[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6073192,"mediaKeyId","2995133-e74551b28930e8520ae338e5d79b1dbb","parentId",2995133,"title","Research group tells committee Louisiana road design, urban sprawl help explain high pedestrian and cyclist fatality rates","audioSeconds",314,"startMs",7019000,"endMs",7333000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2995133-e74551b28930e8520ae338e5d79b1dbb&start=7019&end=7333","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2995133-e74551b28930e8520ae338e5d79b1dbb/thumbnail_7019000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6073192/Louisiana/Research-group-tells-committee-Louisiana-road-design-urban-sprawl-help-explain-high-pedestrian-and-cyclist-fatality-rates","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6073192-86ec0d74a923e192bc38efadafa848c3/orig.mp4?Expires=1770812022&Signature=JaNVs6bUBYIYeACwKOAnStyq3CfB-bHr473~xxQdCTIGP-Vj~RT~oD45f7ArMEzKZUz0OfEGCzeBBPkq0zWV17WxrkIQjWsUE72RP3Rx4iGDWsScIXQCMPAAy9-BQfizpKO~NQt0J122xhQoQSqjmy04bJ2xvgFoL7~stpQRYFvQ2kPlcHLw4ffrEA9SMFhZCgoQyHIo7OfwXUrZ5bvvwfTW4Wv36SU-Pf5aC6kNhRALkXyd6T6fuRY4j6M60CUNId~ji~Ch6nQgzoa67-BiKFtbvz9RLbFVjtBkvj~2zDs0SfzqiHYxdqHkHIItDn3GLymIuNt~o6~x5-4pXWTB1Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Louisiana Legislature","date","2025-04-15T00:00:00Z","article","A three-person delegation from Louisiana Progress told the House Transportation Committee that the state's road design and urban form contribute to higher rates of pedestrian and cyclist fatalities and higher auto insurance costs.

Presenters Marilee Montgomery, Peter Robbins Brown and Eli Levinson summarized research comparing Louisiana to neighboring states and comparing ZIP-code-level data inside Louisiana. \"Louisiana actually ranks third in the country for pedestrian fatality rates per a hundred thousand people,\" Eli Levinson said, and the presenters said cyclist fatality rates in Louisiana are notably higher than in nearby states.

Main findings and suggestions
- Density and sprawl: The presenters said Louisiana’s cities are, on average, more sprawling and less dense, increasing vehicle miles traveled inside urban areas and exposure to crashes.
- Walkability: The group reported that lower walkability in many Louisiana urban areas explained a substantial share of variation in insurance premiums across cities — their model accounted for roughly 38–39% of the variation they examined.
- Truck traffic: Louisiana’s high truck traffic (driven by busy ports) also makes the state an outlier compared with peers and can worsen collision risks.

Recommended engineering and policy solutions
Louisiana Progress urged the committee and DOTD to consider near-term, cost-effective safety investments, including more roundabouts, additional street lighting, road diets (lane rechannelization), dedicated truck routing where feasible and targeted safety improvements on urban corridors.

Quotations
- \"Louisiana actually ranks third in the country for pedestrian fatality rates per a hundred thousand people,\" said Eli Levinson, one of the presenters.
- \"When you put all of that together, that accounts for 38 to 39% of the variation in insurance premiums across Louisiana's urban areas,\" Marilee Montgomery said, summarizing their cross‑city model.

Follow-up and context
The presenters asked the committee to prioritize safety-oriented projects as part of broader DOTD reforms and said targeted, relatively low‑cost engineering changes can reduce both fatalities and insurance pressure. Committee members acknowledged the presentation and listed it among several inputs to be considered while drafting DOTD reforms and performance metrics.

