO BRING IT BACK TO THE FLOOR IN FEBRUARY.

Make a difference. If you're in the United States, call your Congressman or Senator and urge them to oppose these bills and take a stand against Internet censorship.

If you're abroad, get in touch with the U.S. State Department and express your outrage that a law being considered in this country could affect your websites.

Google currently has a petition going on at http://www.google.com/takeaction/ - take a moment to sign it.

There is an additional petition going on at http://americancensorship.org/ - if you're going to sign the first one, sign this one too.

If you are on Twitter, Facebook or Google+, you can take a moment to change your userpic at http://www.blackoutsopa.org/ and show your support of killing these bills.

Take a stand. Make your voice heard. Protect Internet freedom as well as your own.

***TRANSMISSION TERMINATED***

SOPA, PIPA, and why you should oppose these things.

2012-01-17T13:04:00.003-06:00

The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), also known as House Bill 3261 or H.R. 3261, is a bill that was introduced in the United States House of Representatives on October 26, 2011, by House Judiciary Committee Chair Representative Lamar Smith (R-TX) and a bipartisan group of 12 initial co-sponsors. The bill, if made law, would expand the ability of U.S. law enforcement and copyright holders to fight online trafficking in copyrighted intellectual property and counterfeit goods. Presented to the House Judiciary Committee, it builds on the similar PRO-IP Act of 2008 and the corresponding Senate bill, the PROTECT IP Act.

The originally proposed bill would allow the U.S. Department of Justice, as well as copyright holders, to seek court orders against websites accused of enabling or facilitating copyright infringement. Depending on who makes the request, the court order could include barring online advertising networks and payment facilitators from doing business with the allegedly infringing website, barring search engines from linking to such sites, and requiring Internet service providers to block access to such sites. The bill would make unauthorized streaming of copyrighted content a crime, with a maximum penalty of five years in prison for ten such infringements within six months. The bill also gives immunity to Internet services that voluntarily take action against websites dedicated to infringement, while making liable for damages any copyright holder who knowingly misrepresents that a website is dedicated to infringement.

(Taken from Wikipedia, which itself will be "blacked out" on 18 January 2012 in opposition to SOPA and PIPA)

Sounds like a good thing, right? Online piracy, after all, is a Very Bad Thing, right? Well, this bill is equivalent to stomping on a roach with a nuclear bomb - not only overkill, but ultimately ineffective. Coders are already hard at work creating software to circumvent the teeth of this law, DNS blocking - not for piracy's sake, but to protect legitimate Internet use that this bill would curb if signed into law. In the end, all it will do is censor the Internet. China, some Arab countries and Australia, among others already do this. If SOPA/PIPA pass, you can add the good old U.S.A. to that list!

Roadgeeks, planning on putting up that video of the next leg of your trip? Clinched another Interstate and want the world to see?

Not so fast.

You're likely using copyrighted music in that video. Kiss the vid goodbye and expect possible prosecution. Not in the United States? It doesn't matter. Now, some of the provisions are okay in theory such as making copyright holders liable for damages if they misrepresent the fact that a site's dedicated to infringement, but as a whole, the bill is just too toxic to live.

As of yesterday, Congress shelved SOPA indefinitely, meaning it would require a supermajority for it to be considered again - the same supermajority required to override a presidential veto, I'll add. (Never thought I'd say this as a die-hard liberal, but thank you Eric Cantor for shelving it!) PIPA, its sibling in intent, still lives on in the U.S. Senate. The White House has called both bills dead on arrival as written and assured they'd be vetoed if they hit the President's desk.

That's not good enough, though. The thought that these bills could be revived once public furor dies down is very disconcerting. Many across the Internet have been letting Congress know exactly what they think of these bills. As long as the possibility exists that these bills could be revived, however, we are not safe. The Internet as we know it is not safe.

The Internet is striking back on January 18th. Many sites, including some major ones such as Reddit and Wikipedia will be "blacking out" on that day in protest of the bill and to show what could become permanent if bills like these become law.

I'm imploring that anyone that cares about the freedom an open Internet represents also pledge to black out their sites on January 18th... but don't stop there. Black out your social media as well. Do you blog, Tweet or use Facebook? Pledge not to on January 18th. Look up the list of corporate entities that still support the bill and deny them your business on that day, and tell them just WHY you're denying them said business. Don't buy any albums or see any movies either -the RIAA and MPAA not only support these bills, but helped to write them! Speak with your voice AND your wallet!

Once January 18th has come and gone, though, it will not be time to let up the pressure or claim victory. We the people must continue to make our voices heard until Congress in no uncertain terms gives up on trying to censor the Internet!

...Or the one.

2011-11-18T02:45:00.003-06:00

After reading the preceding post, I had to chime in with my own.

I am one of the many. I am underwater - not due to a mortgage, but due to my house literally collapsing.

I live on government assistance not because I like doing so, not because of laziness, but because I have to. It makes me sick to my stomach that I've had to go to a food bank the last couple of months. I would love to be able to go earn a paycheck. I'd love to go do something with my life other than sit around all day wondering how I'm going to pay the bills, repair something that's fallen apart or put food on the table.

There are no jobs out there for me. I am one of fewer among the many. I'm mentally ill and have little work experience. Everything I am capable of doing, I have had to teach myself because I cannot cope in a traditional instructional setting. I didn't need school to figure out how to repair a vehicle, to put together a computer or build a website. I have passions and talents that simply cannot be taught. Sadly, that doesn't count for shit anymore. Merit and ability are irrelevant. It's all about cronyism, nepotism and money now. Who do you know? Who are you related to? Is there any incentive you can offer that makes you worth giving a chance to?

I don't know anyone important.

Even if I spoke to my family, none of them are important enough to get me into any kind of job.

I'm broke, so there goes money talking as an option. I cannot grease any palms.

Where am I left?

The saddest thing is that the bar is being raised higher with each passing day - not just for me but for the many... for all of us. Some have probably heard the stories of doctors working at fast food restaurants or people barely staying afloat due to unemployment benefits. Most of those unemployed have put in thousands of applications, and none get any response - but they keep trying. Even with no hope, they keep trying. Even as Big Business continues to downsize, they keep trying!

Those situations are becoming more and more common with each passing day. The jobs are drying up even as CEOs can continue to run companies into the ground and float away on their golden parachutes into a life of luxury. Companies are raking in record profits as they slash away at their job numbers and the profiteers and speculators rejoice.

If the continued plunder of the nation at the hands of the wealthiest continues, the many will grow. More will find themselves in the situation I am in. More will become like me.

Look down at my plight, that's certainly your right. I'll keep trying, even though there is nothing out there for me. The only help I want is a chance to make a living for myself. Don't pull me out of the hole, don't even throw me a rope - throw me a shovel so I can dig myself out. Do not speak for me, I will make myself heard.

But realize that if you stand by and do nothing, or worse take the side of the uncaring wealthy overlords, you will stand in my shoes soon enough. Then who will be left to speak for you?

There are still options. There is still time, even though it dwindles. Everyone has a voice. Everyone has a vote. Some of us still have some money - speak with your wallets. Some have stock in these businesses that continue to take and take - you can use that to speak as well!

Speak for yourselves, America... before it is too late.

The needs of the few outweigh the needs of the many?

2011-11-17T22:17:00.005-06:00

I am sure by now everyone has heard about this Occupy Wall Street Movement. First off cool your jets, I am not going to condemn anyone. The news does a good enough job of that without me.

I will say this though. Perhaps It would be of everyone's best interest to stop, shut up, and listen to what these people are saying. I know its a stretch for most people and the fact that some girl on the internet said to shut up is enough to cause the rant to end all rants and to condemn me to hell for all eternity. But since I have your attention for this particular moment consider this.

Look back.

Way back.

Back to the 1700's.

The USA didn't exist yet. We were little more then Colonies under the rule of nations clear across the Atlantic Ocean. We were being taxed to no end. We were taxed on our pay and then taxed again when we bought the products we were making to get paid in the first place. We were heavily taxed. The rich were getting richer and the poor... Well the poor were looked at as the lowest form of life.

Damn, this sounds familiar.

Those being taxed and Financially oppressed were not being listened to. They tried over and over to get the Government's and the powers that be's attention. No one listened. So it escalated. They protested. They did something to protest that would shake things up wildly. They took a ship full of tea and dumped it in Boston Harbor. THIS WAS PEACEFUL!!! They dressed as the natives, another group who had no respect, and it escalated.

Wow this is horribly familiar...

The British sent in the Military to Police and control any "uprisings". It escalated into the Revolutionary War!!!

Seriously.

Now Fast Forward 200+ years later. We have been brainwashed! Look at what it has taken to get us to this point. We have been lied to, ignored, tossed aside, and given the false impression that things are getting better when our nation has been left in a toilet by crooked politicians and flushed down without us ever knowing. Now HISTORY IS REPEATING ITSELF!!! Instead of 1 tyrant 1000 miles away, we have 1% of the population who are the tyrants and the other 99% of us are being severely oppressed financially and excessively taxed. The 99% have begun to protest in a way that is getting the attention of the 1%! It's escalated. Now there are police attempting to control any "uprisings".

There are 2 ways this can go.

Listen and be the difference needed to make this country as great as every person who calls themselves an American believes it to be.

Or Listen and ignore this 'rabble'. As the British found out in the late 1700's, there is nothing more dangerous then a man defending his home.

Ours are being taken from us.

Do the needs of the few truly outweigh the needs of the many?

(Edited to be less wall-of-text-ish and for grammar. Content is entirely Melody's - T.)

New design

2011-09-27T05:07:00.002-05:00

Yeah, I got bored, so I redesigned the blog again. I'll have to recenter the BGS banner, I know...

Maybe someone could put it on a little sign bridge for me? Pretty please? Bonus points if you put some old-school lighting on said gantry. (The sign's retroreflective, by the way.)

...And yes, I know that's a Cali-style exit tab with a Louisiana highway shield! I happen to like the California exit tabs, thank you very much!

Epic... just epic.

2011-09-27T04:21:00.005-05:00

I'm almost tempted to add "Ponies" to the blog's BGS. This is win.

Say hello to a new contributor...

2011-09-09T12:59:00.003-05:00

...may she survive the experience.

For the longest time, the staff around here has just been myself and a psychotic cat. Since the cat doesn't post, that means it's been only me. That changes today, as we welcome a new contributor.

You can call her Melody. She's my roommate for a year, and while she's not as much of a roadgeek as me, she is more than capable of making her voice heard about the other things this blog's about. She'll also add a lighter, funnier side to the blog. Sometimes.

Cats and Dogs... The Political side.

2011-09-09T12:49:00.002-05:00

Hiya all!, I am a shiny new contributor to the blog! All shall love me and Despair! JK!

Today I was playing around on a game and I received a little message from a friend. Upon reading it I was rather disturbed...

It's just dawned on me !!

My dog sleeps about 20 hours a day.
He has his food prepared for him. He can eat whenever he wants.
His meals are provided at no cost to him.
He visits the Dr. once a year for his checkup, and again during the year if any medical needs arise.
For this he pays nothing, and nothing is required of him.
He lives in a nice neighborhood in a house that is much larger than he needs, but he is not required to do any upkeep.
If he makes a mess, someone else cleans it up.
He has his choice of luxurious places to sleep.
He receives these accommodations absolutely free.
He is living like a King, and has absolutely no expenses whatsoever.
All of his costs are picked up by others who go out and earn a living every day.
I was just thinking about all this, and suddenly it hit me like a brick .......
I think my dog is a Democrat!

To this I promptly replied...

my cat demands everything be done for him. He steps on everyone, treats everyone like they are his slaves and I think he is paid off by big animals outside the house to spill trash on everything... I think my Cat is Republican.

I am curious though... If cats are Republicans and Dogs are Democrats... What would the Independent Party be??? I mean I figure a 3 toed sloth would be the Green Party. I suppose it would be something elusive... Like a Bigfoot or something.

That's Louisiana for you, folks!

2011-09-09T10:47:00.005-05:00

State to restripe I-10 bridge exit (source: The Advocate)

For the longest time, I-10's Exit 153 (LA 1) westbound was striped as a right lane exit-only, center lane exit-optional setup. And it worked well enough.

So apparently someone at DoTD had the bright idea to get rid of the middle-lane optional and force all exiting traffic to use the right lane. (My guess is that they got stuck in the middle lane in rush hour.) And it SUCKED for exiting traffic.

Now they're changing it back to right lane exit-only, middle lane exit optional.

Moral of the story? Don't mess with a good thing if you have no idea what the hell you're doing.

This is problematic, though. All along, it should have been four lanes - two for westbound I-10 to continue on, two for exiting onto LA 1. No optional lane. Room enough for breakdown lanes, too. The problem is, we've only built to current capacity at the time an upgrade or new construction effort began, and at the time, three travel lanes and no shoulders seemed to be enough. With a surface route or a short bridge, that's less of an issue, but something the scale of the Horace Wilkerson Bridge? I think it should have been four lanes plus full shoulders each way all along, even if one of those lanes went unused for several years.

Now we can't. The bridge is too important to Baton Rouge's traffic flow. The only solution is going to require an upgrade. Perhaps it's time to start looking into realigning I-10.

Twin Spans Update

2011-09-07T21:34:00.002-05:00

No pics from me on this one yet, as gas still costs too much.

The new I-10 Twin Spans are slated to be opened completely on Friday, September 9. Mark that day in your calendars - that's the day six lanes are open continuously across the lake.

It's long overdue.

Heads up, travelers!

2011-09-07T15:52:00.006-05:00

Road work will impact I-12/I-59 interchange at Slidell Thursday (source: Times-Picayune)

This is what I live for...

Here's the gist of it - Thursday, September 8, 2011:

I-12 EAST: Right lane closed at mile marker 85.5 - Left lane open but expect delays
I-59 SOUTH: The ramp to I-10 eastbound will be CLOSED.

If you want to get to eastbound I-10 from I-59, the best way is to take the exit to I-10 WEST and turn around at one of the Slidell interchanges. I suggest Exit 265, Business US 190 - it's not quite as congested as Gause (US 190).

Closures start at 9 am and are expected to last til 2 pm.

This is ridiculous.

2011-09-07T14:46:00.008-05:00

There's a reason that my tag for gasoline is "It Just Keeps Going Higher."

Labor Day's come and gone. Shouldn't prices be dropping?

$3.559/gallon at the place we've been using lately, and I only went there because a local supermarket promotion was cutting off (in my case) 20 cents a gallon. Cheapest gas in Mandeville at the moment is $3.529. Just a couple miles up the road, it's $3.389 in Covington. (That's ridiculous enough by itself.)

$3.359 a gallon is still RAPE!

I doubt I could afford to fill the tank these days if I still had my Festiva. (For those not in the know, the Ford Festiva only had an eight-gallon gas tank and got about 40 mpg.) Of course, we now have a Ford Explorer with a twenty gallon tank and (at the moment) a quarter of the fuel economy. I'm paying so much for gas that we can't even afford to do a tune-up!

Probably need the tune-up because of the damned ethanol they're mixing with the gas nowadays... and now they're increasing the mixture? Thanks for killing my lawnmowers, you bastards. When the Zoning Board decides to bitch about the overgrown yard, I'm forwarding the summons your way.

To hell with the world economy, OPEC, corn-state lobbyists and Tea Partiers. Ban oil speculation. I want fucking price controls. And get your goddamned ethanol out of my gasoline!

You know, I think I'll label this a Just Plain Wrong as well.

Walkabout UPD*TE

2011-09-02T14:35:00.003-05:00

Tropical depression possibly coming ashore. Camera dies, so I gotta get a new one. Feet are killing me. One of the pictures is on the Interstate itself and I went on foot.

Does that make me dedicated, hardcore or insane? You be the judge.

First, some new signage:

These signs appear to be going up on every Interstate in Louisiana - at the least, I saw them on I-12 between Exits 63 and 83, and apparently they're on I-10 between the I-12/I-59 split and the Louisiana/Mississippi state line.

Damn, my feet hurt. Owww.

Updated:

LA 1088: Three new shots eastbound near the new interchange with I-12. Two new shots westbound, same area. Updated a lot of the captions to reflect the new interchange's existence.
I-12: The shot above, plus one more close to Exit 68.

More coming as soon as I'm not in so much pain. Where's the ice?

It's just... gone.

2011-09-01T19:49:00.003-05:00

I-680 is obliterated... gone.

Truly, it's a sad, sad sight. I have no words.

Hopefully, they can start work quickly to replace the roadway.

FAQ 2011

2011-09-01T03:24:00.005-05:00

Because I feel the need, that's why.

Q: What is the purpose of this blog?

A: In general, this blog is where I let my roadgeek side out to play. Less often, I'll blog about another passion of mine, computers. Of course, human stupidity is a sad constant, and some of that will be highlighted here as well.

Q: There's never anything but still shots in the posts here. Don't you do video?

A: Not at this time. There are a few good reasons for this. One, I don't even own a video camera. B, I have trouble keeping the gas tank full for necessary trips these days, much less the kind of dedicated trips that make for good video. (Seriously, do you want to see a YouTube video of me driving to the shrink?) And finally iii, I'm a perfectionist. If I did have a setup for video and a gas tank that magically filled itself, I'd still have to make about twenty trips and drive about 300 total miles just for a ten minute video that'd fit my standards. (Hence the shrink visits.)

Q: What's your Facebook?

A: (Error 404 - not found)

Seriously, I don't have one. I never have, I never will. Same will probably go for a Google+ page if they ever open registration. I am a strong supporter of anonymity on the Internet, and flat refuse to use any service where I can't just get by with a nickname, pen name or nom de guerre.

Q: There are no girls on the Internet.

A: Silly anon, that wasn't a question... and if that's the case then how am I posting?

Q: What do you drive?

A: The problem with being poor is that it's often cheaper to pick up another junker than to fix the one you have. (Of which there are three broken down in the yard.) The current vehicle I'm using is a 1996 Ford Explorer. The gas mileage sucks. I'm hoping to have the Civic, the Sentra or the Regal back on the road by year's end. (Hopefully the Civic with the way gas prices are going lately.)

Q: What kind of camera do you use?

A: Doesn't it say in the image info in Picasa? ...Ok, yeah, I'm lazy too. I understand completely. It's a cheap 3.2 MP Argus that I picked up a few years back for $50. The battery door is falling off, but it still does the job.

(Edit - Sept 2, 2011: I finally upgraded to a 5.1 MP Vivitar ViviCam 5118. Cost me $30, worth every penny. Use the zoom at your own risk.)

Q: I found out something you may want to know. How do I get in touch with you?

A: I'm on the AARoads forum as Darkangel. I have a Jabber - the info is in my Blogger profile, I think. (You can use that info with Google Talk, too.) I'm also tdarkchylde on AIM, but unless I know you, I likely won't respond. I don't post my email publicly - if you're in the roadgeek community, you probably have it already anyway.

