The East Baton Rouge Redevelopment Authority today announced it is seeking consultants to bid on a $450,000 project to choose two sites and design stations for the long-discussed commuter rail proposal between New Orleans and Baton Rouge.
If the project ultimately comes to fruition, passenger rail stations will built downtown and in the Baton Rouge Health District near Essen Lane and Bluebonnet Boulevard, the RDA says in a press release today.
The passenger rail project has experienced renewed interest since Gov. John Bel Edwards said he would support the initiative. Roughly $300 million in rail improvements would be needed to support high-speed passenger trains that would roll daily between the two cities, with stops in Gonzales, LaPlace and the New Orleans airport before reaching its final destination: the Superdome.
Proponents have heralded the idea as an economic driver and a means to reduce congestion on Interstate 10 by getting drivers off the road. The Baton Rouge Area Foundation has backed the idea, and today’s announcement is among the first steps toward making it happen.
The Federal Railroad Administration announced earlier this year it would fund the site design; the Metro Council agreed in August 2016 to put up $250,000 in matching funds. The RDA is set to pick a firm in late October, with a timeline of one year to complete analysis and design, the agency says.
The application deadline is Sept. 22. RDA has more details.