Ending
Committee members said the research will be useful as they sort priorities for the department’s new project-delivery and transformation offices and as they weigh short-term safety projects against long-term backlog reductions.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Transportation Apr 15, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Researchers from Louisiana Progress presented state-by-state and within-state analyses linking higher pedestrian and bicycle fatality rates and automobile-insurance patterns to lower urban density, lower walkability and heavy truck traffic; they urged the committee to prioritize safety engineering measures.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature LA, Louisiana","taxId",78558,"location","Louisiana","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6073199,"Committee approves a string of bridge and highway namings honoring veterans, police and local leaders",286,3000,289000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2995133-e74551b28930e8520ae338e5d79b1dbb&start=3&end=289","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2995133-e74551b28930e8520ae338e5d79b1dbb/thumbnail_3000.jpg","/articles/6073199/Louisiana/Committee-approves-a-string-of-bridge-and-highway-namings-honoring-veterans-police-and-local-leaders","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6073199-49792f0705bbdac0d970332dd4aa9065/orig.mp4?Expires=1770812022&Signature=adwISs15DtF92q-KsUbGN3yFhlo7U9tzHycBnhpFE8WDFylSQ4UwlHIE-RQoQVuDPjmMfVNzhPp7p0fflF0mWtwEP3jX1Ds33oBP-6W1gHdLaYfgtxca4tO0hgJcJK0I8Vhc4ek7MEmbLtBqdr~~NJW5NNrEyK75xlatdkQyAfTiY7OYtAZl8JBTSIdF1Aj52H2X626LTWWibD0Uvb8103fyYxxba~QPjLqVycIkixJiHrw0Ks7YF8Qjnfx6-U-2BhV6Aji8k4qPQJvboM7HvodYBmx2PSgebR-LChxzbo4U3du7WT-StmD3JIZwo0V8p6tZ3pHCbqu05rqq80YI3A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House Transportation Committee reported several naming bills that would dedicate bridges and highway segments for veterans, law enforcement officials and other community leaders.

House Bill 82: Representative Baham asked the committee to designate the Gulf Outlet Bridge on Louisiana Highway 47 in Orleans Parish as the Vietnam War Veterans Green Bridge, a name that \"formalizes what we call the structure, the Green Bridge,\" he said. The committee adopted amendments and reported HB 82 with amendments.

House Bill 83: Representative Cox presented a naming measure for a portion of Louisiana Highway 466 and the city of Gretna as the Chief B.H. Miller Jr. Memorial Parkway. The committee approved a set of four amendments that added additional dedications (including a Raymond LaVerne Sr. memorial bridge); Representative Boyer moved to report HB 83 with amendments and the motion carried.

House Bill 180: Representative Thompson moved to rename a portion of U.S. Highway 425 in Richland Parish as Sheriff Gary Lynn Gilley Memorial Highway. Thompson said the family offered to accept contributions to cover signage costs, and the committee reported HB 180 favorably.

House Bill 174: Representative McFarland presented HB 174 to designate a bridge on U.S. 167 in Winn Parish as the Clayton Horn Memorial Bridge to honor Specialist Clayton James Horn, an Army reservist who died in 2019 while on duty overseas. The committee adopted a technical amendment and moved the bill forward.

Why it matters: The measures are ceremonial dedications that create official names on the state highway system. Several presenters noted family requests, community support and local law enforcement associations in favor of the bills.

Quotations
- \"This bill ... designates ... what we colloquially call in Saint Bernard The Green Bridge,\" Representative Baham said of HB 82.
- \"He was a cop's cop and he loved the cops that worked for him,\" Representative Cox said describing Chief B.H. Miller Jr. during remarks on HB 83.
- Representative Thompson said of the Gilley designation: \"The family wanted to let people contribute and pay for what the changes would be to the highway signage.\"

Formal actions
- HB 82 by Representative Baham: reported with amendments (mover/committee action recorded in transcript).
- HB 83 by Representative Cox: amendment set adopted; reported with amendments.
- HB 180 by Representative Thompson: reported favorably (moved by Representative Wiley, no objections recorded).
- HB 174 by Representative McFarland: technical amendment adopted and bill reported.

Ending
Each naming measure was briefed with local testimony or sponsor remarks, amendments were adopted where needed and the committee sent the bills to the House calendar with the committee’s recommended language.","The committee reported a set of bills that dedicate bridges and highway segments in several parishes to veterans, law enforcement officers and community leaders, and adopted related technical amendments.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6073203,"House transportation committee advances multibill DOTD reform package, creates highway construction office",1698,700000,2398000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2995133-e74551b28930e8520ae338e5d79b1dbb&start=700&end=2398","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2995133-e74551b28930e8520ae338e5d79b1dbb/thumbnail_700000.jpg","/articles/6073203/Louisiana/House-transportation-committee-advances-multibill-DOTD-reform-package-creates-highway-construction-office","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6073203-c37dc544de2c2c6b33532e69b9d8ce22/orig.mp4?Expires=1770812022&Signature=M4hRDn1o7hvlaBB1UlAPPj18OlVcmIaV-1m-7UP~tjQn-gT3cXEJ5~YSmI7P1IoDFhBEahICMY72Hap2GMjQC8I1TIprnM7AhRiGx5yiHTfbu~ICZo52EPraZU8Lwgi959WhJ9tFPaLJ~oUG~Y~jFljMaJ2E5kkImB~iLs~91VRYZk~G6Rx60S-nnazZ4XgMAJ~TX1T~b2WRLORfr80wzvTwuQ~2AM2gM8fJwhgiEfEUYhogiGXL55IWxZZaU-fD7-AD07vd1sfLp6lfLTMvzONEKQxkiXixXqq7Rl~DM2~jPrmgWWWsqQdyc70raEyyptJV6AXo~8zATKQOYvxlRw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House Transportation Committee on an item-filled day moved forward a package of bills to reorganize the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development and create a new office to speed delivery of state-only highway projects.