Q: So, what do you do when you're not driving?

A: I'm likely either gaming or watching ponies. Deal with it.

Long-awaited (full) UPD*TE

2011-08-31T04:38:00.003-05:00

Ok, that's done. Looks like I was only able to salvage a few pictures from last year's Idaho trip, and an entire camera is still missing with many more of the I-84 shots, along with the I-15/84 multiplex shots. Damn, damn, damn. I hope it's around here, because I don't envision myself heading back that way during my lifetime.

New:

I-84 (western): 56 shots eastbound from just west of Boise, Idaho to the eastern terminus in Echo, UT

Updated:

I-10: Added 13 shots along eastbound in and near Baton Rouge

Long-awaited (teaser) UPD*TE!

2011-08-31T02:26:00.004-05:00

Finally. I'm in the process of salvaging the pictures from my camera. Here's one album to whet your appetite til I get done:

Clinched (during the trip these pics were from):

Highways: I-184, both directions (pics westbound), I-270 (Colorado) eastbound (sadly no pics)
Counties: Several in Colorado, Utah, Idaho - will have to figure out which later on

New:

I-184: Yes, that I-184. Westbound coverage between Exit 2 and the western terminus, circa late May 2010.

It's been a while, hasn't it?

2011-08-31T01:11:00.003-05:00

As of this post... wow, 22 months since the last post!

First off, stop worrying. I'm not dead. I've just had massive equipment failures both of the computer and automotive variety. I'm only just getting back on my feet here.

With gasoline prices being what they are, I can't afford to travel (and therefore get pictures) anymore, especially with the only running vehicle here being a SUV. Yes, one of those things I swore I'd never ever own. (Technically I still don't own one - it belongs to my roommate.)

Hopefully things will start to look up soonish. If things go right, my income situation should improve soon, the Deathmachine will be back on the road, and I'll hopefully get some new pics of the area... before I move.

Yeah, the Louisiana Roadgeek Girl will hopefully be moving by year's end.

In the meantime, I've found my old camera, which should have some pics from (of all places) Idaho, Utah, possibly Colorado and Texas as well.

So keep the faith.

Drunk Eddie Resigns

2009-10-09T20:57:00.002-05:00

Sometimes you get some good news when waking from a nap.

Mandeville Mayor Eddie Price resigns

I've only been calling for this since last year, but seeing as how no one in Mandeville actually reads this blog, I can't take credit. Ah, well. The end result is the same, no matter how the pressure is applied. Either way, the criminal is out of power.

His statement is as follows:

"I have had the privilege of serving the people of Mandeville for 29 years -- 16 years as a councilman and the past 13 years as mayor.

"During this time, I've worked with a dedicated City Council who has contributed greatly to a collective vision for our city. This vision was further realized by the hard work of the Planning and Zoning Commissions and all the other committees that serve our city.

"The city of Mandeville would not function without the commitment of the city employees who work diligently and who have given me support when I needed it, not only in the day-to-day operations of the city but especially during the tough times when we had catastrophic storms.

"Through the years, we have had achievements in which we can all be proud -- achievements accomplished through the shared efforts of everyone. We have, together, been able to make Mandeville one of the finest cities in the country.

"It has been my great pleasure and honor to serve you as mayor. But over the past year, the distractions have become a burden to the city. It is important to me that the City of Mandeville continue in a forward, positive direction and be able to have the full representation that it well deserves.

"So, it is with great sadness that I've made the decision to step down as mayor of Mandeville effective immediately.''

I hope he remembers not to get too comfortable being out of office... he's still got charges hanging over his head, and is looking at a good bit of time.

This is a great day after all.

Yet another minor upd*te

2009-09-05T00:05:00.003-05:00

I made it back to New Orleans again, and as usual, the camera hitched a ride, falling apart as it is.

Updated:
I-10: 19 new shots of eastbound between the 610 split and the North Claiborne Avenue exit.

Drunk Eddie indicted!

2009-08-14T01:45:00.004-05:00

NOLA.com: Mandeville Mayor Eddie Price indicted on perjury charge

Today must be the day of "about damn time," I swear. First, the news on the I-12 interchange, now this! Drunk Eddie's been indicted for something, in this case perjury, stemming from (alleged!!!) false testimony given in a 2008 criminal trial of one of his buddies. A sergeant in the Mandeville Police Department was also indicted.

Now, I used to give Drunk Eddie nearly daily grief in this blog because he seemed to be in the news every day over his near-criminal screw-ups. I also haven't talked about him in forever because he seemed to be in the news every day over his near-criminal screw-ups. Beating up on a dead horse gets boring after a while... but this is real news.

This has been a long time in coming. We here in Mandeville have known better than to bitch about the corrupt government across the Lake because Price was just as bad, punctuated by him obliterating a Causeway toll booth barrier in his city-owned SUV while loaded. Supposedly, there are even more charges being considered when another grand jury convenes later in the year over Mandeville's finances, of which there were improprieties found in a Legislative Auditor's report.

Again, the staff here (consisting of myself and a hyperactive cat) resume our calls for Drunk Eddie to resign so Mandeville doesn't have to wait to have its next corrupt ruler take office. Except now, it may not be necessary. He could end up having to leave office due to a change of address to one of Louisiana's wonderful state prisons. Thank $deity that Mandeville's city charter forces the mayor to go bye-bye if convicted of a felony.

LA 1088/I-12 interchange contract to be awarded this month

2009-08-13T14:47:00.003-05:00

NOLA.com - Contract to be awarded this month for new I-12 interchange near Mandeville

It's about damn time, coming from someone who lives within walking distance of the area where roadwork will commence. We've been waiting for this interchange to be built for my entire life, it seems. It's always been pushed back. Just to keep waiting, and waiting, and waiting...

Now is the time. I ranted against a school being built on 1088 between I-12 and LA 36 back in February because of the lack of an interchange and the potential for a traffic jam right in front of my house. Of course, who listens to me? They opened it anyway. At least traffic's not so bad... yet.

Once they begin work on the interchange, it will become a nightmare. Why? Because they'll be improving LA 1088 to a divided highway in the process. This is still a good thing, as the added capacity for LA 1088 will be needed. It's not just for the locals - traffic in Mandeville proper will be able to shave about six miles from an eastbound trip on the Interstate over the current interchange at LA 59. It'll relieve that interchange of some traffic from the south and from the north (connecting to I-12 from LA 1088 shaves even more mileage over LA 36 West and LA 59 south to I-12 - though far fewer people live on parts of LA 36 that would benefit, and no one lives on that part of 1088 yet.) Problem is, traffic at that interchange is insane, and even 1/4 of that traffic would choke a two-lane highway.

But the process of widening 1088 would choke things up for a while even if they left the existing two-lane carriageway alone while they built one parallel.

Still, gripes aside, this is something that has been needed in the worst way for years and will relieve traffic all over the extended Mandeville area. Plus, it's an interchange I could photograph by walking... can't wait for that opportunity.

Minor UPD*TE

2009-08-13T00:07:00.004-05:00

I haven't been taking that many pics or updating lately, but I have some very good reasons. One, I'm poor, two, gas costs too much, and three, I'm now living alone, and having to cover all associated bills. Still, I had to take a trip down to New Orleans last Tuesday, so I have a few pics from the trip.

New:

I-610 (Louisiana): Eastbound coverage between the split from I-10 and Exit 3.
LA 3021: A.K.A. Elysian Fields Avenue. Southbound coverage between I-610 and LA 39/46 (North Claiborne Avenue.)

Updated:

I-10: Added six pictures between Exit 228 (Causeway Boulevard) and Exit 230 (the I-10/I-610 split).

Revised:

I-110 (Mississippi): Revised album to reflect the truncation of Mississippi 15. Picture descriptions will be edited later.

Workaround for the Ralink 2500 1Mbps on Jaunty bug

2009-07-13T11:20:00.003-05:00

I've suffered this on altaria (my Thinkpad) ever since upgrading it from Intrepid to Jaunty. It would only have a throughput of 1Mbps when it's more than capable of 54.

There's now a workaround, posted here by a user going by RavanH. If you're a Jaunty user having rt2500 problems, check this guide out.

Interstate UPD*TE

2009-06-10T23:10:00.007-05:00

...Wow, it rhymes.

Clinches
Highways: I-910, US 90-Z, LA 3046 (Clinched new flyover ramp), Spur LA 41

New:

I-910: 27 snaps of the westbound unsigned Interstate in New Orleans and on the Westbank.
Spur LA 41: Ten snaps, mostly covering westbound. Includes a lazy oddity for the AARoads Shield Gallery, should they want it.

Updated:

I-10: Added two pictures of eastbound at the I-12/I-59 split in Slidell.
I-12: Added ten pictures of eastbound from Airport Road to the I-10/I-59 split in Slidell. Finally got the other pictures in order. Geotagged those and fixed descriptions of some older pics.
I-59: Added twelve pictures of northbound from the southern terminus at I-10/I-12 in Slidell to Exit 5A in Pearl River.
US 11: Added a snap of the old bridge in Slidell and four snaps of the northbound concurrency with I-59 in Pearl River.
LA 59: Added two pictures at the reconfigured southern terminus.

To-do:

US 90: Need to add coverage of eastbound between Business US 90 near Westwego and I-10/I-910/Business US 90 in New Orleans, including snaps of the Huey P. Long Bridge. Also need to add those snaps between LA 1 and I-310.
US 90-Z: Need to add snaps of non-freeway portion westbound between I-910 end and US 90.
US 190: Need to add some assorted snaps.
Lake Ponchartrain Causeway: Need to completely replace northbound coverage.
LA 3046: Need to add a northbound snap or two.
North Causeway Approach: Need to add northbound coverage.

Suicide on the CCC

2009-05-26T17:03:00.005-05:00

Times-Picayune - Man kills himself by jumping from Crescent City Connection

At approximately 7 a.m. CDT, a young man pulled his car up onto the eastbound Crescent City Connection bridge. He soon shut his car off, exited it and went over to the side of the bridge. Showing absolutely no hesitation, he jumped, ending his life near the corner of Lawrence and Teche streets when he landed.

Things are going very wrong in the area as of late, with all the political scandal and incompetence, but this event is a stark reminder that real people are suffering, too. Many are being injured or killed on the streets at the hands of others, many of those offenders being the ones we forget, the ones we fail.

So, too, this man could have been another of those, another that we as a society have failed. No one is sure as of yet. No identification was found on the body, and even if they did find ID in the car, no info has been released yet.

It is not the manner of death which causes me to raise my voice today. Suicide is, sadly, common in this world. Usually, it is a very heart-wrenching decision for the person attempting it, this I can say from experience, having attempted suicide myself in the past. Thoughts run rampantly through one's head at that ultimate point as one wonders what is left to live for. Some, like me, pull back and decide not to die. Some choose to live. (There's a difference, trust me.) Then there are the ones for whom the only choice is death, so they go through with it.

Everyone deliberates the decision at the critical moment. Most of the time, it's at the point where the very next choice - to jump or not to jump - to fire or not to fire - takes place. It's on the bridge. It's standing there with the gun in one's hand.

Whatever deliberation was made in this case, it was made long before reaching the point to jump. There was nothing that could have been done... it is what makes this case all the more disheartening.

The future of the state is leading to more circumstances like these. There will be more times in the future where nothing can be done, even if the person can be talked down from the critical moment. There's a reason. The quality and frequency of mental health care in the state of Louisiana has been in shambles since even before Katrina, and now it threatens to only get worse.

The state is cutting mental health care. They're closing a major center in New Orleans, and consolidating care in the area to the Northshore. This simply won't work. True, the center they're consolidating to is in better condition than the one being abandoned in New Orleans, but this won't help matters. A vital component to mental health care is engaging the loved ones of the patient, somehow. Most of the time, visitation helps.

So how is it helping them to send them somewhere out of reach of the loved ones? Those with means have no need for centers like this, for they're most likely to secure and afford private care long before institutionalization becomes necessary. No, most of the people ending up in a state-run inpatient center will be the indigent and poor. How many of these people's loved ones will even be able to make it to the Northshore? These are the same people who had to hop on a bus provided by government money to evacuate from Gustav because they simply didn't have the means to run when their own lives were at stake.

Consolidation isn't the answer. If the center in New Orleans was in as bad a shape as they were saying, they need to improve it, or open a new center in town... not close the only lifeline some have and move it across the Lake.

We need more money for this, not less. I'm sure if we cut all government salaries some and wiped out the waste that exists all over the state, we could pour some into improvements in New Orleans, and elsewhere in the state.

It won't happen, of course. More people will have less options when the critical moment arrives, and more will die. As someone mired in poverty in Louisiana and not getting any care for mental illness, I could very well be one of them one day. (Note: Not a suicide threat - T.)

And the state will be responsible for every life lost in this way.

So, how will they fund I-49 South?

2009-05-13T23:03:00.004-05:00

The Advocate (Acadiana Bureau) - I-49 task force debates funding

It's about time people started to try to figure out how to fund the thing, you know. So far, it's looking like tolls could be on the table. (Gack.) Obviously, there's also a need to obtain more support from the Legislature and Congress, to push the corridor as more of a priority.

First things first - tolls won't work. Ever. Not in Acadiana. The traffic volumes might be worth an Interstate, but they'll never support a toll road, especially in a part of the state that has none currently. The locals and the sugarcane farmers hate the idea of tolls. Tolling would be a non-starter. They could exempt some traffic from the tolls, but then that defeats the purpose of tolling the thing in the first place... especially if they exempt agricultural vehicles.

Still, they're considering multiple options. Good for them - you can't count on anything as a sole way to fund a project as huge as the I-49 southern extension.

Another option floated by the task force would be special tax districts along the corridor and an extra tax on gasoline along the route. I see many potholes in that approach. The most significant is that the "special tax district" would have to be statewide, otherwise people would start to dodge it by fueling in jurisdictions outside the tax district. I know I would. I don't know about you, but I can make it from Lafayette to New Orleans via the current US 90 corridor on about half a tank, and that's in an early 90's midsize Buick. My Civic could make the trip on less. That means I can gas up in Lake Charles, Alexandria, Baton Rouge or Slidell and dodge fueling on the corridor entirely. (Either that, or I could take I-10.)

Oops, I said that out loud. That's another problem with any usage- or consumption-based tax along the corridor, that being that I-10 is shorter, and in conjunction with I-12 is shorter still. With many tollways, you can get traffic that is simply aiming to go through the tolled route as well as the traffic that has to actually go somewhere along the toll road, and the other options suck as far as traffic or expediency goes. (See: Pennsylvania Turnpike.) The fact that Future I-49 is already bypassed by a superior routing for traffic bound for points east and west means that you don't get that traffic that would be going to/from, say, Houston or Biloxi (unless they originate/end locally), and therefore you can't get toll money from them.

And even then, there's a (State) Constitutional ban that stops local entities from levying a gasoline tax. It'd take legislative action to override that problem, and the Legislature's never liked local-option gas taxes. That sure as hell ain't changing with Guv'nuh Bobby "No Taxes EVAR!!1" Jindal pulling the strings.

These are all inventive options, mind you, but the old standby is still out there: state and federal funding. It's how we normally make Interstates around here. The only problem with that option currently is that the state is damn near broke, considering all the cuts the Governor is saying we need to make to state programs. The Feds ain't in much better shape, multiple stimuli and bailouts on demand aside.

All that said, work is still proceeding slowly along the corridor. Several overpasses built in St. Mary and Iberia Parishes over the past decade are bringing the corridor closer to Interstate standards. An overpass is currently being built at LA 675 in Iberia Parish, and stim funding is paying for an interchange to be built elsewhere in Iberia. The governor's proposed putting about $10 million in the budget for another overpass in St. Mary. These areas aren't the real hangup - the real hangup that I've seen so far from traveling the highway would be the area from Raceland east to about Marrero, covering Des Allemands, Paradis, Boutte and other places along that routing. Some of it is so cramped, bypassing part of the route may be inevitable - which will definitely make the state coffers bleed as a lot of it would need to be elevated.

In all, progress is slow on the Future Interstate. It's going to take time. Middle ground must be found - not only a source of funding, but a good source of funding that will fit the circumstances of the routing itself.

End Of The Earth UPD*TE, Part 3

2009-05-05T01:15:00.003-05:00

Another day, more photos uploaded...

New:

LA 1 (Southbound): 36 pictures between Mathews and Grand Isle.

Updated:

I-55: Added six pictures of northbound at various points near Ponchatoula and Hammond
US 51: Added three pictures of southbound in Hammond, from LA 1040 to the merge with I-55
Business US 51: Added northbound coverage between I-55 and US 190. Added southbound coverage of the concurrency with US 190. Geotagged the album.
LA 22: Added three pictures of westbound from the concurrency with Business US 51 in Ponchatoula

The rest of the To-Do list will have to wait yet another day.

End Of The Earth UPD*TE, Part 2

2009-05-04T04:09:00.003-05:00

Follow-up to last post.

Updated:

US 190: Added 27 pictures of eastbound between I-55 in Hammond and LA 25 in Covington. Added two post-construction pics of eastbound at the LA 59/LA 1087 intersection in Mandeville. Added one pic of westbound of a sign recently added at the LA 3228 intersection in Mandeville.

The rest of the To-Do List will have to wait for another day. I'm totally knackered right now.

End Of The Earth UPD*TE, Part 1

2009-05-03T02:42:00.009-05:00

I finally took that trip to Grand Isle that I've been threatening to do ever since I got the Buick. Out of it, I took over 290 pictures. Some are unusable, though, so I'm going through what I do have, and updating piecemeal-stylee.

Clinches
Parishes: Lafourche Parish
Highways: US 51-X

Here's what I do have done.

New:

I-310: 38 pictures. Covers both southbound and northbound all the way between I-10 and US 90. Photographically clinched, both directions.
US 51-X: AKA Business US 51 in Ponchatoula and Hammond, LA. Six pictures of southbound between LA 22 and I-55/US 51 to start - however, I also went and photographically clinched it northbound, so expect more within the next couple of days.
LA 1 (Northbound): 17 pictures. Covers LA 1 North from Grand Isle to LA 308 in Golden Meadow.

(I've decided right now to split the album into northbound and southbound from the start, as I'm predicting both albums combined may have as many as 300-500 pictures apiece by this time next year. LA 1 is longer than Longcat, after all.)

Updated:

I-10: Added nine pictures of eastbound between I-55 and I-310.
I-12: Added seven pictures of the new Exit 60 signage from Friday. They're not geotagged or sorted yet.
I-55/US 51: Added 17 pictures of I-55 South and 15 pictures of US 51 South, of the concurrency between Exit 22 and LaPlace.
LA 22: Added eight pictures of westbound between LA 21 and Business US 51 South.

