It could take years to become a reality, but a five-parish trail for cyclists and pedestrians is starting to take shape – at least on paper – and the Capital Region Planning Commission is asking the public for help. for its design.

From now until January 6, people will be able to express their own ideas on an interactive online trail map, which could span the parishes of East Baton Rouge, Livingston, Ascension, Iberville and West Baton Rouge. The Plaquemine Ferry would be the lifeline to and from the trails on either side of the Mississippi River.

The Planning Commission will take input from the public and bring new drafts of the trail map to the local governments of these parishes. It’s a process that started this year and will continue for as long as it takes to make the path a reality, said those working with the regional plan.

“We don’t want to draw lines on a map that will never be built,” said Jennifer Baldwin, director of Baltimore-based Alta Planning and Design, which is the regional cycle and pedestrian path consultant for the capital. Regional Commission for Spatial Planning

The Planning Commission is the federally mandated “metropolitan planning organization” for the Capital Region, required to update its 25-year regional transportation plan every four years.

Kim Marousek, director of planning at the commission, said the towns of Baton Rouge, Baker, Zachary, Denham Springs and Gonzales, all located in the capital region of the five parishes, have in recent years developed their own plans for cycle and pedestrian paths.

“We felt like we really had some momentum and wanted to take this conversation to the regional level,” she said. “What could a regional bicycle and pedestrian plan look like? What links could be made between parishes?

Once the route of the regional trail is established, the next steps would be in infrastructure policies and design, with great emphasis on safety, Marousek said.

“Any infrastructure plan will be designed to protect pedestrians and cyclists from serious injury and death,” she said.

Since 2015, Baton Rouge has been designated by the Federal Highway Administration as a “target city” for cycling due to the high number of collisions and fatalities involving cyclists.

The commission conducted an investigation which found that people are concerned about traffic speed and driver behavior and would like to put in place “traffic calming” measures that reduce congestion and slow down speed.

Jackie Baumann, chief engineer for the town of Gonzales, said: “The previous town plan was completed in 2017 by the National Park Service and focused on local cyclists. The regional plan has a much greater impact and aims to identify safe routes throughout our region. cyclists of all ages and abilities. “

Denham Springs Mayor Gerard Landry said, “The hardest part is getting funding.

But it could be easier with a regional plan, he said.

“Instead of just Denham Springs, with 10,000 people, you now have five parishes with 800,000 people,” Landry said.