Chairman Boriak led debate on House Bill 556, saying the measure and companion bills aim to push more Transportation Trust Fund money into construction, improve project delivery and institute performance measures. \"What we are attempting to do is have the budgets ... the transportation fund actually be utilized for construction projects,\" Chairman Boriak said during an introduction of the bill.

Why it matters: Committee members and DOTD leaders said lawmakers have long worried that trust-fund dollars intended for roads and bridges have been used for administrative and operating costs. The package seeks to (1) create an assistant secretary for project delivery and an \"office of transformation\" charged with key performance indicators, (2) require new data and asset-management systems, and (3) establish an Office of Louisiana Highway Construction with authority to pursue cooperative agreements and cost-sharing on non‑federal-aid state highways.

Major provisions and debate
- Project delivery and governance: HB 556 would create an assistant secretary role to lead project delivery and consolidate planning and engineering functions under that office. Chairman Boriak said the change is intended to put a \"change agent\" in the department to identify and remove delivery bottlenecks.

- Transportation Trust Fund (TTF) use: The bills include a timeline for removing certain personnel and operating costs from the TTF, with language setting a target date referenced in amendments as June 30, 2026. Boriak said the committee’s intent is to have staff and administrative expenditures moved off the TTF so more of the fund can go to construction projects.

- Office of Louisiana Highway Construction: House Bill 621 (substitute) would establish an office, with an executive director appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate, focused on the study, planning, design, construction and maintenance of non‑federal‑aid state highways. Boriak said the office would be able to pursue cooperative endeavor agreements and cost-sharing arrangements with local governments and private partners to accelerate projects.

- Amendments and oversight: Committee members asked for clearer staffing, procurement and civil-service details. At several points Representative Walters and Representative Phelps pushed for requiring a licensed civil engineer for the assistant secretary project‑delivery position; Boriak said he would work with staff to draft language for the floor. DOTD Secretary Joe Donahue told the committee he supports many elements but warned some provisions could raise legal issues and that detailed fiscal work remains.

Quotations
- \"What we are attempting to do is have the budgets ... the transportation fund actually be utilized for construction projects,\" Chairman Boriak said in introducing HB 556.
- \"This was at the request of the legislature to find a funding source for those costs whenever they could not find it in the general fund,\" DOTD Secretary Joe Donahue said when explaining how TTF payments for salaries and benefits developed historically.
- Representative Walters urged that the assistant secretary for project delivery be a licensed civil engineer: \"The person is required to have a civil engineering degree.\"

Votes and formal actions
- Amendments: The committee took up large amendment packages for the measures (the HB 556 set was described as 90+ amendments during the hearing) and adopted sets of technical and policy changes during the session.
- HB 621 (Office of Louisiana Highway Construction substitute): The committee voted to report the substitute bill to the floor (roll-call reported in committee; substitute reported favorably).
- HB 528 (statutory reorganization aligning DOTD offices) — amendments adopted and bill reported with amendments.
- HB 428 (sunset bill) — the committee moved to extend the Department of Transportation and Development’s statutory termination date for another year as part of oversight planning.

What remains unresolved
Committee members repeatedly flagged civil-service, procurement and employee-transfer questions that were not finalized in the bills as drafted. Secretary Donahue and members asked for additional legal review to avoid constitutional problems and to confirm how any transferred duties and employees would be handled under civil-service law.

Next steps
Chairman Boriak said staff would draft clarified language for the floor and that the committee will continue oversight work, including KPI development and fiscal detail, before final votes on the House floor. DOTD officials and members signaled willingness to continue negotiations on engineer qualifications, civil-service concerns and budget impacts.

Ending
Committee leaders described the package as the first step in a broader reform effort they said is intended to accelerate construction and improve accountability. Several members urged continued hearings and written fiscal and legal details before final passage.","The House Transportation Committee reported a package of bills that would reorganize the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, create an office to expedite state-only highway work and set a timeline to limit use of the Transportation Trust Fund for personnel costs.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Research group tells committee Louisiana road design, urban sprawl help explain high pedestrian and cyclist fatality rates

Committee approves a string of bridge and highway namings honoring veterans, police and local leaders

House transportation committee advances multibill DOTD reform package, creates highway construction office