To-Do:

~~I-55: Got a couple of shots from northbound of the Exit 29 (I-12) complex and of the Exit 31 advance signage. Also got the brief bit of northbound between Old US 51 and Business US 51.~~ Done!
~~US 51: There's a couple of stray shots in Hammond between US 51-X/190 and I-55 to add.~~ Done!
~~US 51-X: Got to upload northbound, meaning a couple need cleaning. Damned fire orb in the sky. Someone please blow it up already. :P~~ Done as it's getting for now.
Old US 51: The old road between LaPlace and Ponchatoula. I traveled it northbound. Wasn't much to see. Did take a few snaps, they'll get upped... probably last.
US 90: Need to add shots of westbound between I-310/LA 3127 and LA 1, and eastbound between LA 308 and I-310/LA 3127.
~~US 190: Took shots of eastbound between I-55 and LA 25. Need to sort the buggers. Also need to see if a shot in Mandeville or two needs updating.~~ Done!
~~LA 1 (Southbound): Plenty of shots between US 90 and Grand Isle. Got to upload, sort and tag. (That'll be the Major Pain.)~~ Done!
~~LA 22: Still got a couple more to add of the concurrency in Ponchatoula with US 51-X... and they got sunbleached. Usual BS.~~ Done for now
LA 308: Took a few pics of that northbound, just need to clean them up.
World's Longest Continuous Viaduct: Yes, I actually do plan to make this album... call it a project, like the "Former LA 25" project that I still plan to do soon.

*****

One More Thing: I've thought about something that could be confusing, and I want to clear it up. Notice that some of my albums of old highways are named "Old (highway)," while others are called "Former (highway)." There's actually a rationale for that.

"Old" highways: These are highways whose former designation has been rerouted, most likely to a nearby new alignment such as a bypass, or to the Interstate or something. (Examples: Old US 11 (moved to nearby I-59), Old US 190 (moved to a different alignment nearby))

"Former" highways: These are truncated or decommissioned highways, either in whole or in the part near the section labeled "Former." (Examples: Former US 65 (truncated and replaced by US 425), Former LA 1093-2 (decommissioned entirely))

Now that we've cleared that up...

Alternate St. Tammany Parish Hurricane Evacuation Routes

2009-05-01T06:56:00.005-05:00

Public services, for those who are actually planning to evacuate if a storm comes our way during hurricane season. What I'm aiming to do here is to bring attention to some local arterials that can, in a pinch, also be used for hurricane evacuation. Since my knowledge base is mostly about Northshore routes, that's where I'll be concentrating. Not trying to slight any of you near the coast or anything, but there are others who could cover that region better than me.

I don't have maps handy just yet, so I'll have to describe them in an all-text format.

West St. Tammany Alt Evacuation Route 1: LA 25

(This route can be accessed by those funneled onto US 190 West through Covington. Recommended if going west or north.)

Destination: Tylertown, MS
Connections: US 98 West TO McComb, MS (I-55, US 51), Natchez, MS (via US 84, you can then use US 61)
US 98 East TO Hattiesburg, MS (I-59, US 11), Mobile, AL (I-65, I-10 East)
MS 27, TO Vicksburg, MS (I-20, US 61, US 80)

Route: From US 190 West (Bypass) in Covington, you will be able to continue on US 190 by taking a left at a stoplight. Instead, remain on the through route. This is LA 25. This route will pass through a few small towns such as Folsom and Franklinton. Follow LA 25 through those towns. Eventually, you will reach the state line. LA 25 becomes MS 27. Follow MS 27 into Tylertown. You can either use US 98 to head east or west, or continue on MS 27 North to head toward Vicksburg.

West St. Tammany Alt Evacuation Route 2: LA 21

(This route can also be accessed via US 190 West in Covington. Recommended if going east.)

Destination: Foxworth, MS
Connections: US 98 West TO McComb, MS (I-55, US 51), Natchez, MS (via US 84, you can then use US 61)
US 98 East TO Hattiesburg, MS (I-59, US 11), Mobile, AL (I-65, I-10 East)
MS 35, TO Batesville, MS (you can then use MS 315 Scenic to reach Oxford)

Route: From US 190 West, south of Covington (three-lane section), there will be a fork, each way taking two lanes with it. You will want the right fork, which is Business US 190 West. Follow Business 190 until you reach the intersection with LA 21. Take LA 21 North (a right). Follow LA 21 North to the state line. At the state line, LA 21 becomes MS 35. Continue to follow MS 35 until it widens to four lanes; you will have reached Foxworth at that point. From there, you can use US 98 to reach McComb or Hattiesburg, or remain on MS 35 North to head to Batesville or Oxford.

East St. Tammany Alt Evacuation Route: LA 41

(This route can be accessed from US 11 in Pearl River. You may not be able to reach it from the Interstate.)

Destination: Foxworth, MS
Connections: US 98 West TO McComb, MS (I-55, US 51), Natchez, MS (via US 84, you can then use US 61)
US 98 East TO Hattiesburg, MS (I-59, US 11), Mobile, AL (I-65, I-10 East)
MS 35, TO Batesville, MS (you can then use MS 315 Scenic to reach Oxford)

Route: From US 11 North, drive north through Slidell. Continue north until you reach Pearl River. At Pearl River, take a left from US 11 North onto LA 41 North. Follow LA 41 North for its entire distance, it will end in Bush and default to LA 21 North. From there, you can use the West St. Tammany Alt Evacuation Route 2 guide for directions/instructions. The destinations are the same.

***

For the sake of everyone being able to get out, using US 90 East from Slidell to connect to I-10 East along the Mississippi Coast is not recommended by me. Mississippi needs their coastal routes to evacuate, too. Using the alternates to reach US 98 East can get you to Mobile, Alabama, though.

***

St. Tammany Alt Evacuation Route: LA 10 West

(All three of the previously mentioned alternatives junction LA 10. Just turn onto LA 10 West when you see it instead of continuing north.)

Destination: St. Francisville, LA
Connections: US 61 North TO Natchez, MS (US 84, US 425), Vicksburg, MS (I-20, US 80)
LA 10 West TO New Roads, LA (LA 1), LeBeau, LA (US 71), Washington, LA (I-49), Pickering, LA (US 171) (ferry connection required, some sections unsealed)

Route: Get onto LA 10 West from either LA 25 North in Franklinton, or LA 21 North in Bogalusa. Remain on LA 10 West until reaching US 61. From there, you should go on US 61 North to continue west. If you choose to remain on LA 10 West, there is a ferry crossing after the intersection with US 61. After the intersection with LA 1 in New Roads, some parts are unsealed. (That means gravel, folks.) Proceeding westbound past St. Francisville is not recommended by me.

***

There will be more of these as my research continues.

Some miles down, about seventy to go

2009-05-01T01:42:00.002-05:00

The Advocate - I-12 work to begin

...And so it begins. The end is near for the daily gridlock at LA 3245 (O'Neal Lane) and Interstate 12. Work will begin to widen I-12 to three lanes from O'Neal Lane to just east of Pete's Highway eastbound, and from 4-H Club Road to O'Neal westbound. The hardest bit will most likely be widening the bridges crossing the Amite River - as they stand right now, they are only two lanes wide with absolutely no shoulders to speak of. I'm hoping they add some shoulders with those new travel lanes.

The project is slated to be complete by Thanksgiving 2011, meaning traffic will exceed the work done by the day after Thanksgiving 2011. Going only that far will do nothing but move the daily gridlock from O'Neal over to Denham Springs. The rest of I-12 to the east will continue to be perpetually overloaded with truckers who think they're driving Ferraris, career women weaving from the acceleration lane to the #1 lane at 90mph while fixing their makeup and sipping coffee, and unsafe vehicles carrying their nonsecure loads at ten miles under the speed limit.

In other words, this is where I again advocate for the entirety of I-12 to be widened to no less than three travel lanes in either direction. Don't get me wrong, this is a good start. I'm just saying that while this work is going on, we as a state should be putting together what's needed to widen another segment afterward.

It's almost that time of year again.

2009-04-30T14:41:00.004-05:00

NOLA.com - Contraflow changes will keep hurricane evacuees on I-59, I-55 longer

Yeah, this will improve things. Right. Sure. Keep people on the Interstate even longer when they're running for their lives.

OK, so people evacuating from storms will have a bit farther to go before being able to disperse off the Interstate. I-59 traffic won't be able to exit until Purvis, while I-55 traffic will be on there until at least Brookhaven. Either way, Contraflow will END! at that point.

Now, while this means Contraflow will go longer than it used to (just shy of McComb on I-55 and just shy of Poplarville on I-59), it will only delay the inevitable backup that will occur when they try to squeeze four lanes into two. Some of that could be averted by forcing one or two of the lanes to exit at that point, sure, but we all know that won't happen. It's also still not fixing the overall I-59 problem - the contraction of the mainline into a single lane near Meridian. Honestly. Do you think all those evacuees are looking to get off in Purvis?! Hell no. They're heading for Birmingham, Chattanooga, Atlanta and points beyond if they're on I-59. You know us, Mississippi - we're not simly looking to get out of the immediate area of the storm, we may as well head for the next large city. You got none on I-59.

The I-55 plan isn't so bad - you can get off at Brookhaven and head west to Natchez on a nearly empty four-lane highway (or even to someplace like Vicksburg or Alexandria after Natchez). Also, as far as I'm aware, I-55 doesn't shed a lane in Jackson. (Someone who's been on I-55 North, feel free to correct me if needed.)

What we really need is more defined and better-capacity evacuation routes other than the Interstate (LA 25 would be a logical one, connecting straight on to the Causeway via US 190), possibly even implementing Contraflow on these local arteries. We also need to educate our locals better on these routes.

I'll at least try to educate you in a later post. Better pack it full of fuel in the meantime.

Cenla UPD*TE

2009-04-28T23:58:00.007-05:00

I've been a bit overwhelmed this month with staph infections, depressive swings, Pokemon and LOTS of pictures from a trip earlier this month to Winnfield, Louisiana. I also ran out of batteries.

Nevertheless, they're all uploaded and geotagged. rejoice.

New:
US 61: 18 shots - northbound between MS 24 in Woodville and US 84 East north of Natchez
US 84: 159 shots - eastbound from Winnfield to US 98; westbound from Natchez to Winnfield - largest single album creation to date
Former US 65: 32 shots - northbound and southbound between Natchez and Ferriday, along the US 84 concurrency

More UPD*TES, plus two proposals.

2009-03-20T06:31:00.004-05:00

Upd*tes first.

New:

LA 40: 38 photos covering westbound between Bush and LA 445.
LA 435: 15 photos covering eastbound between Abita Springs and Talisheek. (Photographically clinched eastbound)
LA 445: 16 photos covering southbound between LA 40 and Bedico. Expect prompt additions - there's a part of it I plan to investigate today.
LA 1078: Nine photos covering westbound between LA 25 and the western terminus. (Photographically clinched westbound)
LA 1081: Seven photos covering northbound between LA 437 and LA 437. (Not a typo. LA 1081 is a half-loop intersecting LA 437 at both its north and south ends.) (Photographically clinched northbound)
LA 1082: Four photos of northbound, two at each end.
North Causeway Approach: Seven pictures of southbound between US 190/LA 22 and the LA 1087 exit.

Updated:

LA 21: Added five pictures of southbound - three from the LA 40 concurrency and two from between LA 59 and LA 1082.
LA 22: Added ten pictures of eastbound between Bedico and Madisonville.
LA 41: Added seven pictures of northbound between Talisheek and Bush.
LA 59: Added four pictures of northbound between LA 36 and LA 59. (Photographically clinched northbound)
LA 437: Added 15 pictures of southbound between Barker's Corner and Covington.
LA 1077: Added seven photos of northbound between LA 1078 and LA 25.

As always, all upd*tes are geotagged. Here at this blog, we flat-out pwn "Operation Coordinates" without even trying.

Don't forget to bookmark the RSS feed to get the latest upd*tes as they happen!

***********

Now for the proposals.

Proposal One - LA 59 Northern Extension

This one is fairly simple, something noticed the other day when I was taking the recent LA 59 and LA 1082 pictures. The two are so close together and so closely aligned, I believe that LA 59 should overtake the routing of LA 1082. What this would do is create a better Mandeville-to-Folsom route that bypasses Covington completely.

As such:

1) LA 21 between the current LA 59 northern end should be additionally designated as LA 59 until the current intersection of LA 21 and LA 1082. This will create a very brief wrong-way concurrency.
2) LA 1082 should be redesignated as LA 59 in its entirety, between LA 21 and LA 40.

...Speaking of LA 59...

Proposal Two - Twinning of LA 59 in Mandeville

This proposal is a little more complex, but it would dramatically ease traffic flow north out of Mandeville. Right now, LA 59 carries three lanes from Abita Springs all the way south to US 190. Most of the way, it's sufficient. Between LA 1088 and US 190, however, that's a completely different story.

The section of LA 59 in question is frequently congested (especially northbound), and there is no more room to widen it because of an extremely limited right-of-way.

My idea doesn't involve acquiring any more right of way along current LA 59, yet manages to twin LA 59 from one three-lane highway to two two-lane carriageways with frequent turn lanes OR modest (but not quite Interstate-standard) shoulders, whichever are deemed more necessary.

To make it easier to understand, LA 59 is also designated in Mandeville as Girod Street. Just to the east of Girod Street is Marigny Avenue, which is currently two one-lane carriageways with a spacious median. My idea is this: rebuild Marigny Avenue between US 190 and LA 1088 as a northbound carriageway for LA 59, effectively turning Girod Street and Marigny Avenue into a one-way couplet, each carrying one direction of LA 59.

Here's where being creative comes in - Marigny Avenue doesn't currently connect to LA 1088. At a local road, Marigny turns from a divided two-lane street to an undivided one - however, Marigny Street past the local road has a lot of undeveloped space. A connection to LA 1088 and Girod Street is feasible and would not require acquiring too much right of way.

In contrast, if Girod Street were to be widened any further, about 40-50 homes and businesses would either be displaced or subdivided to the point of uselessness.

I've taken the liberty of putting to visual the proposed routing:

Pink denotes the already-existing portion of Marigny that would need to be reconfigured, while green denotes new roadway that would have to be built, as none currently exists.

Many places already have one-way couplets that each carry different directions of highway, and I think it's the only way to make traveling on 59 easier for all.

Miscellaneous St. Tammany UPD*TE

2009-02-24T05:52:00.003-06:00

I recently added some pics from a couple of brief trips - one to roadgeek in Lacombe, the other taking me through Folsom and Madisonville.

New:

Old US 190 (Lacombe, LA): Eight pictures from a very old segment of US 190 in Lacombe.
LA 1077: 52 pictures of LA 1077. Coverage includes end to end southbound, and some pictures of northbound from Lake Ponchartrain to the LA 21/LA 1077 split north of Madisonville (some copied from the LA 21 album). Also contains a shot of my car.

Updated:

US 190: Added a picture of the intersection with LA 1089 from westbound
LA 21: Added three pictures of southbound in Madisonville of the LA 21/LA 1077 concurrency (also in the LA 1077 album)
LA 22: Added 11 pictures of eastbound from Madisonville to the eastern terminus in Mandeville
LA 25: Added nine pictures of northbound between the southern terminus in Covington and Folsom
LA 434: Added 23 pictures of northbound and southbound south of US 190, including coverage of Lake Road after the END! of LA 434, as well as one picture of northbound between US 190 and Old US 190
LA 1093-1 Added three pictures of northbound - both termini are now covered northbound
Other: Geotagged LA 1093-1 album - this was an oversight on my part, so my bad. All albums that are supposed to be geotagged should now be geotagged. Also, due to another corrected oversight, all pictures in my Picasa albums are now Creative Commons licensed. Share, but share alike, credit me, and don't try to sell my pictures. Other than that, use them if you want.

Sidebar links will be updated with the new albums later on.

Warning: Very Profane Rant.

2009-02-19T04:58:00.004-06:00

Times-Picayune - State vows I-12 link in St. Tammany will be built

You vow, huh? Ain't you been vowing to get the damn interchange built for years now? I seem to remember that it was supposed to be built in the '90s as part of the LA 3241 project. As a standalone, it's been pushed back several times in the last few years alone. I'd still be willing to wait even now if waiting for that highway was an option. But at a time like this, it's not optional anymore. There's a school going up soon, a high school that will choke a "minor secondary highway" to the point of being absolutely useless. Ten miles of peaceful driving will soon become ten miles of brain-numbing gridlock.

There's plenty of problems with that scenario. First off, LA 1088 isn't "minor" or "secondary" to the people who live on it. It's our lifeline to the rest of the world. As it is, I have to go way out of my way to get anywhere now without having to pass through a damn school zone. I'm sure others here feel the same way, they're just too scared of getting lynched by the pro-family morons to make a peep. There's also the fact that any traffic coming in from the west or south have to go through a residential neighborhood to get to that school, until the interchange is built.

Seriously, what the hell are you idiots at DoTD smoking? Do you bastards remember how badly LA 59 was choked in the 90's having to support a high school, and how much it worsened when the junior high opened up next door? Those kind of schools, a two-lane highway simply can not do the job. Even a two-lane highway with a turning lane of some kind can't handle it. High schools in this area require four lanes at minimum to ease any impact on traffic.

Remember, you not only have to deal with bus traffic, car traffic from parents dropping their kids off and more car traffic from faculty going to work daily, you also have to deal with hundreds of stupid teenagers trying to get in there at the last possible minute because they overslept. You hope they were cramming for exams, but they were probably either getting high or getting laid. Most likely, both. The teenagers around here are far from being angels, after all. (I speak from personal experience.)

In case you've forgotten about all this, feel free to drop by any time. The gridlock's still there, all those years later.

At the least, though, LA 59 has an interchange at I-12 that helps relieve some of the traffic. LA 59 North past the Interstate is a breeze even during school zone hours. Ah, but LA 1088 doesn't. It needs it before anyone even thinks of opening a damn high school. Yes, I'm also talking to you, St. Tammany Parish School Board.

What makes you think some of us want a gridlock and beaten sheep factory on our highway anyway? (Calm, calm... I will not be a NIMBY, I will not be a NIMBY...)

Fact remains, at the moment, the roads in the area of that new school can't possibly support it. Aside from being a lonely two-lane highway, there are no lights... in fact, there's nothing nearby. The nearest Sheriff's substation is about 12 minutes away. 12 minutes is a lot of time for mischief and mayhem. It's a ton of time if someone gets hurt or worse. There's no services nearby - if you run out of gas or overheat your car, you're mega-screwed. In fact, that school's almost begging to become an unofficial annex of Lacombe (which is the crackhead and crime capital of the parish).

They may as well call it Lacombe North already.

At the least, can't they hold off opening the thing until there's an interchange, so a residential neighborhood can be spared a lot of headaches, unnecessary emissions and noise? More importantly, so my sanity can be spared? Some of us like being able to start the day with a few miles at max speed before hitting Congestion City, after all.

