The Voice of Southwest Louisiana August 2018 Issue

SWLA news
Editor’s Note: This series of articles provided by Imperial Calcasieu Regional Planning
& Development Commission (IMCAL) will inform, educate and update our readers on
events affecting transportation and economic development in Southwest Louisiana.
Imperial Calcasieu Regional Planning
& Development Commission
DOTD Announces Public Meetings
By Cheri L. Soileau, AICP, Executive/MPO Director
Now that the I-210
Prien Lake Bridge
Redecking Project
has been awarded, DOTD
has announced public
meetings before the actual
construction begins. It is
important to attend these
meetings and learn about the
project and ask questions. The
meetings will be take place at
various locations throughout
Lake Charles, Sulphur and
Westlake. The first meeting is
at the Epps Memorial Library,
1320 Simmons Street, Lake
Charles, on Tuesday, August 7
at 6 pm, followed by Sulphur
Regional Library, 1160 Cypress
Street, Sulphur, on Tuesday
August 14, 6 pm and Westlake
City Hall, 1001 Mulberry
Street, Westlake, on Tuesday,
August 28 at 6 pm. After Labor
Day, there will be additional
meetings beginning on
Tuesday, September 4, at 6
pm at the Office of Homeland
Security and Emergency
Preparedness, 901 Lakeshore
Drive, Lake Charles at 6 pm,
on Wednesday September 19
at Central Library 301 West
Claude Street at 6 pm and the
last meeting will be held in
Mossville at 3825 Old Spanish
Trail in Westlake on Tuesday
September 25 at 6 pm. Please
attend to learn more about
the project details and to ask
questions.
Part of what the
Metropolitan Planning
Organization does involves
safety on roadways and the
State of Louisiana is one of
very few states that funds a
Regional Safety Coordinator
in each MPO. The Regional
Safety Coordinator heads up
a Regional Safety Coalition,
which is part of the Statewide
Regional Safety Coalition. This
initiative, called Destination
Zero Deaths, is paired with
the Strategic Highway Safety
Plan (SHSP) to reduce motor
vehicle-related fatalities and
serious injuries. The plan is
multidisciplinary, data-driven,
and constantly evolving.
It is a living document
updated every five years
with input from a broad array
of stakeholders and with
leadership from the Louisiana
Department of Transportation
and Development (DOTD),
Louisiana State Police (LSP),
and the Louisiana Highway
Safety Commission (LHSC).
On a regional level, the
Southwest Regional Safety
Coalition works with first
responders, State Police
and interested Citizens
to look at ways to reduce
motor-vehicle crashes. The
Regional Safety Coordinator,
besides working with coalition
members, identify issues, and
how to do public outreach for
education, is also a certified
child safety seat technician.
She has had training on the
proper installation of child
seats to ensure these seats
are safely installed and that
children are properly protected
while traveling in a car.
The Southwest Safety
Coalition has a Facebook
page: https://www.facebook.
com/SWLASafetyCoaltion/
and we welcome questions
and comments. Members of
the public may contact our
office for appointments on
Fridays so that our Regional
Safety Coordinator can
install child safety seats.
Call 337-433-1771 for more
information.
Cheri L. Soileau, AICP,
Executive/MPO Director
Imperial Calcasieu
Regional Planning &
Development Commission
Lake Charles Urbanized
Metropolitan Planning
Organization (MPO)
4310 Ryan Street, Suite 330
Lake Charles LA 70605
O: 337-433-1771
C: 469-964-2015
www.imcal.la
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