Transportation in Shreveport

Summarize Timeline Fact Check

Shreveport's past reflects the need for mass transit and public roads. As far back as the 1870s residents used mule-drawn streetcars that were later converted to electric-motorized cars by 1890. Commuter rail in Shreveport flourished for many decades, and rail car lines extended out to rural areas. In the 1930 the trolleys and rail cars were replaced by rubber-wheel trolleys and buses. In the 1960s the interstate system came to the area with construction of Interstate 20.

The highway system has a cross-hair and loop freeway structure. The loop consist of Interstate 220 on the north and Louisiana Highway 3132 on the south, forming approximately a 8-mile (13 km) diameter semi-loop around downtown.

Shreveport lies along the route of the proposed Interstate 69 NAFTA superhighway that will link Canada, the U.S. industrial Midwest, Texas, and Mexico.

Shreveport to Kansas City

In 2005 Gov. Kathleen Blanco signed legislation to fund the expansion of I-49 to the Arkansas border where it will meet the already completed section to Texarkana. I-49 is proposed to be a corridor through to Kansas City, MO. The current terminus of I-49 in Lafayette, Louisiana is to be extended to New Orleans, Louisiana in the same bill.

The current plans for I-69 around Shreveport also known as (SIU 15) are to build a new freeway bypassing the urbanized area to the south and east. Unlike I-49 and I-20, I-69's proposed route does not go through Shreveport; but will provide for a completed loop for the Inner Loop Expressway. However, access to and from Downtown Shreveport via I-49 and I-20 will not be problematic.

The plans for this segment call for interchanges at:

• U.S. 171 north or south of Stonewall
• I-49
• LA 1
• US 71
• I-20 east or west of Haughton

As of January 2003, there is a "preferred corridor" within which the actual highway alignments will be developed.

Shreveport to Houston

During 2002 and 2003, it was decided that Texas Gov. Rick Perry's Trans-Texas Corridor proposal would be the basis for developing Interstate 69 in Texas. Accordingly, the original division of the route into this route is being treated as preliminary, and the entire corridor in the state (as well as the connection near Shreveport, La.) will be studied using a unified, two-tier Environmental Impact Statement process.

Shreveport to Memphis

The process is underway from I-20 at Haughton, Louisiana to U.S. 82 west of El Dorado, Arkansas; from U.S. 82 west of El Dorado to U.S. 65; from U.S. 65 to the Charles W. Dean Bridge or Great River Bridge; from Charles W. Dean/Great River Bridge to Robinsonville, Mississippi

A Final Environmental Impact Statement has been approved for the Southeast Arkansas I-69 Connector (I-530 extension). Right-of-way acquisition and some construction is currently underway.

Bert Kouns Industrial Loop to Flournoy Lucas Rd.

This section is now open.

In 2005 the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development announced the implementation of an Intelligent Transportation System, to monitor traffic via video cameras, erecting digital message boards all over the metro area and AM radio broadcast to alert motorist of special or emergency road conditions. Plus vehicle radar detectors will be installed on freeways to measure drive times from point A to point B. These drive times will be displayed on the digital message boards around town.

To implement the ITS field deployment for the region, it will consist of 579 radar vehicle detectors (RVDs), 220 closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras, 15 dynamic message signs (DMSs), signal system improvements at 395 intersections, 10 weather stations, and 4 highway advisory radio (HAR) stations.^[1]

SporTran provides public transportation in the form of buses and lift vans. SporTran is one of the oldest public transportation systems in the south. It has been in continual service for over 125 years with only one interruption due to the strike of 1957.^[2]

SporTran uses a fleet of over 50 buses and lift vans, including hybrid vehicles.