They can't and they won't, naturally. Delays are only tolerable so long as a school isn't affected. "Think of the children," after all. I say to hell with the damned children already. "Why" is a matter for a different post entirely, probably on the Livejournal.

Anyway.

So I'm putting any of the politicians who have any chance of getting either the school delayed or the interchange sped up on notice here - if you open that school sooner than an interchange is built and we suffer here due to it, you're not only getting a no vote from me, but from others. There are more than just me who think as I do, and I will rally them. Me personally, if it's you versus Charles Manson in the next election, I'll vote for Manson just to spite you. If it's you versus Satan himself, then I'm wearing my "Satan (next election year for your seat)" button proudly. I don't care if your next opponent's a thief, a serial killer, or if they eat babies. You will become the greatest of all evils in my eyes. I'll do everything in my power to put them over and shut you down.

Build the interchange first before you even think of overloading our highway system, or you will find out how bleak your careers are in the face of an angry voter with no life. I don't care if you in Baton Rouge have to use some of the one-time surplus this year... I don't care if you have to use it all, every last dime. Get this thing done, pronto!

P.S. - You should have never re-paved the section of 1088 north of I-12, DoTD. It would have been nice to make all those "elite" idiots lose their suspension for a year or two on that road. :P

Stimulus Wishlist

2009-02-14T15:41:00.004-06:00

Times-Picayune - Louisiana's share of stimulus pegged at $3.8 billion

Of that, $455 million is slated to go to bridge and road work and repairs. Here's some of the things I'd do with that if I was in charge of DoTD and wasn't hampered by pre-work things like environmental impact studies. (They're important, but not for hypothetical thinking.)

* Widening of Interstate 12 between Juban Road and I-10/I-59 to six lanes
* Putting gates and lights at all non-private rail crossings in the state
* Reconfiguration of the I-10/I-110 split in Baton Rouge
* Construction of an interchange between LA 1088 (Future LA 3241) and I-12 northeast of Mandeville
* Build a relief route for I-59 (designated as US 11) in eastern St. Tammany Parish (looking forward to hurricane season), utilizing the old US 11 routing if possible (it was good enough before) - US 11 can still cross the West Pearl co-signed with I-59 to save money

Now, obviously that kind of money might not be enough, especially with that I-10/110 split reconfiguration in there, but those are projects that I believe would drastically help traffic flow, especially in the Florida Parishes. That includes the relief route. I blogged last year about how hellish I-59 was, and I believe a relief route could at least make it a little easier to get the first important thing out of the way - getting the hell out of Louisiana when there's a hurricane coming. Designating it as US 11 just makes sense - it'd make that highway important here again.

As for the gates and lights suggestion, that's just my little pet crusade.

One step closer to a wider LA 21.

2009-02-13T23:30:00.003-06:00

Wider Louisiana 21, bridge getting closer

About time we got back to roads around here, eh? The scope of the project is as follows: Two two-lane carriageways (four lanes total) with a 24-foot wide median, six-foot wide sidewalks along two new two-lane bridges across the Tchefuncte, a six-foot wide sidewalk along the northbound side, and full shoulders on both carriageways. This will be between LA 1085 (Bootlegger Road) and 11th Street in Covington.

Now, it's nice and all. That part of LA 21 has suffered over the years from overdevelopment and the traffic that follows. The shoulders are a definite plus - that stretch used to have them, except for the bridge, but the three-laning last decade eliminated those. The sad fact is that four lanes won't be enough, by a longshot. Six will be needed for traffic to even resemble decent flow.

This is another example of development exceeding the fixes. Someone around here seriously needs to rethink this thing.

One girl's rant against the legally sanctioned monopoly known as cable.

2009-02-06T02:44:00.006-06:00

Long title, even longer ranting session. During my nightly aimless browsing where I often start at the Ubuntu forums and somehow end up looking at a Wikipedia article about a low-power radio station in Idaho by the end of the night, I stumbled upon some bullshit that my ISP's looking to get going soon.

DSLReports - Charter Confirms New Caps

Slashdot - Charter Cable Capping Usage Nationwide This Month

(Remind me, I need to kick a certain infernal package's ass for moving his IRC feedbot.)

Sadly, I'm in an area served by Charter, and only by Charter when it comes to cable TV and Internet. The only other options are the satellite companies for TV, and AT&T for DSL. The weather here is too unpredictable for satellite and AT&T's in bed with the **AA. (As we all know, I am most certainly against the illegal cartels known as the RIAA and MPAA. Any company supporting their aims is one to be buried.) Assuming there was realistic competition, I could do like a good capitalist consumer is supposed to do when they get pissed off over someone's services or goods - vote with my wallet by going elsewhere and doing without the offerings of the offending company. However, I'll note now that my parish has something known as a franchising agreement. In a nutshell, the only way to get cable here is through a single company.

Now that one company is screwing us.

One company, for a service that multiple provide. What's that called? Oh, that's right. It's a blasted monopoly, and last I checked, those are supposed to be illegal... not that it matters anymore. The pro-big-business laws enacted by the last few regimes have managed to destroy anything in business that would actually aid the people (sorry... consumers) when mega-companies screw them.

Now, I don't actually use the TV component that much anymore... I think the only things I watch on television anymore are wrestling and Olbermann. (He makes me laugh. So does Rush.) Truthfully, I could do without cable TV nowadays, even with the (now-delayed) digital transition, and no digital equipment. (My 15-year-old Trinitron delivers crisp enough picture for my tastes... screw HDTV.)

What I do use is the Internet aspect, and I use a good bit of it. Ever seen Serial Experiments Lain? I'm a real-life her, but cuter and bitchier. :P I enjoy exploring the work of various open-source movements and organizations... so I end up downloading a LOT of Linux .iso files. I listen to music on last.fm, Jamendo, OC Remix and Digital Gunfire. I watch some YouTube videos, specifically Freewayjim's stuff. I also watch some TV episodes online where ever I can. Don't forget all the images and flash shit that everybody and their mother seems to be putting on their sites now.

On the upload side, I sometimes grab files from my home machine to listen to on my laptop when I'm out and about. Sometimes I'll grab a video from a DVD I ripped onto my hard drives. Sometimes I'll even grab a whole season of said videos if I'm going to be away for a while. (NCIS never gets boring.) Other times, I'm uploading hundreds of highway pictures at a time to Picasa, Flickr or Imageshack. (Or all three.) Let's not forget seeding my Linux isos so others can have them... sharing is caring after all. The point is, I use a ton more bandwidth than the average user.

Right now, I have 5 meg service. That's it for downstream. Even then, I can roll through the proposed cap in a few days of light usage. Of course, they're saying they'll have an uncapped tier, but that tier isn't available here. The 5 meg I'm on right now is the top one there is. That means no matter what, I can't move past the cap. I'm not allowed the option to be uncapped by agreeing to be extorted for more. Never mind that I'm not exactly willing to pay the extra $100 to stop them from screwing me.

Some of us can't work, after all. Ever heard of a fixed income? Specifically, disability? I can't just make more money when prices go up. Can't look for better pay and all that. Don't have much of anything I can sell to make ends meet every single month to come up with another $100. Chump change to you? Huge f'n deal to me. This month, I'm already doing without groceries simply because having a working vehicle does more for my mental health than having food does. I'm also having to do without medicine that I need that Medicaid doesn't pay for. Needless to say that when bills go up, sacrifices are often made. This month, "sacrifice" was food and medicine. Next month, it may well be Internet.

(And please, do not ask me why I can't just give up Internet so easily instead of resorting to starvation. Of all the skills that I have that could help me land a job whenever I can get my mental state sorted and become un-disabled, computers are the only ones, specifically network-related stuff. It's all I have. It's like asking a carpenter or mechanic to sell his tools.)

As it is, I have no choice, none at all... except to call bullshit on the whole thing. All of it. I heard Charter's circling the drain as it is... let's hope they get sucked in and go away. No bailout for these bastards.

Now, I must go get my 15 hours of sleep and pray tomorrow's not so depressing.

Mississippi UPD*TE Part Deux

2009-02-03T19:52:00.005-06:00

Ok, so technically, this upd*te isn't all Mississippi, and the sun ruined some of it. Bleh, I posted it all anyway. I can always replace the sunbleached pics come spring.

New:

US 98: 11 pics of westbound between Foxworth and Tylertown - some sunbleached
LA 437: Four pics of southbound in Covington - part of the ongoing Old LA 25 project
Spur La 437: Four pics of southbound in Covington, photographically Clinched southbound - part of the ongoing Old LA 25 project
MS 27: Seven pictures of southbound from Tylertown to the state line - some sunbleached
MS 35: Five pictures of northbound from the state line to US 98 in Foxworth

Updated:

I-12: Added seven pictures of eastbound between US 190 and LA 59, including pics of the replaced I-59 trailblazers at the LA 59 exit
Business US 190 (Covington): Added two pictures of westbound at the eastern end
LA 21: Added 37 pictures from Covington to the state line, photographically Clinched northbound
LA 25: Added 22 pictures from the state line to Covington, photographically Clinched southbound - some sunbleached

...As usual, all pics are geotagged for her pleasure, and snarky comments come free of charge!

Mississippi UPD*TE

2009-02-02T19:17:00.004-06:00

We've invaded the state next door, and came away with about 100 or so new pictures.

New:

MS 604: Pics of the entire distance northbound. Or was that eastbound? It's hard to tell when there's no directional banners.
MS 607: Only 2 pics for now, but this will quickly expand.
I-110 (MS)/MS 15 (Southern Segment): It's a mouthful, isn't it? Nine pictures from I-10's only child in Mississippi. Clinched it again, by the way. Also marked for MS 15 since I-110 is co-signed with it the whole way.

Updated:

US 90: Added a whopping 62 pictures spanning from US 190 east to I-110/MS 15, including pics from along the New Bay St. Louis Bridge.
I-10: Added 20 pics from I-110 west to Exit 31 (Canal Road).

The epidemic spreads...

2009-01-24T23:23:00.003-06:00

2 killed after train hits car in Edgard

So, another one. Another car trying to cross the tracks while a train is coming. Another two people killed, another child needlessly traumatized solely because they survived. Another report that no seat belts were being worn by the dead. Like a deer in headlights, the SUV seemingly froze as it hit the tracks... then boom. The SUV ended up being thrown nearly 150 feet, and all three passengers were ejected. The crossing had nothing to warn of the approach of the train, solely having a pair of crossbucks letting passing traffic know that train tracks were indeed present. There were no gates, no lights, no bells. Even as the engineer blew his horn, the SUV just sat there...

Louisiana is one of the worst states in the nation when it comes to train/car collisions. Most of our crossings have only a pair of crossbucks, no safety measures. No gates, no lights, no sound. You just have to hope that you can hear the horn in time. Our all-knowing Legislature has done all of jack shit about this situation. Our local officials don't seem to know what they're doing about anything, and go with the cheapest solutions as a rule. Not the most inexpensive... the cheapest. There's a huge difference.

Seriously, is there anything more "shovel-ready" than "Mount gates and lights on all rail crossings in the state"? I'm sure that would be a nice shot in the arm for a depressive economy.

Until then, more lives will end and even more will be ruined as collateral damage.

Roadtrip Report: January 14-15

2009-01-15T22:00:00.004-06:00

This time, I remembered to pack the camera along with me in the Buick, henceforth referred here to as "Dreamweaver." Two days, one taking me to New Orleans East, another to Abita Springs.

Among the upd*tes:

New:

I-510/LA 47: Covers almost the entire distance of Interstate 510's existence in New Orleans East, both northbound and southbound. The album is also marked for LA 47 due to I-510 multiplexing with it for 510's entire distance. 17 pictures, enjoy.

Updated:

I-10: Added pictures of eastbound from just past Michoud Boulevard in New Orleans East to US 190 in Slidell.
US 190: Added a new shot of the very old BGS in Covington.
LA 36: Album updated, info in LA 59 entry.
LA 59: Added pictures from Interstate 12 north to the end of the LA 36/59 multiplex in Abita Springs, LA 36 album also updated with multiplex shots.

...Finally, junkyard kitties.

Roadtrip Report: January 10

2009-01-10T12:35:00.004-06:00

No pictures this time, this was strictly a test run for the Buick.

Purpose:

Taking my sister and brother-in-law to the DMV near Picayune, Mississippi, as well as a shakedown for my new Buick.

Route:

US 190 east from Lacombe to US 11
US 11 north from US 190 to LA 41/LA 3081
LA 3081 north from US 11/LA 41 to Spur LA 41
Spur LA 41 east from LA 3081 to I-59
I-59/US 11 north from Louisiana Exit 5A (Spur LA 41) to Mississippi Exit 1 (US 11 North/MS 607 South)
US 11 north from I-59 to the Picayune-area DMV
US 11 south from the DMV to MS 43
MS 43 south from US 11 to I-59
I-59 south from Mississippi Exit 6 (MS 43 North) to Louisiana Exit 1A (I-12)
I-12 west from Exit 85 (I-10/I-59) to Exit 74 (LA 434)
LA 434 south from I-12 to US 190

Among the things I saw:

I-59: New signage in Pearl River (Town limits are now marked on the interstate, both entering and leaving, along both northbound and southbound). Also, there appears to be new signage at Exit 11 (Pearl River Turnaround) - then again, it might just be new to me. Going into Mississippi, the first sign for Exit 1 is in Louisiana - it used to be at the end of the bridge over the Pearl. Similarly, the first sign for Louisiana Exit 11 southbound is now in Mississippi. The new gore point signage for Mississippi's exits is interesting, to say the least. I'll get pictures next time. I-59 from Exit 1 at least to Exit 6 (likely further than that) has been resurfaced recently - the new asphalt is nice.

US 11: There's a sweet railroad bridge over US 11 just to the north of Picayune, near the DMV. I will definitely be returning there with a camera.

Old MS 43: Between US 11 and I-59, going towards I-59, it is still signed as MS 43. From I-59, it is not signed as a highway. The road's condition has gotten a lot worse since the last time I was in Picayune.

MS 43: Brand new surface between US 11 and I-59. The new road has a lot more curves than the old, but it's still a sweet drive. Beware going southbound - I-59 sneaks up on you.

New highway mileage:

US 11: From Old MS 43 to the Picayune-area DMV
MS 43: "New" section between US 11 and I-59

Across the Lake UPD*TE

2009-01-05T21:40:00.003-06:00

Yours Truly is now the proud owner of a 1995 Buick Regal. Also, since I had to go all the way to New Orleans, I got some pics.

Updated:
US 90 - Added three snaps along Jefferson Highway westbound
US 190 - Added two shots of westbound in Mandeville, where construction is nearly complete

New:
Lake Ponchartrain Causeway - 26 snaps of the 23.8 mile toll bridge across Lake Ponchartrain - pics are NOT geotagged
Causeway Boulevard - 22 snaps of one of Metairie's most important north-south arteries; primarily connects US 61 and I-10 to the Causeway Bridge
New Orleans: Misc - Seven miscellaneous snaps within New Orleans; this may grow if I can salvage any other pics - pics are NOT geotagged
LA 611-1 - Nine snaps of the River Road along Jefferson Parish's east bank of the Mississippi River
LA 3046 - Seven snaps of South Causeway Boulevard between US 61 and US 90, which is also designated LA 3046

Impending Baton Rouge chokepoint...

2009-01-04T19:08:00.004-06:00

The Advocate - Project on I-10 to begin

Vague title, but the section in question is the one immediately east of the I-10/I-12 split in Baton Rouge, from said split to Siegen Lane, an underutilized stretch of highway (compared to I-12, itself seeing frequent congestion) that can still prove to be a headache. At only two lanes but servicing a growing commercial area, it's hitting on "underpowered" at times.

The construction should ease things through the area as each direction of I-10 will be widened by one lane. The overall project begins Monday and is slated to take about three years, costing $86.2 million.

Last month, a $100 million contract was signed for widening of part of Interstate 12. That work should begin in February, to widen eastbound I-12 from O'Neal Lane in Baton Rouge to just east of Pete's Highway in Denham Springs, and westbound from just west of 4-H Club Road to the aforementioned O'Neal. That project will last until around Thanksgiving in 2011...

As a result, Baton Rouge's eastern end will be a little trickier to get through for the next couple of years. Two alternative routes, US 61 (Airline Highway) and US 190 (Florida Blvd.) will see a lot more traffic as a result of both I-10 and I-12 seeing work. Seeing as few alternatives exist... good luck.

From grief, an expression of beauty

2009-01-03T06:24:00.004-06:00

Although this isn't road- or computer-related, one of the wonderful things about having your own blog is that you get to bend the rules from time to time.

Case in point:

Times-Picayune - Mother's colorful memorial to her son has both fans and critics

Everyone will lose a loved one in their lifetime. It's the most human act of all... people die. Some of them, though, are taken from us in a violent manner, and the people left behind react differently. Some swear revenge, only adding to the cycle of violence. Some withdraw until they become casualties themselves, lost to the grief.

Then there are those who choose to do something about it, in a positive way. They choose to fight the cycle of violence their own way, by not falling into it themselves.

On July 19, 2001, a man named David Ayo was murdered just steps from his door. His mother, Susan "Willow" Schroeder heard the gunshot, then went outside and held David in her arms as his life slipped away. The murderer was never caught. It's a tragic, yet sadly common story in New Orleans as long as I've been alive.

So Willow started to paint. The morning after the murder, she painted an angel over the bloodstain near his door. Even then, for a while, it seemed Willow would become another casualty herself. She became a recluse. Even then, she continued to paint. She turned her yard into a beautiful memorial, a positive expression of art over such a negative event. Eventually Hurricane Katrina hit the area, forcing her to venture out.

While many of her neighbors are understanding of this, some are not, most notably JoAnn Taylor. She's called the city over one part of the artistic expression, a painted sidewalk in front of the house in question. She's also been researching ways to get rid of the memorial entirely, looking to see if some city code prohibits the artwork covering Willow's house. She calls it graffiti.

Myself, I call it a refreshing change of pace, something befitting the very culture of New Orleans. Lest we forget, some of the more notable figures in the city include voodoo queen Marie Laveau, as well as music greats Louis Armstrong and Mahalia Jackson. New Orleans is a city of eccentricity and unbridled artistic expression... not some soulless cookie-cutter suburb, showcasing little more than 1,000 drab shades of grey. It's the city of jazz and Mardi Gras, for crying out loud. There's more soul in a square block of New Orleans than in the entirety of some suburbian areas.

While there are tragedies in the city, there are also celebrations. Some say that New Orleanians can and do party at the drop of a hat, and this is what I see when I see photos of "David's House" - from tragedy, an explosive celebration of artwork and life.

Celebration. Life. Culture. Art. These are the things that New Orleans is.

Conformity. Bigotry. Corruption. Violence. These are the things that New Orleans should not be.

