East Baton Rouge Approves Infrastructure Plan Funding Road Repairs and Bus Expansion

The East Baton Rouge Parish Council adopted the 2026 Infrastructure Ordinance on July 7. The measure directs funds from existing parish revenue streams to resurfacing segments of Florida Boulevard and adding three new bus routes operated by Capital Area Transit System.

Local government records show the ordinance responds to maintenance backlogs documented in the 2025 parish public works report. Those records listed more than 180 lane miles of pavement rated poor or failing within city limits.

Effects on daily commutes and hiring

Residents who drive or take the bus along Florida Boulevard between Airline Highway and the Mississippi River bridge will encounter scheduled closures beginning in September. Capital Area Transit System will extend Route 12 to connect the downtown transfer center with the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport twice each weekday. The changes are expected to shorten average wait times on that corridor by 12 minutes, according to the transit authority timetable released with the ordinance.

Construction contracts under the ordinance require prime contractors to recruit at least 40 percent of their workforce from within East Baton Rouge Parish zip codes. The parish procurement office will publish bid notices on August 1 for the first three paving segments.

Parish budget documents for fiscal year 2026 list $47 million already appropriated for transportation capital projects. The new ordinance reallocates $8.2 million of that total to the Florida Boulevard work and the added bus service without raising the property tax millage rate.

Next steps for implementation

Public works crews will begin utility location surveys along the designated corridors next month. The parish planning commission will hold two public meetings in August to review traffic control plans before any paving starts.

Local businesses that supply asphalt, traffic signals and bus parts can submit vendor applications through the parish purchasing portal by July 31. The ordinance requires quarterly progress reports to the council beginning in October 2026.