RuralTransportation.org

Resource Library
Louisiana

The Rural Context For Transportation Consultations

Louisiana is the 32nd largest state in the U.S. in land area, 22nd largest in population, and 23rd most densely populated. However, approximately 51 percent of Louisiana's population and jobs, and 97 percent of the land, is non-urban. About 88 percent of Louisiana's roads are rural. Federally owned lands amount to less than 4 percent of the state's land area.

Louisiana is a slowly growing state, as measured by population, with a slowly growing rate of employment. The portion of the state's jobs that are in the uniquely rural agriculture and mining sectors is fairly small (4 and 4 percent, respectively). Most jobs in Louisiana's rural areas are in sectors also common in urban areas: construction, transportation & utilities (16 percent); manufacturing (15 percent); business & trade (25 percent); and services & government (35 percent).

Demographically, Louisiana's non-urban population is predominately white and African American (72 and 26.3 percent, respectively). Louisiana ranks in the top quarter of states (11th highest) in terms of the proportion of the non-urban adult population who did not graduate from high school and in the bottom quarter (5th lowest) in terms of the proportion who did graduate from college. The 24 percent of Louisiana's non-urban people who are poor is the 2nd highest compared to all other states. About 43 percent of the state's non-urban population is in non-working age groups (32 percent 18 years or younger, and 11 percent 65 years or older).

Governmentally, Louisiana has 60 counties, a fairly manageable number compared to many other states. The state also has 302 municipalities, but no towns or townships. It ranks in the middle (22nd lowest) in terms of the number of sub-county governments. Louisiana has four federally recognized Indian tribes.

In addition, the 1997 U.S. Census of Governments has identified 16 independent, special-purpose governments in Louisiana that have transportation responsibilities. This number is lower than in many other states. These special-purpose governments include 1 for highways, 14 for water transport, and one for transit. Louisians also has 31 other public transit providers serving rural areas and an additional 77 organizations that provide specialized transit services to elderly and disabled populations in those same areas.

Louisiana has 8 regional councils that cover approximately 100 percent of the state, and 8 MPOs. These regional units help to coordinate the other local governments.

Of Louisiana's 58,629 miles of roads, approximately 28 percent are state-controlled, while 1 percent are federal. Of the total miles of non-federal rural roads, 32 percent are state, 63 percent are county, none are township, and 5 percent are municipal and other.

Processes For Consultation And Cooperation With Local Officials In Non-Metropolitan Areas

The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (LDOTD) conducts all transportation planning, and is overseen by a joint Senate/House Committee of the legislature, rather than by a transportation commission. It is divided into nine districts. LDOTD develops a 25-year long-range plan, and an eight-year program of improvement, of which the first three years make up the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP). Louisiana has eight MPOs. The state also has various regional planning commissions and economic development councils, but these have no formal role in transportation planning.

The LDOTD central office identifies top transportation needs by district and category, and distributes the lists to the districts. The district administrators, who work directly with local governments, have significant responsibility for identifying necessary transportation projects. The districts compile a preliminary ranking of needs and projects that are used by the legislature in holding public hearings in each district.

Public involvement in planning and programming for rural areas not within an MPO boundary is achieved in accordance with published public involvement procedures established for LDOTD. Annually, LDOTD must present to the legislature an up-to-date needs study, providing information on the requirements for bringing existing roadways into compliance with current standards. The legislature is responsible for holding public hearings to review priorities for the coming year. Annually, as part of the development of the long-range highway program, the legislature holds a public hearing in each of the nine LDOTD districts. Most of the hearing participants are local elected officials. This forum may be broadened to include an LDOTD presentation on the status of the long-range plan and STIP and to obtain oral and written comments on the drafts of these documents.

LDOTD procedures require that both the long-range plan and the STIP be made available for formal review and comment. Notice is published in the official journal of each parish and in the Advocate (Baton Rouge); at least 45 days are allowed. The STIP is submitted to the legislature by LDOTD for approval. Once published, notice is given on availability of information concerning the technical and policy decisions made to prioritize projects.

Annually, public bodies submit applications to the LDOTD for section 5311 funding for rural transit programs. The applicants for Section 5311 funding are responsible for coordinating with all local government bodies, transit operators, and any other interested group or organization. During the application process, and on a day-to-day basis, LDOTD consults with local elected officials regarding transportation needs. Periodically LDOTD hires consultants to conduct a needs study to identify unmet needs throughout the state. Additionally the Inter-Agency Transportation Coordination Committee (IATCC), chaired by the LDOTD Secretary, coordinates programmatic requirements and recommendations among five state agencies that provide funding for transportation. Two other statewide bodies provide input to the LDOTD planning process concerning local transit needs: (1) the Louisiana Public Transit Association (LPTA) Executive Board, which is comprised of representatives from urban, small urban, rural and specialized providers, and (2) the Rural Technical Assistance Program (RTAP) Advisory Committee, which is comprised of representatives from rural and specialized providers.

Transportation needs are met through federal, state and local funding. State funds include a gas tax that goes into a trust fund shared between LDOTD, the state patrol, and parishes. Parishes also may levy a special local option sales tax for transportation purposes. Rural regions receive most of their project funding through the overlay program, which allocates money to each district based on vehicle miles traveled. Transit programs are supported with federal and local funds, plus a small amount of state funds used to buy vehicles. LDOTD contracts only with local public bodies (rural parishes or municipalities), that in most cases contract with private nonprofit transit service providers.

Louisiana uses these practices:

State Processes to Compile Transportation Needs: LTOTD must present the results of an annual needs assessment to the state legislature. Consultants periodically perform needs assessments to identify unmet transit needs.
State Hearings: The state legislature holds hearings in each LDOTD district. The long-range plan and STIP are made available for formal review and comment.
Allocation of Transportation Funds and Responsibilities: The overlay program.
State Policy-Making and Advisory Baords: Planning for transit programs is guided by the Joint Transportation Committee of the Legislature; also the IATCC, LPTA, and RTAP.
Other Practices: LDOTD's districts interact with local officials on a day-to-day basis.

Return to the top

National Association of Development Organizations Research Foundation
400 North Capitol St., NW, Suite 390, Washington, DC 20001
(202) 624-7806 • Fax (202) 624-8813 •info@nado.org
www.nado.org