Finally, the last thing that amazes me in all this is that the city can't fix the damned sidewalks, but they can complain about a splash of paint over one of the few stretches not in disrepair.

People, let's get our priorities straight already.

(More on this can be found here: http://davidshouse.wordpress.com/2008/09/16/letter-from-robert-mendozza/)

Christmas present turned Mardi Gras throw

2008-12-28T04:51:00.003-06:00

Times-Picayune - New and improved I-10 is still months away

I wonder who screwed up here. The fix is most certainly not in, unlike most other situations across the lake. In this case, the asphalt wasn't started in time, so now it'll have to wait until after the winter months. Don't know why the hell they couldn't have surfaced it with concrete, but what's done is done, and we'll have to wait a few more months for the Causeway Blvd. chokepoint.

Rebuilding and redesigning the interchange between I-10 and Causeway is the next step in the process to upgrade I-10 to more modern standards and capacity. Yay.

Speaking of Causeway... bonus coverage!

Times-Picayune - Causeway storm-surge fix poses challenge for Corps of Engineers

Here, the idea is to raise the southern approaches to the Causeway to about 16 feet or so, as part of the ongoing project to strengthen the area's protection against storm surge, in this case by raising the levees. The trick is, the approaches kind of suck as it is, considering all the traffic that uses the bridge on a daily basis.

While there is room in the median to move the lanes around, and the existing approaches shouldn't have to be messed with much, it's still going to be the kind of headache that rivals most hangovers.

So far, the project is hopefully able to begin in 2010, sometime between late spring and early winter, but it's not possible to pin a clear date on it do far in advance.

Either of these projects will prove to be a nightmare for traffic for years to come. As always, I suggest going out of the way, mostly because I avoid the Causeway like the plague anyway. 24 miles over water with no shoulders... makes me nervous.

Another DWI on the Causeway...

2008-12-12T14:26:00.005-06:00

Times-Picayune - St. Tammany Parish Councilman booked with DWI on the Causeway

Yep, another politician got busted on the Causeway for driving drunk... and this time, it wasn't Drunk Eddie. Instead, we'll call this one "Drunk Marty" - Councilman Marty Gould of Parish District 5.

Seems he got loaded at the Saints game one Sunday, then decided to drive across the bridge.

Then... (Shock!) the cop pulled him over and actually did his job, writing the esteemed Councilman a ticket on the spot. Unheard of!

I guess some people can learn after all... so for once, kudos to the bridge police.

The sad thing here is how the Councilman responded to all this... his only regret? Getting caught. The classic sign of the unrepentant criminal. So, just like I'm (still) calling for Drunk Eddie to resign (or get indicted), I'm also going to call for Drunk Marty to get the hell out of public office. Never mind the fact that he seemed to be the only one harmed (did he take a header in the Dome to get that cut on his head?), he could have harmed someone else, especially on the Causeway. Personal responsibility dies a little more each time one of these idiots does something stupid like this, and the stupidity needs to end before someone gets killed.

Boredom breeds upd*tes.

2008-12-12T13:52:00.003-06:00

First off, until I can catch my site up with my Picasa sets, I've linked all my Picasa sets directly to the blog. You'll find them on the right side.

Second, I found my pics from August 3rd's trip with Froggie, specifically my small LA 3081 and Old US 11 sets.

Third, it snowed yesterday, and i have pictures of the Snow Day as well.

Enjoy. Or don't.

Not another upd*te?!

2008-12-10T22:32:00.002-06:00

Yes, more pics, about 60 of them from a brief jaunt up to Covington. The day was dreary and wintry, so the lighting wasn't the best. Still.

New:
LA 21: Coverage of northbound from the southern end in Madisonville, up to Covington.
LA 25: Small amount of coverage of the southern terminus in Covington.
US 190-X: Business US 190 in Covington, coverage of eastbound along concurrency with LA 21, and from the end of the concurrency east to mainline US 190.

Updated:
LA 22: Expanded coverage of westbound, from West Causeway Approach out to LA 21/1077 in Madisonville.
US 190: Added coverage of eastbound and westbound along the "Bypass" section in Covington, and added one picture of westbound in Mandeville.

No safety bays for Causeway

2008-12-05T10:13:00.003-06:00

NOLA.com - Plan to use twin spans ditched

From article:

"The Causeway Commission has canceled plans to use the Interstate 10 spans that now connect Slidell and eastern New Orleans as material for safety bays along the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway.

The cost to move and house the spans during a lengthy construction is prohibitive, Causeway officials determined."

Ok, so there's that. While using the old Twin Spans to create so-called "safety bays" along the bridge was a noble idea, there's other reasons beside the cost that made using them just on the bare edge of impossible:

"Also, the spans are 40 years old, while cast-in-place construction would be new. The highway department has said vehicles may not travel on the spans in the future, as they were damaged during Hurricane Katrina and are being replaced as a result.

In addition, the spans are 65 feet long, while the Causeway spans are 56 feet long on the southbound bridge and 84 feet long on the northbound bridge. The different span lengths would create uneven joints on the bridge deck -- a minimal difference for low speeds, but a significant one at high speeds should the Causeway ever be widened."

TFA says it better than I could. Still, I don't see why they couldn't take part of the old Spans and turn it into a fishing pier or something, like Florida did with the older Sunshine Skyway. You know, we could actually use a fishing pier down here, considering we're a culture of sportsmen...

As for the safety bay idea, I have a better idea that would be more useful in the long term... actually, two ideas. Three lanes across, and build some shoulders along the entire length of the bridge! As in Interstate-standard shoulders!

A few more photos

2008-12-04T17:00:00.005-06:00

A trip to Slidell today spawned about 40 or so new photos.

New:
LA 434: Coverage of northbound between I-12 and LA 36, as well as some pictures along the concurrency with US 190 in Lacombe.

Updated:
I-10: Added photos from westbound approaching and of the new Exit 265 interchange with US 190 Business in Slidell.
I-12: Added coverage along westbound approaching and of Exit 74 (LA 434).
US 11: Added a couple of photos of the concurrency in Slidell with LA 433.
US 190: Added coverage eastbound through Lacombe and Slidell, as well as at the intersection with hidden LA 1089. Also, I caught a snap of an idiot parked on the train tracks at the intersection with US 11.
LA 433: Added coverage of westbound and northbound from US 11 to US 190, mostly along the Bayou Liberty Road and Thompson Road segments.
LA 1088: Added a couple of photos of westbound, north of I-12.
Former LA 1093-2: Changed directory name to reflect removal of all signage previously found in August.

Detroit, you must fail for your own good.

2008-11-08T03:09:00.006-06:00

GM is close to running out of cash. Ford and Chrysler are failing too. It seems everyone needs a bailout these days.

No.

You will not get my money. For the good of America, you must fail.

Let me elaborate. The domestic auto industry, for years, has failed to listen to the consumer. Instead, they tried to placate us with SUVs and with many unnecessary added features.

I am the consumer you have priced yourselves out of, and I am speaking to you. I do not want or need high-end features. I do not want or need Bluetooth. I do not want or need OnStar. I do not want or need DVD players. I do not want or need a stereo system with too much power. I do not want or need a hard drive in my car. What I want is a tape deck.

Did you hear me, Detroit? I want a fucking tape deck. That's all. I want something basic. Five on the floor, the barest essentials, good mileage and a tape deck, just like we had back in 1995. So do many consumers. You cannot survive by appealing to the 1%'ers, you need to appeal to the everyman, the person who's supporting your competition because they cannot afford you. I know damn well you can make what we want, but you need to let us know you are doing so as well. Drop the damned Cadillac and Lincoln commercials with the fancy CGI, lighting, music and such and give us the basics! The rich don't fucking need to be advertised to to find that bloated thing in the back of the lot with all the features that costs more than most third-world countries will ever have to spend.

We can also spread the wealth this way, since some people do want the features. They may even be willing to pay for them. Of course, people could buy a standalone upgrade, then pay someone to put it in for them! I'm sure it's a foreign concept to most people who expect to have everything and have it now, but it would be spreading the wealth, in a capitalist manner! Hell, if you want some more of that wealth, do the same.

So one thing that would help is to get rid of the built-in bullshit we don't need and go back to buying a basic car, then adding things after the fact. You know, a modular system?

You also need to trim the fat, Detroit. Those glitzy new-model rollouts? Wave bye-bye. You need to get rid of them. You also seriously need to take another look at your worker entitlements. They were fine for days gone by, but now you can no longer afford them. The consumer and the taxpayer will have your back after all, though, so don't listen and keep dying. You see yourselves as so important that we won't allow you to fail... for the good of America.

As a country, our businesses no longer fear failure! Either the government will bail you out or buy you out, or another company will come by and pay billions for something more worthless than what's swirling in the bowl. Either way, there's a big fat payday at the end, and the idiots who drive these institutions into the ground can just sit back and live a life of luxury while the public suffers.

So none of you have listened, you still won't listen and you'll drive yourselves into the ground. Then you'll be coming to us for a handout, and I will say no. I will not be taxed for a product I do not want.

Let me make it absolutely crystal clear so we don't have a misunderstanding here. I don't want to save you. I don't need to save you. I'm not beholden to you. I'll be doing just fine without you, so you can not have my money.

One of the Big Three must fail, to save the other two, because then Detroit will realize that we are more than willing to allow them to fail. And then the rest of the business culture in America will wake up when they realize the payday for failure is dead.

At least, that's my hope.

Our collapse continues.

2008-11-04T01:40:00.003-06:00

NOLA.com - I-10 East at the high rise could remain closed overnight

Imagine you're driving outbound on the High Rise during rush hour. Normally, that's stressing enough. The bridge is indeed very high, substandard, and steep, a relic of the design standards of the turn of the decade into the 60's. I've climbed easier mountain grades on US 50 in Colorado. As such, your car would hate you already.

However, tonight the bridge itself made the experience more difficult. You see, an expansion joint just popped up, shredding tires and oil pans alike for those unfortunate enough to be stuck in the middle lane.

According to an initial report from the NOPD, it sounded like the "finger-joints" of the bridge, which connect concrete segments of the roadway to allow expansion/contraction when the temperature changes, failed when some bolts broke off.

The High Rise isn't the only substandard bridge in southern Louisiana, both from an Interstate-standard standpoint and a structural one. We have many. The Calcasieu River bridge in Lake Charles is the most startling example - a bridge built in 1952 to originally accommodate US 90. It carries four narrow lanes and no shoulders. It, like the High Rise, is very steep. I'll admit, trying to drive over it frightens me.

The Pearl River bridge on the other end of the state is similarly narrow and substandard, with only two lanes in each direction climbing high across the Pearl. Again, there are no shoulders. It's another bridge that scares me to even attempt to drive across.

The Huey P. Long bridge in Jefferson Parish, carrying US 90, is at least seeing rehabilitation and upgrades now, but one bridge being fixed isn't enough. In a strong enough wind, you could actually feel the bridge sway. The Huey P. Long bridge in Baton Rouge, carrying US 190, is no better, although it doesn't tend to sway that I've noticed.

We all know about the trouble with the Twin Spans already, so let's pass on trashing them. Besides, they're actually being replaced, a rarity here. Pity it took a hurricane to get their asses in gear on that.

The Causeway, on the other hand, is fair game. 23.8 miles, two lanes each way. Although it has crossovers, you had best pray your vehicle can survive the trip without breaking or running out of gas. There's no shoulders along the entire stretch, so if you can't make a crossover, you're stuck in the middle of traffic. There's talk of adding a third span or widening the existing ones, but right now it's just talk.

The point is, there are a lot of these bridges around here in piss-poor shape, or just too outmoded for today's traffic and design standards. Something happened on the High-Rise today, but it won't be long before something else happens on another bridge around here. People will most certainly die... and only then will we start taking it seriously and doing something about it.

Post #100

2008-10-30T19:14:00.004-05:00

Today, there was an accident on the still-under-construction replacement Twin Span bridges. A bridge girder broke, and ten workers plunged into the lake. Nine of them were recovered safely... but one died.

We sometimes forget just how dangerous this work can be. They're all busting their asses out there trying to get this bridge built as fast as possible, so that commuters have a safe option that can hopefully survive the next hurricane better. Although safety and technology have improved over the years, we haven't come along far enough to completely eliminate the risk of serious injury or death during a job such as this.

My condolences, and I'm sure the condolences of my readers as well, go to the worker's family.

Texas's only traffic tunnel to reopen

2008-10-24T14:05:00.003-05:00

Houston Chronicle - Ike-damaged Washburn Tunnel to reopen Saturday (10-25-2008)

View Larger Map

In 58 years of existence, Texas's sole traffic tunnel (according to the article), the Washburn Tunnel near Houston had never flooded.

Until Ike.

During the storm, it became completely inundated by the combined storm surges from the Houston Ship Channel to the south and Greens Bayou to the north. It took $100,000 to pay to have the tunnel drained of over 10 million gallons of water.

Might be worth a look one of these days now. At least starting Saturday, you can. Always worth a look if you're roadgeeking in Southeast Texas sometime soon... and in the meantime, you can almost "drive through" it on Street View.

Anyway, it's another sign of normalcy, and the area definitely needs those.

Show me a surplus and I'll show you lobbyists with their hands out.

2008-10-24T13:29:00.004-05:00

The Advocate - I-49 advocates ask for funds

I went into the surplus in one of yesterday's posts. As I noted there, the people behind TIMED are looking at the possibility of tapping into an expected $865 million state surplus next year. Well, they'd better do it soon, because another group is proposing using some of it to work on the southern I-49 extension (a.k.a. That Highway That Should Be Designated Interstate Six!).

The I-49 South Coalition, dormant for years, is poised not only to lobby for some of the state surplus, but also to try to get some place in next year's federal transportation bill. Even then it'd be a drop in the bucket; several billion is still needed to bring the route (currently designated as US 90) up to Interstate standards, including about $700 million for an elevated connector through Lafayette itself and upwards of $4 billion possibly needed for the section between Bayou Lafourche and New Orleans.

According to them, however, drops in the bucket can help. $25 million could build an overpass, they say, and that's about what they say they're looking for - enough for one or more overpasses. (Memo to them... interchanges help too!)

...This seems oddly familiar... ah, well. I guess the chance to get ahold of some piece of nearly a billion dollars will attract everyone, especially in an economic downturn.

Just expect more of these as next year rapidly approaches... and expect them to spend like there's going to be another surplus. Which there probably won't...

The HORROR!

2008-10-24T01:10:00.003-05:00

What was:

And now what is:

...The invasion has begun. Hide the women and children, and pass the ammunition! (Wait... I'm women and children... hide ME!)

TIMED is BROKE!

2008-10-24T00:29:00.005-05:00

Times-Picayune - Portion of gas tax may pad program

Since 1989, Louisiana has had the TIMED program, a set of vitally-needed highway and bridge projects, funded by 4 cents of the gasoline tax (out of the total 20-cent tax). Some are done already, and others are in progress. (As in "shovels have been turned" or "lanes have been closed".)

However, two major projects remain on the TIMED list... a new bridge crossing in New Orleans along Florida Avenue... and this thing:

...Lemme tell you, since TIMED passed, this thing has been held up for one reason or another. For a long time, it was due to environmental impact. Lately, it's been because nobody can decide on a concrete routing. Now TIMED is broke because people aren't driving. Go figure. Of course, if people can't afford gas, they don't drive, which means they don't fill their tanks and less gas is sold. Louisiana's gas tax is static - they charge the same tax rate whether a gallon of gas costs forty cents or four dollars. It doesn't help that the cost of upgrading the Huey Long Bridge in Jefferson Parish is running way over projections due to a general increase in cost for, oh, everything since Katrina hit.

There's also the matter of the federal highway trust fund possibly being cut by $200 million or so due to a new formula for funding being considered by federal officials.

Anyway, the Wise Ones in Baton Rouge are figuring they can funnel another 3 cents from the gas tax to get these last few TIMED projects done. There's some other voodoo economics they're looking into, such as using money collected from the vehicle sales tax to go into roads, and possibly getting their hands on some of the surplus as well. There's also the possibility of taking $50 million from employee benefits. (I got a better idea... take some of it from the higher-ups' salaries!) They've already cut close to 400 jobs to try to save money as it is, so you know the belts are getting very tight up there.

TIMED's problems are only a drop in the bucket compared to the state's transportation woes as a whole. $14 billion construction backlog, you say? Yeah, you heard me right. I'll say this much... they're going to need some more potent voodoo for the books than what they're doing/proposing/imagining if they want to finish getting any of these projects done.

And they need to get done soon... 20 years is too long to wait, and we're still waiting.

Auto-related death on Bayou Liberty Road

2008-10-12T04:28:00.004-05:00

Times-Picayune - Slidell man killed in one-vehicle crash

You'd figure it would have to happen one of these days, sadly. I'll paint a picture for you of this road. It's extremely narrow, narrower than some of the side streets that intersect it. It's so narrow that all it has is a compact double-yellow centerline. No outer white lines denoting the edge of the road. No shoulders to speak of, just ditches at the end of the pavement. It's got lots of twists and turns, poor sightlines and heavy amounts of truck traffic. Not 18-wheelers, mind you, but smaller trucks with trailers, as that route is one heavily favored by construction cleanup drivers due it its proximity to the dump on nearby Howze Beach Road. In addition, there is a lot of truck+trailer+boat traffic as well, due to Bayou Liberty itself.

As well, the ability to upgrade it is nil for the time being, due to a severely limited right-of-way and running through an area loaded with wetlands. It shouldn't have a highway designation until it gets upgraded, but it's still designated. Truthfully, the only reason it's designated right now (according to me, anyway) is because it connects two otherwise-discontiguous sections of LA 433, and because it serves a hotspot for fishermen.

It carries a 40mph speed limit, which may regrettably be too high for the road. Honestly, I don't know how any sane person would give it a limit over 30mph. Despite all that, people still speed. You can often find idiots doing upwards of 60mph along the road. Its twists and turns in rapid succession make for an adrenaline-junkie's wet dream.

And yet, now we hear about someone dying along the road due to crashing out. It's long overdue. I also don't see what more we can do about it for the time being, other than a total rebuild, and even if that were in the cards it would take time.

The other option is to reduce the speed limit to 30mph, making it less attractive to all the through traffic that uses it.

...And it's done. Finally.

2008-09-26T19:20:00.002-05:00

Times-Picayune - Fremaux interchange in Slidell now open

(Pic's not mine. -T)

Finally, damn it. It took them long enough...

Slidell: I-10 Exit 265 almost done...

2008-09-17T09:27:00.003-05:00

Times-Picayune - New I-10 interchange at Fremaux Ave. in Slidell nearly ready

This was one of the places me, Froggie, H.B. and a few others visited the weekend before Gustav hit. It's a nearly-complete interchange along I-10 in Slidell meant to connect it directly to Business US 190. It's a standard diamond, with auxiliary lanes on the northern side along I-10 running to Exit 266 (US 190, a.k.a. Gause Boulevard).

