Here it is: BREC has launched a new website with a redesigned homepage and several new features, the parish’s parks and recreation department announced today. “As a whole, it is now more user friendly, for both internal and external users,” says BREC in a news release. “The entire site has been made responsive and is now accessible and attractive when visited from mobile devices, tablets and desktop computers and is compatible across all modern browsers for an enhanced user experience.” New features include a “connect” social media area for people to connect easily to BREC’s social media outlets, a new calendar with event times and titles, as well as new “news” and “programs” sections. The integration with Google 360 API will also allow virtual tours of some parks and surrounding areas. Check out the new site.
Rolling: The Capital Area Transit System has begun using five new Gillig buses sooner than expected. Though the buses were ordered in April and weren’t expected to arrive until this fall, CATS says in a news release issued today that the buses have arrived early and are already in use. Another four buses also have been ordered and are expected to arrive by the middle of next year. “These nine buses were purchased at a cost of more than $440,000 each, which was paid through CATS capital funds rather than the recent bond proposal, since the bond proposal only included funding for one new bus per year,” the CATS news release says. “Currently, the agency has a need for 45 new buses as the useful lives of the current fleet continue to devolve.” In conjunction with national Dump the Pump Day, which encourages public transit use, CATS is offering free rides on Thursday, June 18.
Down the road: Greyhound has increased nonstop trips between Baton Rouge and New Orleans and has added a new route between the cities, with stops in Gonzales, Houma and LaPlace. Greyhound Lines Inc. President and CEO Dave Leach says it’s the first time in 10 years that rural communities have been added to Greyhound’s network. He says they were added in partnership with the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development. New Orleans CityBusiness reports that the additions come in response to increased demand for service in smaller markets. Greyhound says the QuickLink commuter service has been boosted to 25 schedules a day—some nonstop, some including stops in Gonzales and LaPlace. QuickLink fares start at $11 from Baton Rouge to New Orleans. The announcement does not say what DOTD is contributing. Read the full story.
