The Perkins Road Overpass District is one of Baton Rouge’s most vibrant corridors, drawing intergenerational patrons to a bevy of bars, restaurants and retail. But criss-crossing it on foot seems like a bad idea—unless of course, the city were to install a crosswalk.
That dream is set to become a reality: One is planned for Ferndale Avenue and Perkins Road, organizers say. This Saturday, Aug. 16, you can test what it’ll be like at Perk Up Perkins Demo Day, a family-friendly event coordinated by community volunteers Mysti Byrnes and Julie Gerdes Becnel. Earlier this year, the two launched a petition for safer crossing in the Overpass District, resulting in more than 500 signatures and support from District 12 Metro Council Member Jennifer Racca and Mayor’s Office Chief of Staff Lon Vicknair. Byrnes and Becnel coordinated Demo Day to show the importance of the crosswalk and to celebrate the area’s amenities.
“It’s really a thriving business and residential community,” Becnel says. “But you’ve got a (pizzeria with a) playground across the street from an ice cream parlor and no safe place to cross. We want to make sure we continue to improve accessibility and make it safer.”
|
|
The event takes place from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. and will be headquartered near Var’s Pizza. Activities include street-crossing demonstrations with representatives from the Center for Planning Excellence, a BLDG 5 lemonade stand run by kids, free Gail’s Fine Ice Cream kiddie cones while they last and a variety of children’s activities. BREC on the Geaux will host an activity zone, and families can also enjoy chalk art, lawn games and live music from Baton Rouge Music Studios.
Keep Tiger Town Beautiful will host a kid-friendly cleanup from 7-9 a.m. Throughout the day, raffles and giveaways will take place.
Byrnes and Becnel, working moms who live in The Dales community, have been focused on the crosswalk project since January. They were inspired to do something to make the area more pedestrian-friendly after reading The Anxious Generation in their neighborhood book group. In it, author Jonathan Haidt posits that childhood has been rewired by smartphones and overprotective parenting, causing a new rise in mental health issues.
“It made us think about how we could give kids safer passage through neighborhoods so they could experience real-world play,” Becnel says.
She and Byrnes are also advocating for MOVEBR funds to beautify the forthcoming crosswalk with plantings and landscape features. The City of Baton Rouge will decide on those allocations this fall.
It isn’t just kids who would benefit from more crosswalks, but residents of all ages. One of Demo Day’s many partners and sponsors is AARP.
“We hope this event is just the beginning,” State Director of AARP Louisiana Denise Bottcher said in a news release. “Safer crossings are essential, but so are wider sidewalks, curb ramps and thoughtful design choices that support people of all ages and abilities.”
Perk Up Perkins Demo Day is part of a wave of new energy focused on beautifying the corridor and making it more walkable. The yearslong Underpass project to establish a footpath from Reymond Avenue to Christian Street is expected to break ground soon.
For more information about Perk Up Perkins Demo Day, contact Julie Gerdes Becnel at [email protected] or Mysti Byrnes at [email protected].
|
|
|