Structurally, the interchange itself could be used now. Many final touches like fencing, however, are not done yet. Striping on half of the new Business 190 roadbed wasn't started at the time of our stop. Also, no signage is up at the interchange yet.

The interchange was supposed to be done a few months ago, but weather kept delaying it... and then the hurricanes came, pushing it back some more. Normally, all this delay would give me lots of reason to rake LaDoTD and the James Construction Group, who's contracted to do the work, over the proverbial coals, but let's face it. The whole state's gone through a trauma the past couple of weeks. I don't excuse them for the earlier delays. There's other contractors out there that get lots of work building and repairing our roads, and they get the work done lightning-fast. However, since the storms, what's more important?

It'd be nice to get this interchange finished and all, since it should have been done already. Thing is, there are more important things to worry about now, things that will likely require pulling in resources from elsewhere.

Screw the contracts. We've got new priorities now. Suddenly that elevated LA 1 project seems like something we need to get finished yesterday. Getting the new Twin Spans ready to handle traffic is another thing that needs to be on the fastest track possible, in case another storm sweeps in and cripples the old Spans beyond repair in the meantime. Another thing we need to look at is adding lanes to some of our most-used evacuation routes, either in a temporary or permanent capacity. Not to mention non-highway related necessities like modernizing our power grids and restoring our coastline. Let's get them done first, and let's not bitch about things that suddenly don't seem so important anymore.

The Mother Of All Rants

2008-09-05T21:56:00.004-05:00

No cable since Monday, nowhere to go, nothing to drink and nothing to do but listen to the radio. Story of my week. So I listened. And then I listened some more, and as I heard optimism change to pessimism, pessimism change to desperation and desperation change to outrage, I felt the same.

Gustav wasn't the "mother of all storms" that Hizzoner and his lackeys across the parish line was claiming, but true, it could have been much worse than it was. Grand Isle went underwater, but everything seemingly puts Grand Isle underwater during hurricane season. Nevertheless, virtually everyone and their brother in southeast Louisiana fled for their lives.

In my last post before the storm, I posted about the bottleneck along I-59 at I-20. Well, there's another one that bit people in the ass. You see, Gustav was a Rare Event. There were two ways to go to escape that ended up working out: North and east. I-55 played fine the whole way, and I already bitched about I-59, but there's one other way out of town... I-10. Sure, you couldn't just stay on I-10 through Slidell, you'd get forced onto I-59. If you were on I-12 eastbound, though, you were able to transition onto I-10 eastbound just fine. A bunch of people did just that, or they took US 90 eastbound. Either way, people got to the closed I-10 East. You had smooth sailing until you got to Alabama. Some people were smart and turned onto I-65 northbound toward Montgomery, Birmingham and Atlanta. Others figured on going even farther east to Florida (which in itself is a stupid decision during Hurricane Season.) So on they went... and met the most unholy of all bottlenecks along the entire Interstate System, the Mobile Funnel.

Yes, the Mobile Funnel. You're cruising along on a WIDE section of I-10 and then suddenly it sheds all but two lanes. Traffic backed up all the way to Mississippi at points due to this.

Strike one!

Eventually, people got where they were going, but for one reason or another, people just have to hurry and get back. Maybe they're the working poor who had to use their bill money to run, or maybe they're the paranoid ones who are rightfully concerned about the property they left behind because the Bad People will come and loot it all away. For the former, the sky-high costs of fuel and lodging screwed them. Regardless, the most they could stay away was maybe two days. So, they turned tail once the winds died down and started their trek back, learning from their mistakes and making it back inside a day.

Then they got stopped at the Twin Spans. They got stopped at the US 11 bridge. They got stopped at the Jefferson and Orleans Parish lines.

These people sat for HOURS with no food, no water and no fuel. These people had children, elderly and those with less-than-stellar health traveling with them. They watched as the Troopers, Guardsmen and parish deputies got food delivered to them so they could continue to turn away the weak.

So, people called in and bitched over the radio. Eventually, the All-Powerful Lord Broussard and others decided to let those people in. Some did so Tuesday (Lafourche, who I actually give high marks through this nightmare), some did so on Wednesday (Everywhere else except Orleans). Even St. Bernard Parish, which had virtually no power and restricted the movements of the citizens via a 24-hour curfew... THEY let people back in on Wednesday.

But Hizzoner stood firm on not letting the people back in until Thursday.

It's far better to let the people come back and assess things, maybe decide if they want to stay away a while longer until all the amenities come back, or stay despite no power and sewerage.

Broussard, Nagin, Davis... It is not your call, it's ours. Fuck you. Strike two!

Let's get back to the evacuation here. The best ways to go were north and east. A bunch of the Contraflow plan pushed people west, though. West was not the way to go. West got slaughtered in this storm. Baton Rouge suffered the worst hurricane damage in their history, and even at the time of this posting, is still suffering widespread power outages.

And Baton Rouge caught only a glancing blow compared to other prime Contraflow destinations. Lafayette, Opelousas, Alexandria... all of those safe havens to the west caught a LOT of damage. There was even damage as far north as Shreveport.

Problem is, Contraflow is only one plan. It scatters people in all directions, even when we KNOW the storm's going a certain way.

Contraflow succeeded somewhat in getting people out, but it sent many to places that caught much more damage than the New Orleans area did. What we need is variable Contraflow. We need different plans that can be changed in the event that the storm heads one way. Right now, you can't go east if Contraflow is active.

Ok, in theory you can go east on I-10 instead of getting forced onto I-59 Contraflow North if Mississippi doesn't call an evacuation, but if the storm's hitting anywhere that would force Southeast Louisiana Contraflow to be active, Mississippi's calling some sort of evacuation.

Either way, you can't go east, which SUCKS when the storm's coming to the west like Gustav did.

Unlike the Mobile Funnel situation, I've actually got an idea for this, but it's going to require Mississippi and Alabama to play ball. Let's call this Contraflow Plan B.

Keep northbound I-55 the same.
Leave I-59 as it is in normal Contraflow, but allow traffic to remain on eastbound I-10.
Traffic from eastbound I-12 contraflows onto westbound I-10. If you're coming from Mississippi for a hurricane heading west, you shouldn't be heading west. Sorry.
Contraflow I-10 through the entire state of Mississippi this way. Traffic entering the Interstate from Mississippi can use either the normal east or contraflow east lanes to leave Mississippi, or use northbound arterials to go north. (And build I-61 north, for fuck's sake!)
Entering Alabama from the west, I-10 remains in Contraflow until it reaches I-65.
I-65 north becomes Contraflow for about 20-30 miles, all lanes northbound. All traffic from Contraflow eastbound I-10 (the westbound lanes) will use I-65 Contraflow northbound (normal southbound). I-10's normal eastbound traffic will have a choice - two lanes to I-65 north, and only two lanes to eastbound I-10 and the Tunnel. All other eastbound lanes will be blocked off!
Normal westbound I-10 at Mobile will be forced to divert to northbound I-65 if they don't get off beforehand.

It could work if all three involved states (Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama) would play ball.

Strike three, yer out!

Regardless, evacuation went well, but repopulation failed because of the ego trips of all the leaders involved. Unless the roads are all under 2 feet of water or something, the people should be allowed to return as they feel it's safe. Instead of saying "You can't come back yet", tell us why we can't come back. We've got TV, Internet or radios. If there's a nest of live power lines down in Algiers, tell us this. If Metairie's under 6 feet of water, TELL us this! Don't just say we can't return, give us a damn good reason not to and let the people judge for themselves! We still have Katrina on our minds, being locked out for weeks, even months at a time. We're antsy because of the looting and such that occurred after Katrina. We're poor and can't afford to stay in hotels that gouge us half a month's earnings for two or three days and can't afford gasoline prices that have been speculated out of reach of the poor. People will not evacuate ever again due to this bullshit!

Every elected official in Orleans Parish, as well as parishwide leaders in Jefferson need to be removed from office. These officials dropped the ball on the final out of a perfect game.

That's right, the final lame baseball analogy... That's it, off to the showers. You're OUT the game!

Finally, a proposal. Feds, you listening?

STORM PROFITEERING

In the event of a hurricane warning, prices of food, automotive fuel and lodging shall be frozen at current levels in areas covered in the warnings, as well as likely destinations of the evacuating population. No establishment in these areas offering these items or services shall raise their prices in the event of an impending natural disaster, lest they face the same penalties as those prescribed by law for war profiteering. They may lower prices as needed to clear perishable stock, but cannot raise their prices past pre-storm levels afterward, although they may match pre-storm pricing if desired. This law shall remain in effect for 60 days after landfall of such a hurricane, although this period may be shortened or waived at the discretion of the President or a majority vote of either the Senate or the House of Representatives. The President or the aforementioned legislative majorities may also call for 15 day extensions of this period if conditions warrant.

The cruelest irony

2008-09-05T14:40:00.002-05:00

The Friday after the storm, and now I can actually connect online. Power was back on in my place after only 12 hours, but it took til today to get the cable TV (and therefore my Internet) repaired.

Go figure. Would have preferred to have no power either, so I wouldn't know what I was missing so much.

Anyway, I've got a scathing rant to prepare about the Mobile Funnel, so laaaaaate.

Theme of the overnight: Bitching about contraflow.

2008-09-01T02:23:00.004-05:00

Yes, there's still power and Internet here, and I can't sleep, so I've been listening to WWL all night.

The most common theme I've heard is of traffic slowing to a literal crawl at various points along I-59 in Mississippi, and there's a few culprits.

1. There just aren't enough places for traffic to bleed off of the Interstate when Contraflow is active.
2. Mississippi evacuated their coast. Can't blame them for that.
3. This will take more than one sentence: the design of the I-20/I-59 merge in Meridian.

Specifically, it's a dangerous configuration, and woefully inadequate to handle Contraflow-induced traffic. I-59 northbound merging with I-20 eastbound seems innocent enough, as two lanes from I-59 make that junction. Before the end of the ramp, though, I-59's onramp contracts to ONE lane. This means that four lanes contract to two when Contraflow ends, then has to further contract to one before reaching merged I-20/59 east out of Meridian.

No wonder people get past Laurel and find a parking lot signed with Interstate shields!

People will be looking to point the finger big time about this. Heads will roll, and jobs will be lost.

My solution is actually extremely simple.

1. At the two or three mile mark to the merge, expand I-59 north to three lanes. Clearly sign the left lane as exit only to westbound I-20 assuming the current interchange design is kept. Sign the two right lanes as "through" to I-20/59 northeast.
2. At the lane split, keep two lanes for I-59 to I-20/59 traffic throughout the entire ramp. This will cause there to be four lanes on the merged section for a short stretch.
3. I-20/59 northeast sheds one lane, as it currently does, but contracts to three lanes instead of two. Make the rightmost lane auxiliary for the next exit, and provide LOTS of warning signage between the merge and US 11/MS 19, which appears to be the next exit after the I-20/59 merge.

If this isn't done, then to LaDoTD and the Mississippi DOT I say this: Don't bother listing I-59 north as an evacuation route, because people won't go!

Zero Hour.

2008-08-31T19:07:00.003-05:00

The worst is only a little bit away.

Making final preparations here.

See you on the other side!

Zero Day has begun.

2008-08-31T10:54:00.002-05:00

I guess there is a God of some sort, because Gustav weakened back to a 3 overnight. I dunno.

I'm now in a mandatory evacuation area as of about four hours ago. However, I'm on the barest edge of it, so I'm still staying put and hoping this place makes it again. This place will more than easily withstand tropical storm or Cat 1 winds, which seem now to be the consensus for this area. I should be far enough inland and high enough to withstand whatever surge there is.

I will be here until the end.

Every parish south of the lake is under mandatory evac now.

At this point, Gustav is drawing in some dry air and encountering some shear. This has caused it to drop from a Category 4 to a Cat 3 overnight. My hope is that these conditions will prevail upon the storm, but the fact is that it could strengthen again. It's also picked up forward momentum, meaning that while it may be more difficult to turn, it'll also rush through faster. At the speeds it had yesterday though... adding a couple miles per hour doesn't make much difference.

One day til landfall...

Back from the road meet...

2008-08-30T19:31:00.004-05:00

A lot of stuff was seen, including this on the way back:

Seems a highway once gone and thought decommissioned still exists!

Also, we're under a hurricane watch now. Expect that to escalate to a warning before long.

Gustav's exploded to Category 4 strength during the day. It's possible that it could go even further upwards to a Cat 5 once it passes Cuba, but landfall as a Category 4 in Terrebonne Parish somewhere. The Westbank is facing severe devastation, and the Eastbank may see it as bad as Katrina.

While out on the meet, we saw that I-10 East and US 90 East were packed full of traffic getting the hell out. I-59 was seeing heavier-than-usual traffic this afternoon, but expect that to explode. If anyone reading this is in Southern Louisiana and planning to evacuate, now is the time.

If you're getting out and coming through St. Tammany, going north, LA 21 is WIDE OPEN. It has a four-lane section from Bush to Bogalusa and can be used as a VERY effective evacuation route. This section can also be accessed from LA 41 for those going through the eastern part of the parish.

I will be shutting down my desktop machines tomorrow night once I have all the pics uploaded from today that are worth using. I'll still be blogging from one of my laptops unless something changes.

Nothing new.

2008-08-30T09:33:00.002-05:00

Looks like they're pretty settled on it making landfall somewhere southeast of Lafayette as a Cat 3. I think the Westbank's going to catch the worst of it, especially up the river.

No evacuations of any sort for St. Tammany, Tangipahoa or Washington parishes yet.

From The Horse's Ass:

2008-08-29T14:14:00.003-05:00

!!! According to FEMA, contraflow is expected to begin in Louisiana at 8AM Sunday (August 31). !!!

(The above info is, of course, assuming the current track remains accurate.)

As well, as far as I'm aware:

President Bush has declared a state of emergency for Louisiana.

The parishes of St. Bernard, St. Charles and Plaquemines will call for mandatory evacuations on Saturday. I'd guess other Tier 1 evacuation (coastal) parishes will be ready to do the same.

A voluntary evacuation of Grand Isle has begun today.

As of the time of this post, schools will be closed Tuesday (at the least) in Jefferson, Orleans (RSD and OPSB), St. John the Baptist, St. Charles and St. Tammany Parishes.

LSU has rescheduled their football game against Appalachian State for 10AM tomorrow, so that hopefully the people getting out after the game will not interfere with evacuations. The game must go on in Death Valley, I guess.

At the moment, no shelters have been opened in St. Tammany Parish, and no evacuations, either voluntary or mandatory, have been called yet. Good news for my neck of the woods.

Gustav itself has left Jamaica and is reforming quickly. An eyewall appears to be beginning to form, according to some satellite images. It's expected to acheive Category 3 status before it makes landfall. The track is continuing to indicate the most likely landfall area will be on the coast somewhere south to south-southeast of Lafayette. Two things about the storm worry me now. One is that its surface area is growing larger. The hope is that hurricane-force winds will remain tightly packed around the center. The other thing is that it appears to be picking up forward speed.

We will never forget.

2008-08-29T09:06:00.002-05:00

Today marks three years since Katrina hit...

Ok, with that memorial bit out of the way now... Gustav's track has shifted to the west some more. It appears now that (if THIS track holds) Lafayette and Lake Charles are locked dead center in its sights. As it is, it's still mired in Jamaica, so it hasn't strengthened back to a hurricane just yet. One problem is that the track's got it back to a morning landfall and projects it to slow its forward momentum immediately afterward. This may not be the exact track it ends up with, but it's a disturbing development all the same.

Plaquemines, St. Charles and St. Bernard Parishes are going to start special needs evacuation today.

A state of emergency has been declared in St. Tammany Parish. Parish President Kevin Davis is now saying based on current models, no evacuation would be called until Sunday.

More as I have it...

As Per The Usual

2008-08-28T16:47:00.004-05:00

Obliteration Delayed?

Landfall forecasts have been pushed back again. Still expected to turn wherever it hits into a parking lot Tuesday, but now "predicted" to be sometime during the PM hours. As it did over Haiti, Gustav's forward momentum's remained slow passing over Jamaica as well. In fact, since it made landfall in Haiti, its forward momentum hasn't exceeded 7mph. As long as its forward momentum remains slow, the chances increase for a major change of track, or at least allow for more evacuation time. The track does appear to be sneaking to the east.

Remember what I said about unpredictability?

One thing that could swing things further in our favor are a pair of high pressure systems in the U.S.. One in the east may have been keeping it down towards the Caribbean, and another could steer it west as the first falls apart. The trick will be, how long will it take for that second high to get here? If it gets here quickly enough and Gustav keeps spinning its wheels, the high could steer it off into Texas or southwestern Louisiana.

Effect on Evacuation Protocol

According to WAFB-TV in Baton Rouge, the Governor will not start Contraflow before Sunday.

Local parishes in the area may be holding back "official" evacuations for a while due to this. That hasn't stopped them from declaring emergencies, though. Say what you will about the ineptness of state, regional and local government, it seems they actually learned something from Katrina. Some people are already ready to GTFO at a moment's notice, and others are still preparing, so traffic may run higher than usual.

I'm still "go" here to ride this out, by the way.

Morning update from Taralyn's Obsessive Eye (TM)

2008-08-28T10:25:00.004-05:00

Since waking up a few hours ago, I've done nothing but keep an eye on Gustav, on the steering currents, water temperatures, etc. I've been watching everything from the Weather Channel to Cuban radar stations. (The latter is showing a clear center of circulation closing in on Jamaica from the east at the time of this post.) These are the joys of having no job, no life, an innate sense for the weather and more computer equipment than some rural TV stations.

So, from what I've been observing and calculating, the only constant in this Gustav drama seems to be delay. When it first made hurricane strength, it was forecast to smack Louisiana around by Sunday. At this point, it's not even forecast to enter the Gulf til Sunday, and our date with annihilation's been shoved back to Tuesday.

The models have caused a shift in track back to the west. Now it's forecast to nail the Morgan City/Thibodaux/Houma area again. Of course, you can't predict that far ahead, it's all guesswork. Look at the track Fay ended up taking. No computer model could have predicted that. It could yet fool us all and give Texas or Florida another beating, or it could be the Nightmare Scenario and come right up the river. Or running over Jamaica could very well destroy it like running over Haiti nearly did. Point is, we still got to prepare for the worst until it is gone, dissipated, dead. Can't let your guard down just yet, people.

The one thing I'm noticing about the storm at this point is that the range of tropical storm force wind is still small in diameter. If anything, this is going to resemble Camille more than it'll resemble Katrina. Of course, I Am Not A Meteorologist here, but it's still a strong gut feeling. Surge will still be a concern when it hits, yes, but it won't be like Katrina.

Of course, as always, take this with a grain of salt, and for $deity's sake, be ready for anything.

Another storm approaches.

