East Baton Rouge MOVEBR Public Involvement

MOVEBR is the largest and most significant transportation infrastructure investment in East Baton Rouge Parish history. Franklin’s team created the public outreach strategy to disseminate information to stakeholders and continues to facilitate engagement and outreach; developed and revised the scope of work for Public Information Coordination; worked closely with the program management team to align communications, especially for capacity improvement projects, with program goals; designed, implemented, and continues to update the project website https://movebr.brla.gov/; facilitated and implemented over 30 key trainings, workshops, and networking events for small businesses, enabling higher participation in the program; and coordinated public meetings in person and online for MOVEBR infrastructure projects as they move from design to construction.

Throughout the project, Franklin has coordinated ribbon cuttings and groundbreakings for transportation improvement projects throughout the city as well as worked with elected officials to facilitate press events to highlight project milestones. For example, Franklin coordinated with the Mayor of Baton Rouge to schedule and facilitate the National League of Cities’ visit to Baton Rouge, an organization focused on improving the quality of life for current and future constituents of cities across the country.

Franklin continues to ensure that timely and accurate project-specific information is developed and disseminated via web, social media, eblasts, direct mail, phone and in person through public meetings as projects move ahead, including updating the project website. Franklin has successfully enhanced public awareness of taxpayer-funded capacity improvement efforts across the parish while addressing constituent concerns as these improvements are implemented, and while providing engagement opportunities on projects still in design phases.

Communications and Public InvolvementAs MOVEBR continues to move forward, Franklin responds to numerous public inquiries regarding the status of various projects and potential impacts to the residents during construction. Franklin has created content and provided presentations to key stakeholder groups within the community to keep them informed of the program’s progress and provide updates on specific projects as requested. Franklin has also helped increase involvement of small businesses within the MOVEBR program by engaging and educating them on business enhancement topics.

Franklin presented a three-part educational series to assist small businesses in navigating the steps to do business with the MOVEBR Program: https://movebr.brla.gov/page/sbo-educational-series.

Accomplishments:

• Four of Franklin’s projects have broken ground as of August 2024:
  
  • Constantin Boulevard (January 2024)
  • South Choctaw Drive (September 2022)
  • Midway Boulevard (June 2022)
  • Mall of Louisiana Boulevard (January 2021)
• Two of Franklin’s projects have been completed to ribbon cuttings as of August 2024:
  
  • South Choctaw Drive (February 2024)
  • Ben Hur Road (November 2023)

Franklin continues to facilitate in-person and virtual public meetings. Since August 2018, Franklin has received over 1,500 comments from the public regarding MOVEBR projects. Over 1,700 individuals have contact information in the distribution list.