Downtown’s corners shine
The Downtown Development District and city–parish have swapped aging streetlight heads for LEDs, making the streets brighter — and safer — for anyone out late.
The dark edges of downtown Baton Rouge are gone. The Downtown Development District and city-parish have swapped aging streetlight heads for LEDs, making the streets brighter—and safer—for anyone out late.
Why it matters: Downtown is already one of the safest parts of the parish, but dim lighting fed a lingering perception of danger.
The details:
- The DDD’s latest strategic plan called for new lighting. Check that off.
- Mayor Sid Edwards struck a deal with Entergy to reduce the cost to $66,000. Entergy had wanted much more a few years ago.
- The city-parish and DDD split the cost of lighting upgrades.
The result: Crisp white light now spills across once-dark sidewalks, helping people feel safer, says Whitney Hoffman Sayal, the DDD’s executive director. She says the mayor understands downtown is the one place you can invest that benefits the entire parish.
What’s next: In his first year, Edwards has shown more interest in downtown’s revival than his predecessor, Sharon Weston Broome. The next Plan Baton Rouge—the third iteration in three decades—is expected next year, potentially setting the stage for another wave of investment, particularly along the riverfront.