2008-08-27T21:50:00.001-05:00

Yet another storm has its sights set on Louisiana. Me, being the ever-obsessive type that I am, I've had radar and satellite loops running all day. My room's looking a lot like the backdrop of most news broadcasts during the weather segment. I've even got my Marks-A-Lot. I got my preparations done today, and I'm going to be riding it out, possibly blogging away until the power finally dies.

I have no doubts. This storm very well could finish the region, considering its weakened state since Katrina, both from a physical and a governmental point of view. (Personally, I'd love to see Mandeville City Hall get wiped off the map so the corruption there can be cleansed, but that's beside the point.) The point is, while this storm could prove to be a near-fatal blow to the region if it comes in as predicted, I won't be leaving. If anything, I'm coming out of this one standing.

I knew when I saw Gustav form that I wouldn't be going anywhere. My house survived Katrina, and the best place to be for this storm is right here. If anything, after reading this post earlier today, my resolve has only been cemented more. He's right of course... we're the best at dealing with disasters like this. We can handle anything anyone, even nature, can toss at us. We're disaster-tested and our resolve is as tough as nails. We're resourceful, even in the darkest hours.

Those parts of the area that are coming back so far are indeed coming back stronger than before, despite all the red tape and F*** runarounds. The recovery will not be stopped by this new threat. It may be delayed, but nothing will stop it. Strike us down, and we will rise up once more, much stronger than ever before. Life will still go on.

Before I end this post, just know one more thing. We are many things. We may be many other things in the eyes of the rest of the country, but never doubt one thing above all else about myself and anyone else in this region.

We are survivors.

Off-topic: 9 year old pitcher banned for being "too good"

2008-08-26T16:42:00.002-05:00

ESPN - 9-year-old boy told he's too good to pitch

Outside the blog's scope, I know, but I'm bored and this story kind of burns me. (Should some parent want their kid to look at this entry, I'm going to keep the language kid-safe.)

When we were younger, we didn't get coddled in sports, right? Used to be, something like this was unheard of. If you couldn't hit the pitch, you just had to get better until you could. Either way, the kid would grow up to be a major-league fireballer.

Instead, the kid's "too good." No one can hit off of him. Instead of facing him, an opposing team recently walked away and forfeited rather than face the kid's 40mph heat. His league's banned him from pitching and is even threatening to disband his team. Twenty years ago... maybe even ten years ago, this would be unheard of, and any parents pushing for this would rightfully be called whiners. Indeed, the parents would be told to tell their kids "if you can't hit it, you need to improve."

One other reason cited is due to the velocity, according to the league's attorney. (Can we burn all the lawyers in the pit yet? No? Darn.) Problem is, the kid's pitches have all went true... he's never hit a batter. It'd be one thing if he threw more wild pitches than Mark Wohlers, but instead, this kid's got the control of a Tom Glavine of a few years ago (say, pre-Mets). He's no danger to the other kids in the league.

I suspect an ulterior motive in this - the kid turned down an invite to the defending league champions, sponsored by an employer of one of the league administrators. (Cornering the market much? Little League Evil Empire - ah, Yankees?) Instead, he joined a different team unconnected to the administration. The kid's coaches and parents suspect the same reason could be leading to this. Play for us or we'll make your team suffer for it. Sounds plausible.

Either way, after the opposing team wussed out instead of playing the game, the young pitcher's mother unloaded, threatening them and vowing to get the league shut down. She did deny the threats, but called the police.

Good for her. At least one league parent has a spine.

Options are being floated out there for the kid, and none of them are good. One is for him simply not to pitch, which in my opinion is wasting a skill. The kid's obviously a pitching savant. Another may be for him to pitch against older kids. This, too, is a bad option, one that could stunt his natural progression of talent as he gets older. One more is switching positions, which he already does on off days. Again, it would be squandering savant-level talent.

New Haven could be proud of this kid one day. He could pitch a complete game to end a World Series once he grows up, once he realizes his potential, and when he does, residents could be proud of the local boy for doing good. Instead, the parents who are pushing this kid out are being selfish. Their own kids feel bad because they can't hit off him. "Mommy, Daddy, he's making me look bad. Do something." Boo hoo. Cry me a river, please.

Kids are supposed to face some adversity as they grow up. You can't shield them forever, and if you manage it, the kids grow up as useless leeches on society at large. They grow up fragile, easily broken and very difficult to repair. Worse, they grow up thinking they've been wronged any time the wind shifts. Let them face some adversity, and let them toughen up. It'll prepare them for life after childhood, and the right kind of toughening can serve any kid well. It's the real world... you will always lose at least once. It can't be avoided. Losing isn't the end of the world. It doesn't even matter in the long run. What counts is how you rebound and what you learn from it.

In short... these whiny parents and scorned admins need to leave this kid alone, and let their own kids toughen up in the face of the heat.

There is a disturbance in the Force.

2008-08-23T13:10:00.003-05:00

What is wrong with this picture?

I'll give you enough time to figure it out.

*goes to make coffee*

Ok. What's wrong with that picture? It's simple. People are responding to a Calbog post. Last I checked, he was covered under OStT.

Meaning, we do NOT reply to the troll. Especially when he starts topics.

Sure, you r.a.driving and m.t.road newbies might think he's harmless. Trust me, this is not the case. (Look for the post by calrog@gmail.com, one of his aliases.)

Calbog is, put simply, a troll and an attention whore. He blasts people for absolutely no reason on the newsgroups. He spews enough homophobic bile to make one think he's buried deep in the world's largest closet. And, to add insult to injury, if you're not running Windows, chances are you can't even see his steaming pile of a site.

Most of us don't respond to him and have him as the primary target of Operation Starve the Troll (OStT) for a damned good reason. Some of us might break out the flamethrower on blogs and such, but we try not to respond directly to him on the newsgroups. It is in everyone's best interests to leave Calbog to the professionals like myself and anyone else who's not one of the offending newbie posters.

Thus ends this public service announcement.

More tolls in Texas?

2008-08-20T04:49:00.004-05:00

Dallas Morning News - Toll lanes may get I-35E up to speed for Dallas, Denton

Disclaimer: I've only passed through Dallas a few times in the past.

So, I got extremely bored and decided that since nothing was blog-worthy here, I'd look around. So here, I'm taking in Texas. Go figure.

I've only traveled on a small stretch of IH 35E in the past, but from what little I saw, it's definitely not high on my personal "to clinch" list, mainly due to the traffic. It could use a bit of work. (Okay... Biggest understatement ever.) Widening would definitely help matters. They've even been planning to do it for 20 years now.

Problem is, right now, the price tag for it is a staggering $2.9 billion.

Other problem is, at the moment, only $535 million is set aside so far for it. That's just barely over 1/6th of the cost. So, they're considering making up the difference with tolls. Basically, a "design-build" project - employ a private contractor and possibly use private investments to cover the difference, then toll the stretch until the private investment is repaid.

Normally, Yours Truly is rabidly anti-toll, especially on existing roadways. However, it appears at the moment that only the new lanes would be tolled. New general-use lanes and frontage roads would be added, alongside the toll lanes. I'd almost consider this a recipe for disaster, but the plans seem solid enough for me to hold off on calling shenanigans on this thing.

Time's going to tell on this, of course. Nothing's been finalized yet. Right now, the story is mainly focusing on the hypothetical, on what a U.S. Rep, the Deputy Secretary of Transportation, and Texas DOT officials say needs to be done.

It does need to be done, though. Yes, it needs to be done as soon as possible. While there may be another way that hasn't been explored fully enough, using the design-build approach may end up being the only way. The price will only keep spiraling upward, and the freeway's not getting any less congested in the meantime.

So whatever they are going to do, they need to do it quickly.

More pics. Yay!

2008-08-18T12:46:00.005-05:00

To be brief, I've got over 50 new pics to get uploaded and posted everyplace sometime soon. There's a few more shots along LA 1088, LA 59, I-12, US 190, LA 22, West Causeway Approach and LA 1087.

I also managed to get a live snap of possibly the only Parish Route sign left in St. Tammany, a lone Parish Route 24 sign at the eastern terminus of Sharp Road near Mandeville. (This would be analogous to a County Route shield anyplace else in the country.)

More updates as I get them posted... and as I sober up. Wheeee, vodka.

Very quick rant

2008-08-15T22:02:00.000-05:00

Really. Is it too much to ask for out-of-the-box support in Linux for the sound chip on a Thinkpad 600?!

I saw something interesting today...

2008-08-14T04:35:00.004-05:00

Apparently there's a "Proposed LA 3114" in the DOTD's Urbanized Functional Classification map for the Mandeville/Covington area.

The proposed routing is from the intersection of US 190 and LA 25 in Covington east (as if US 190's E/W portion continued east from the intersection) to LA 437, then further east to LA 21 between its intersections with LA 36 and LA 1082. According to the legend, it would be considered a "Minor Arterial." Future LA 3241, by contrast, is anticipated to be a "Principal Arterial."

I could see some point to this connection. Right now, if you're coming from Hammond/Robert/Goodbee on US 190 and you want to head northeast towards Bogalusa (or going the other way, in which case take the directions in reverse), you have a few bad options:

Turn north on LA 25, go to Folsom and turn east on LA 40. Although LA 25 is in good shape up to Folsom, LA 40 tends to be in not-as-good condition. It also adds a bunch of unnecessary miles.
Turn south on US 190, then either cut through Downtown Covington on Spur LA 437 and LA 437, then turn east (Northbound by signage) on LA 21 OR stay on US 190, cross the Bogue Falaya Bridge, turn west on Business US 190, then turn north on LA 21. Both of these options add not only mileage, but traffic to the situation.

Looking at the map, it appears therefore that the purpose of the proposed route would be as a northern high-speed bypass of Covington, with easier access as a bonus. Wonder why they haven't tried to build it yet...

In the same map and the Slidell/Lacombe one, there's a more clear-cut routing for Future LA 3241 depicted. It appears that if it cosigns with LA 1088 at all, the concurrency would only run a mile or so.

Also, a couple of interesting errors:

LA 36 between Abita Springs and Covington is misprinted as "LA 35"
Proposed LA 3241 is reflected properly on the Mandeville/Covington map, but printed as "Proposed LA 324" on the Slidell map.

I can tell I'm going to have a good bit of reading to do...

Lane closures announced in relation to Huey Long Bridge widening

2008-08-13T20:06:00.004-05:00

Times-Picayune - Huey Long bridge work to bring long-term lane closures

TIMED overview and information on this project

View Larger Map

Here's the gist of it. The right lanes of the bridge will see closure for as long as 60 days in the foreseeable future due to a widening project. There will be tow trucks stationed on the bridge in case of breakdowns. If an emergency requiring evacuation occurs (such as a hurricane), the barriers closing off the right lane can be removed within 48 hours. The speed limit will be 35mph along the bridge while these closures are in effect.

They're pulling out all the stops on this one. Got to admire that.

Work needs to be done badly on this bridge, though. It's narrow, and it's a little flimsy. It's a tough old bridge, don't get me wrong, but its design is way out of date, especially for a main artery. The work (a TIMED project) will likely modernize it.

In the meantime, plan an alternate route until they get these closures out of the way. I-310 and Business US 90 (I-910/Future I-49) utilize the closest bridges.

Yay, nepotism. (Yes, another Drunk Eddie post.)

2008-08-13T05:33:00.003-05:00

NOLA.com - Contracts linked to mayor's family

And more shit hits the fan as the days pass. You've got to love nepotism. Get into power, pass the perks along to the family. Pity it's illegal.

Yet it seems that the City of Mandeville's Public Works Department has been handing out contracts to companies connected to Drunk Eddie's family - just one of the blatant violations of state law during that process. It's bad enough Drunk Eddie's been using taxpayer money to go to Pebble Beach and other destinations for the overlord-class, but his extended family's benefiting as well with these illegal lets.

Of course, the City also ran afoul of a law requiring public advertising for projects that are slated to be bid if they run more than $100,000... several times. Drunk Eddie's excuse? The projects were divided into phases and he "was not aware that the work should have been viewed as one project and added he was unaware of the bid law requirement."

Last I checked, ignorance of the law still means you're guilty if you break it. If I'm (hypothetically) illiterate and I do 90 in a 55, I'm still going to get busted for speeding. Never mind that I (hypothetically) can't read the sign or my speedometer.

Drunk Eddie's been in office now for 28 years or so. He can't have just been doing this for the past few years. He has to have been perpetrating this felonious stupidity for a long time. Who knows how much taxpayer money his crony in-laws and corrupt buddies have pocketed in the greater part of three decades?

The right answer is: "It doesn't matter how much it was - if he stole or squandered even one cent of taxpayer money, he should be jailed."

Now the Feds are looking long and hard at Business As Usual at City Hall in Mandeville, and I for one say it's well past About Damn Time. I'd beg him to resign while he still has some small sliver of a good name left, but it's WAY past time for that.

It's way too late to simply resign now, Mister Mayor. As they say in Monopoly: "Go to jail. Go straight to jail. Do not pass 'Go', do not earn $200." And feel free to drop the soap. You deserve the end result.

Last Call for Drunk Eddie?

2008-08-12T04:57:00.003-05:00

WWL-AM/FM - Audit paints bad picture of Mandeville mayor

WWL-AM/FM - Goyeneche says Price needs to resign

WWL AM/FM - Mandeville Mayor says he won't resign (NOLA.com - Related: Mayor's personal statement)

Legislative Auditor's Report (.pdf)

Lots of links, and I apologize for that, but it appears the shit's really hit the fan for Drunk Eddie. (Warranting three separate stories back to back to back on WWL's website, by itself, is amazing.) The Legislative Auditor's Office has released their report on what goes on in Mandeville city government, and some of it is pretty damning for Price and the rest of the Good-Ol'-Boy Network in charge here.

Areas of concern from the Auditor's Office include the Citizen's Service Fund, city credit card usage...

"The City issued credit cards to the mayor, all department heads, and numerous other City employees. Several of these credit cards are consolidated into one account and are summarized on one monthly statement by cardholder. In addition, Mayor Edward Price, III and Milton Stiebing, finance director, each has separate credit cards. From September 2003 through March 2008, Mayor Price made 620 credit card transactions totaling $56,733 and Mr. Stiebing made 119 transactions totaling $17,210. Of the amounts charged, we noted 65 personal charges by Mayor Price totaling $8,845; 356 charges for meals totaling $36,103 that lacked proper documentation; and 15 charges relating to parties and celebratory functions totaling $6,143. By using a City issued credit card for personal use, Mayor Price may have violated state law."

...personal use of City vehicles and Fuelman cards...

"The City provides vehicles to all department heads and certain employees including Mayor Price. In addition, the City provides insurance coverage, pays for maintenance, and provides each vehicle user with a Fuelman card to purchase fuel. During our review of vehicle and Fuelman usage, we noted (1) the City does not have a written policy on the use of City vehicles and Fuelman cards; (2) City employees, including Mayor Price routinely use City vehicles and Fuelman cards for personal purposes such as out-of-state vacations; (3) the City does not include the value of the personal use of the vehicles as income to these employees; and (4) the City does not mark all its vehicles in compliance with state law. By using public vehicles and Fuelman cards for personal use, these employees may have violated state law."

...improper gifts...

"Louisiana Revised Statute (R.S.) 42:1115 provides, in part, that no public servant shall solicit or accept, directly or indirectly, anything of economic value as a gift or gratuity from any person or employee of any person who has or is seeking to obtain contractual or other business or financial relationships with the public servant’s agency. During a review of Mayor Price’s e-mails, we noted several messages which indicated that people doing business with the City were providing things of value, including golf trips and hunting trips, to Mayor Price, Mr. Stiebing, and Councilman Gerard Coogan. We spoke with Mayor Price, Mr. Stiebing, and Councilman Coogan and some of these third parties and confirmed that Mayor Price, Mr. Stiebing, and Councilman Coogan may have received gifts."

...and the list goes on. Read the full Report for all of it. Needless to say that Mayor Price, as well as a couple of other city officials, seem to be pretty much caught red-handed on this stuff by the Auditor's Office. OF course, after the Report was released, Mayor Price responded, saying that he wouldn't resign. I'd post snippets from his denial, but I'm trying to conserve space.

Fact is, with some of these findings, getting kicked out of office would be the LEAST punishment that could be applied here. Louisiana politicians may have once been able to get away with murder, but that trend's been changing as of late. Don't believe me? Just ask Edwin Edwards, Jim Brown, William Jefferson or Derrick Shepard. They've either been burned already, or are feeling a ton of heat right now. Also ask the current governor. Although he hasn't done anything illegal yet, he sure as hell vetoed the raise the Legislature voted themselves after feeling the heat from the voters, including heat in the form of recall petitions.

In an age of near-universal discontent among not only the disenfranchised minority and impoverished populations but also the middle-class, and of massive amounts of information available to anyone who knows how to Google, politicians can't get away with outright blatant abuses like Price has appeared to do during his time in office. He might even end up as EWE or "Dollar" Bill's cellmate in federal prison.

The first thing he should do when he wakes up is to announce he's resigning. The second thing he should do is hire a damned good criminal lawyer. And please... please, for the love of $deity, use your OWN money to hire the lawyer.

Mini-upd*te and a mini-rant

2008-08-11T23:51:00.008-05:00

Just two more album updates tonight... I'll finish up tomorrow.

IH 12 - Pics taken at various points in the highway's St. Tammany Parish routing
The Tammany Trace - Fitting that the largest album I have so far would be of a bike trail. 24 shots in all spanning from Abita Springs to Mandeville.

As per the usual, all snaps are geotagged. No need for "Operation Spam Minor Upd*tes" when you can keep up as you go instead of waiting on it, you know.

Also, Accueil saw a fairly hearty upd*te of its own tonight. Check the Updates page on the site for that info.

-----------------

Two for the price of one! OSTT so far appears to be working well against its initial targets, Calbog and Racist Randy. At the least, inane idiocy doesn't turn into a flamewar of Vietnam-like proportions. (Except in the case of two people who "broke" it earlier tonight on Calbog. Guys, <ostt-break> is still OSTT-breaking!)

Well, apparently, someone liked the concept enough to suggest it at another NG, this time on Poologski. About time. Way to go, Odo. Don't know who you are, but way to go nonetheless.

That said, once Poologski found out, he turned around and proceeded to pitch a bitch in MTR like a child whose favorite toy got burned right in front of their eyes. Someone just call the WAAAAAAAHmbulance already, please.

While OSTT/MTR currently doesn't apply to him, can we please expand it to Poologski? It's only fair, considering how much he likes spamming #roadgeek, then whining about it on MTR.

A house is NOT the road!

2008-08-11T21:31:00.003-05:00

NOLA.com - Car crashes into Covington-area home; driver booked with DWI

View Larger Map

I'm finally starting to get the hang of some of this Web 2.0 stuff. The area this occurred in is heavily residential. You could go faster than the posted 15-25mph limit, but you're better off not doing so. Never mind trying to drive through there drunk... the roads are too narrow and the dropoffs into the ditches are too sharp.

