The Perkins Overpass area is a popular destination for the people of Baton Rouge where several neighborhoods intersect with a busy commercial corridor. As is the case in similar places throughout the city, options for safely accessing the restaurants and shops in the area on foot or by bike were severely limited. In partnership with local residents, the Mayor’s Office, Baton Rouge’s Department of Transportation, the Greater Baton Rouge Association of Realtors and others, CPEX designed and executed a Better Block demonstration along a key segment of this corridor to show how improving safety and access for all modes of transportation can transform a dangerous chokepoint into a vibrant destination. Outreach to area residents and merchants helped shape the demonstration design and public feedback during the event further refined ideas about the types of improvements that would work best in this specific context.

Mirroring the Better Block BR Government Street demonstration, the Perkins Overpass Better Block was a weekend demonstration that temporarily transformed two blocks of Perkins Road with temporary improvements including streetscape improvements, sidewalks, crosswalks, landscaping, and a pop up park created by BREC. One of the most significant features was a path that enabled pedestrians to access the area by crossing beneath the overpass, avoiding the dangerous road above.