Functioning public transit affects nearly every facet of our community, so it is no surprise that we have wide and diverse community support for comprehensive transit reform. The letter below was published in the Sunday Advocate on April 15th and illustrates why individuals and organizations across Baton Rouge are rallying around this cause. Several of the organizations listed below who have officially endorsed the April 21st election include:
- Baton Rouge Area Chamber
- Baton Rouge Growth Coalition
- Visit BR
- Baton Rouge Hotel/Motel Association
- Catholic Charities
- Our Lady of the Lake Medical Center
- Baton Rouge General Medical Center
- American Public Transit Association
Steering Committee Members
In 2011, a Blue Ribbon Commission (BRC) was formed to evaluate the Capital Region’s public transit system and develop a plan of action. Their research yielded a comprehensive list of public transit-related recommendations including a strategy for identifying a permanent source of revenue for the future. Additionally, the FuturEBR comprehensive plan was recently adopted to provide a guide for the way land use and transportation decisions are made in the East Baton Rouge region. Armed with the new vision for transit as defined in the FuturEBR plan and the recommendations of the BRC, a group of citizens have come together to form the Baton Rouge Transit Coalition and to create a robust local public transit system. The list below represents the members of the Coalition’s Steering Committee; however, there are countless additional names of committee members and transit supporters propelling this initiative forward;
- Raymond A. Jetson, Star Hill Church, Chair
- David Aguillard, Catholic Charities
- Nancy McPherson, AARP
- Ryan Gremillion, Baton Rouge Area Chamber
- Reverend Jennifer Jones-Bridgett, PICO Louisiana
- Alvin Herring, Working Interfaith Network
- Homer Charles, Group Construction, L.L.C.
- Helena Cunningham, East Baton Rouge Parish Mortgage Finance Authority
- Ann Trappey, Forte & Tablada Engineers
- Carmen Weisner, National Association of Social Workers
- Cassie Felder, Cassie Felder and Associates/Forum 35
- Meg Mahoney, Baton Rouge Area Chamber
- Rachel DiResto, Center for Planning Excellence
- Chris Tyson, Louisiana State University Law School
- Mark Goodson, East Baton Rouge Parish Redevelopment Authority
- Creighton Abadie, Lindsay & Abadie Attorneys at Law, CATS
- Jared Loftus, CATS
- Leroy Watts, Liberty Bank
- Edgar Cage, Together Baton Rouge
- Ronald Williams, 4th District Association
- Angele Davis, The Davis Kelly Group, Facilitator