Nevertheless, some idiot (Frederick Vairin, 45, Covington area) decided to do just that, and apparently mistook one of the houses for part of the roadway. Makes me wonder if he was one of St. Tammany's many failed reclamation projects (a.k.a. fourth-offense DWIs), but regardless... it's kind of ridiculous... idiotic... local... Perfect blog material. :P

More highway albums up

2008-08-11T19:00:00.005-05:00

As the title says. I've got a few more albums up, these of some of the state highways in the parish. (All links open in a new window or tab, depending on your browser's settings.)

LA 36 - Mostly of sights from where other highways terminate along it, and of the traffic circle in Abita Springs.
LA 59 - Some shots from the southern terminus, the LA 1088 terminus, some from Abita, and of the traffic circle in Abita Springs. (Is there an echo in here?)
LA 1087 - Shots from along the useless state highway cutting through the center of Old Mandeville.
LA 1088 - Hey look, I can see my house from here! Also, some shots from both termini and from the overpass.
LA 3228 - Three shots along LA 3228 (Old US 190, Old LA 25) in Mandeville.

Also, Operation Coordinates is 100% complete.

...No, not Calbog's abortion, I mean that all photos on my Picasa are geotagged. Each one's got coordinates.

...And yet another way to post photos...

2008-08-11T02:27:00.006-05:00

Taking a hint from the Rt. Hon. Herr Doktor Comrade Mister Otto Yamamoto, I decided to start posting to Picasa. Seems to be a better fit for me than Flickr, although I'll still use both for road pics in the future.

At the least, I can actually separate the pictures by highway designation instead of just highway types on my Picasa page, due to Flickr's free account limit of three sets. So, specific highways will link from the Picasa instead.

Without further ado, since a global embargo on the stuff's really screwing me over, here's a list of what's done so far (which will also be listed in the Permalink section of this blog):

US 11 - Bayou Sauvage, Irish Bayou, Slidell and Pearl River areas, mostly pics from northbound
US 51 - Nothing special, just the Tickfaw area along southbound
US 90 - Westbound from US 190's eastern terminus to US 11's southern terminus
US 190 - Mostly eastbound, mostly in Mandeville, but includes shot of the eastern terminus in White Kitchen
US 190-Y - Otherwise known as Business US 190 in Slidell

As well, the way I do my site will be redone once my Picasa's fully populated.

(Also, as an aside, I'm going to be needing a ride to make Froggie's meet in Slidell on Labor Day weekend, so comment if you can help a girl out.)

Nvidia, ATI... and now Intel?! Enter Larrabee.

2008-08-05T13:47:00.003-05:00

BBC - Intel unveils graphics chip line

For a long time, when one puts "Intel" and "graphics" together, you usually come up with some integrated piece-of-crap graphics setup and decide to get a Nvidia or ATI addon GPU instead. Now Intel's leaping into the addon GPU field. Details have been unveiled on Intel's Larrabee chipset for addon GPUs. Larrabee is expected to be multi-core, but a specific number's not known yet.

Although Intel will be releasing the chip into the PC graphics card market, they also expect greater things from it, such as aiding oil exploration, financial services and medical imaging in the future. The recent trend for scientists is to use coupled GPUs in place of a standalone supercomputer, and this trend seems to be what Intel's aiming for.

More details about Larrabee are slated to be revealed sometime during the Siggraph conference from August 12th to the 15th.

I'll say this much, it's a promising development, and one for open-source advocates to keep an eye on. Intel's had decent support for Linux for a while, and if these GPUs work as well with it as some of their other chipsets, it could prove to be a win for more than Intel.

Covington: LA 21 widening in the works

2008-08-05T11:09:00.005-05:00

Nola.com - Widening of LA 21 to begin in the fall

So it appears another badly-congested stretch of a major highway is going to get an inadequate fix. LA 21 south of Covington is going to be widened from three lanes (one travel lane in each direction and a turn lane in the center) to four (two travel lanes in each direction plus a median). If you check the map on the link, you'll see that the widening is only slated to go as far northeast as Marigold Drive. That's about a mile short of the place that desperately needs widening - the Tchefuncte River bridge at the edge of Covington's city limits. It's only two lanes, and even with trucks diverted to alternate routes, it still carries way too much traffic for (essentially) a two-lane highway. Even with the bridge approaches only having one travel lane in each direction (and the turn lane), it still manages to become a chokepoint as it sheds the turn lane.

This is just another symptom of LaDOTD and the Parish Government not knowing how the hell to think ahead. Instead of thinking ahead, they only think about the now, if that! If there's an average daily count of 50,000 on a road with the capacity for 10,000, they'll only build the capacity up to 50,000. Then immediately after construction, traffic counts leap again to 75,000 on a road built for 50,000. (Not actual numbers in the preceding two sentences.) So they're stuck needing even more capacity on a brand new surface and configuration. It happened with US 190 directly north of I-12 when it was widened from 4 lanes to 6. It was congested badly before, and the new configuration still can't quite cope with the traffic levels. It's also the case with the ongoing work on US 190 in Mandeville. At the western end of the roadwork, US 190 goes in a one mile stretch from four lanes + median to three lanes, to TWO lanes across an old bridge, back to a proposed four lanes + median. They left a chokepoint in the plans intentionally because they couldn't build a second bridge across Bayou Chinchuba for whatever reason.

Getting back to LA 21, the rest of it, all the way to 11th Street in Covington at least, will also see widening, including the bridge. That'll take another two to three years, meaning the chokepoint will be worse in that span than it already is. Why not just do it all in one fell swoop?

We wonder why our roads are rated so low nationally, well... this is a prime reason for it.

Sometimes jackassery gets old...

2008-08-04T22:47:00.006-05:00

I'm normally the type to just sit on IRC 24/7 and idle for most of it. I do so on a couple of other networks, but recently Poologski has decided to troll and spam the hell out of #roadgeek, using endless proxies to connect, evade bans and ignores alike, and generally just piss off the users. This course of action, of course, is the bane of any channel operator or IRCOp. Even one with limitless patience or a dark sense of humor like myself.

So instead of vegging out to the sound of the radio, chatting with the Comrade and working on web material or some bit of code to make the Linux box run more smoothly, I have to deal with a jackass who cannot take the hint that he is NOT WANTED THERE. Kickbanning a lamer is the most fun part of IRC for me, but having to do it several times in a 15-minute span to the same idiot takes all the fun out of it.

Put simply, I tire of it. If his plan is to annoy, it's working. I'm getting tired of loser mouthbreathing little wannabe trolls/spamtards making a chatroom a nightmare and forcing nightly clearouts.

It makes me wonder if a move is needed... I don't want to rock the boat, just putting an idea out there.

Great, now they've got me Flickring...

2008-08-03T23:18:00.007-05:00

Ok, so I feel lame, and yet not. Maybe sleep would help.

In the meantime, I got a LOT of snaps today, as well as the ones from last week. I'm talking like 120 of them, taken, cropped and fix0rd in one day. They'll go up on my Photobucket and Accueil sometime during the week, but they're on my Flickr right this minute if you need instant gratification. They're mostly placed by sets for the time being.

I'll be adding the older snaps to the Flickr page as time permits as well.

(Sorry. Lotsa tags apply here.)

Drunk Eddie: No record on file

2008-08-03T13:36:00.004-05:00

Times-Picayune - Causeway stop exposed mayor's 'ghost' license plate

Back to my favorite subject around here, it's another post about Drunk Eddie!

So, you see, Drunk Eddie doesn't really exist. He has no record on file... oh, wait. His car doesn't really exist, or more accurately, its registration doesn't exist. This is yet another example of the abuses going on in Mandeville - the abuse of "ghost plates."

Ghost plates are a tool most commonly used for and meant primarily for undercover investigations. Simply give the car a false registration, feed in some fake info, and voila, your undercover has an identity that even shows when you run the plates. However, Drunk Eddie's SUV also has a ghost plate.

Chief Enabler Buell tried explaining that several city vehicles used by public officials have the ghost plates in case they're needed for an undercover op. Right. MPD has some unmarked vehicles set to go with the ghost plates that are meant for undercover. They don't need the officials' vehicles for that. In fact, the last time an official vehicle was used for an undercover op was "a long time ago" (according to the Enabler.) Almost every other local agency in the area (city and town governments) doesn't use these plates for any local officials' vehicles. Some even go as far as adding the city/town/parish seal to these vehicles. (At least, this is according to what the Picayune found out. Take it with a grain of salt if you must.)

However, many official city vehicles have the ghost plates, when they should have public plates.

Of course, now Drunk Eddie's SUV is among those with a government seal on it, and it's supposed to eventually gain public plates, like it was supposed to have in the first place. Just as soon as he completes his 13-step program and becomes Sober Eddie, that is. (Like that'll stick.)

Fact is, since Drunk Eddie's ride was off the grid, just how much did he screw up on the roads, with no record due to the plate? No one will know.

All I can say is that this cannot continue. He needs to get himself out of office yesterday.

Lafayette seems busy lately...

2008-08-02T10:17:00.002-05:00

The Advocate (Acadiana bureau) - Traffic tickets plummet since cameras installed

(You happy now, Anthony?)

*cough* Ok, so the outsourced revenue-takers aren't raking in the funds like they should. People appear to be catching wise. (And if that's the case, why is it that every day the Advertiser's website seems to have 45767443570237 new pictures of red-light-cam violators?)

Aha. You saw the dirty "o" word. Outsourced. This traffic camera revenue machine reeks to me much worse than every major company's outsourcing of work. At least with companies like Dell, the outsourced work isn't out to steal your money. (Ok, they steal your jobs, which indirectly steals your money... but anyway.)

This outsourcing is even more insidious, though. Run a light, get a letter in the mail. You're guilty, of course, so you need to pay the Corporation. Consequences? No, just pay the Corporation now, little Sheep. Wait. You're not guilty? Too bad. No due process for you, silly Sheep. Pay up, there is no other option.

It's one thing to be outsourcing tech support, it's another to outsource the LAW, especially with technology that can't get it right sometimes. Suppose someone takes the Deathmaschine to Lafayette and decides to make one of the Advertiser's vids. Also suppose that that person who took the car is not me, in no way could be confused with me... yeah, you get my drift. Totally not me. Guess who the outsourced revenue takers would mail and harass? Yep. Me.

At the least, in the same situation but with a flesh-and-blood Revenue Taker, they'd actually pull the person over and realize it's not me, but actually Calrog in a dress or something. The actual "who" of the equation is unimportant. I would probably never even know about this unless the Takers thought my car was stolen. Needless to say that I wouldn't see hide nor hair of any ticket. The system, stacked against us all and broken horribly as it is, would work.

With the cam, though, I've got a ticket to pay for a drive I never even took. Where's the justice in that? Where's the legality?

Sometimes they nail the right target and that Sheep happily feeds the Corporation's coffers, rightfully so, but it's when they get it wrong that the whole experiment falls apart.

Of course, someone's suing over this hypothetical scenario and a couple of little Constitutional issues as well. It's how we do things these days in Amerika, you know. Don't like something? Sue it or them. Like I said, these cameras and the subsequent way in which You Are Simply Guilty via a civil, not criminal process seems to run afoul of things like constitutional guarantees that you get to confront witnesses, the ability to refute evidence, or holding the government to a "beyond a reasonable doubt" standard. There's also some question to the legality of using the mail for this.

Aside from that, there's also no way to really check up on the Corporation here. The system in Lafayette operates "off the books," supposedly. There's no public accountability for the Corporation. What a surprise there...

Lastly, is this really happening at all? Guess the source of the material in the linked news article. No, really, guess. I'll be waiting here while your brain churns.

.........

Finally figured it out? Redflex and some employees of the City put out the news release. The Corporation pats their own back. The City stands idly by, smiling, all the while with their thumbs up their asses while the Corporation "diverts" the funds of the populace into their own pockets.

At this point, I don't care if they hire more Revenue Extractors... sorry, more police... just get RID of these cameras and the law-circumventing Corporation.

...At least we're not Montana.

2008-08-01T10:59:00.004-05:00

The Advocate: La. second worst in highway deaths

Where do I begin? Who are the first the state blames for this ranking? Drunks. Everyone's favorite whipping boy of course, including mine. (I'm still watching you, Drunk Eddie.) Of course, they're always a problem. And of course, some of these drunks are the Men In Charge, getting second, third and fiftieth chances by the Catch-and-Release arm of the Good Ol' Boy Network. Even those who just kiss the asses of the Men In Charge get caught and released with a signed apology in one hand and a bottle of vodka in the other. And they kill. Sometimes they put themselves in the running for a Darwin Award, but a lot of the time they kill someone else in the process, or instead of themselves.

I'm really not going to shed a tear when some idiotic twenty-something downs a case of beer, decides to take a drive to chase the pink elephant, then wraps their car around a telephone pole. No. I'll shed a tear when they wrap themselves around a minivan with a mother and four kids, all killed on impact.

Where else can they set the blame? How about at the feet of people who don't use their seat belts... another prime scapegoat. Of course, we all know the government mandates this behavior, but like most behaviors mandated by the Men In Charge and the lobbyists who pull their strings, the people don't care. Because, as we all know, it's our God-Given right to splatter our heads all over the Interstate when something goes wrong. Excuse me for not exercising it - suicidal as I am, sometimes I prefer living. That and gruesome automotive death isn't my thing.

It makes me wonder, though... if you're not wearing a seatbelt, you're not anchored to the car, so of course you drive just a little more carefully, watching a bit more. Often one is at her most defensive when she's unprotected.

Strap yourself in, on the other hand, and you don't have to worry about that violent left-hander knocking you into the passenger door. Of course, you flip yourself over into a ditch or get clipped by the guy coming from the other way. She who feels protection from the repercussions often lashes out recklessly.

Safety breeding unsafe conditions? Think about it a little bit. On with the entry.

Not mentioned in the article, I'll throw in the following - idiots who operate their motorcycles without helmets. Sure, the cagers have to wear their seat belts, but motorcyclists don't have to use helmets. Or do they? Seems each and every new governor around here changes that law as one of their first bill-signings in their term. Regardless, the number of them getting their heads busted like eggs on the pavement has to factor in to it somewhere.

Let's not forget the other white meat, SFB's. (Stone Headed Idiot Talking, Forgetting Operational Rules, But Running Automobile In Nagging Stupidity - put the capital letters together, each comma makes a new word, and you'll figure it out. Thanks MLOM.) They're almost as bad as the drunks at times. Everything I said about the drunks can be applied to these geniuses on an almost interchangable basis. If you've got your hands full as it is dealing with stupidity-inducing city traffic, do you really need to be on a phone as well? It's not quite as annoying on long and endless stretches of highway connecting Nowhere with B.F.E., but when there's more cars on a block of roadway than exist in the entire state of Rhode Island, you should really put the goddamned phone down and drive. 'Kay?

Of course, the article also blames the roads themselves. The bridges suck, the roads are rough, yadda yadda yadda, $14 billion backlog, blah blah blah. Couldn't we start doing something about that one of these days, preferably before my hypothetical children start getting grey hairs? They're not going to fix themselves. Instead of passing more nonsense laws and diverting money to projects with their own funding or those government has no business funding, can't we put that towards making the highways safer? Can't we put that towards widening and shoring up a bridge instead of feeding the pockets of do-nothing Men In Charge and their handlers?

Oh, wait. I forgot this is Louisiana. Always in excess, except when it could help someone other than the Politician or his Master. Because they need that money to show just how much Better Than You they are, more than you need a safe highway. I'm so glad we've got our priorities straight around here. It's enough to drive me to drink...

(Don't worry, I hid my car keys from myself.)

In this state, for the longest time, someone would say how crap we are in some national ranking, and the people would just sigh and say "at least we're not Mississippi" or "at least we're not Texas." I guess now they'll just shrug and use the new saying meaning "we're inept, who cares?"

But hey, at least we're not Montana.

Observations, on and off the roads

2008-07-29T05:31:00.007-05:00

Yesterday, I needed to make a run up to one of Louisiana's remaining "charity hospitals" to get a literal pain in my ass (more like my thigh) treated. What passes for healthcare for the poor and working poor in this state is a disgrace. I got in at about 11 AM. I got out close to 6 PM. One reason was that in a fairly busy emergency room, there was only ONE doctor. Just one, to handle about 35-40 people with varying problems.

Part of this is culture. Since many people in this state don't qualify for Medicaid or Medicare, but don't earn enough to afford or aren't offered (as a job benefit or something) a private plan, they just go to the emergency room for the most minor of ailments. It's been this way since the Dawn of Time around here (as in, since my grandparents were little children, at least). This clogs them up when moderate and major emergencies happen, as must have happened during the day during my wait.

Another part of this is less people going into medical professions. LSU runs the hospital I went to, and it seemed badly short-staffed, especially with only having one doctor in the emergency room during the day.

Cost seems to be at fault on all ends, at least from my viewpoint.

I also noticed a few things about the roads, so don't fret.

Business US 51 in Hammond is getting a facelift. It looks like they're redoing (or at least smoothing) the concrete surface, and they're replacing the suicide center turn lane with a raised median and "classic" turn lanes.
I don't think they'll ever put up gates at the railroad tracks for all the minor crossing roads in Tangipahoa Parish. Fine. But could they at least put up STOP SIGNS?! A lot of them are regulated only by yield signs, for crying out loud. As such, I predict many more "train vs. car" articles in the blog, and much more senseless death.
Work is proceeding on Interstate 12 near LA 21 for (unofficial and ESTIMATED) Future Exit 61. When complete, this interchange will serve two functions - it will link to a new shopping center, as well as linking in an auxiliary manner to LA 21. (They tore down a rest area and a fairly decent park for this. Assholes. Seriously. What The F*ck?)
Work is complete on LA 22 in Mandeville. The new configuration is two lanes westbound, a center turning lane and one eastbound lane from the shopping center with the Rouses in it westward to the Beau Chene main entrance. West of there to the Marina entrance, it's two westbound lanes and one eastbound lane.
The surface of Interstate 55 is horrible for taking snaps. Still, I managed to gut out the pain enough to get a few. Filled my digital camera's memory in the process. Looks like I'll need to snag a SD card. (Or get the camera working with altaria so I can offload them on the fly.)
Many stoplights in Mandeville were either flashing red/yellow or depowered entirely yesterday, although they seemed to be brought back on line quickly.
US 190 through Old Mandeville has shifted to the future eastbound lanes, as they work now on the future center and westbound lanes. I'm waiting for businesses on the north side of the highway to bitch that customers can't get to them now.

I did take a few pictures while I was out, I just need to make them a little more viewable, then I'll post them online. That'll happen either today or sometime this week.

Edit: Noted in no uncertain terms that the possible exit number for the future exit is estimated and not official. -T