Today, BGR presented “Rebuilding Our Infrastructure, Making New Orleans Resilient,” a Breakfast Briefing to discuss progress on New Orleans’ citywide street improvement program. Joseph W. Threat, Sr., and Sarah McLaughlin Porteous, public works leaders for the City of New Orleans, discussed street repair and construction efforts managed through the City’s Roadwork NOLA program. This is a $2.3 billion street and infrastructure investment largely fueled by federal recovery funds to repair damage from the Hurricane Katrina disaster. They assumed leadership of the program in mid-2022. They discussed the status of the federal funding, project prioritization and progress, inflation cost impacts, contractor accountability, coordination with the Sewerage & Water Board, and many other topics. Following their presentation, Mr. Threat and Ms. Porteous answered questions from the audience.
BGR presented this event free to the public thanks to generous sponsorship from:
Click below to watch the video replay, view short clips of key points in the discussion, and scroll down to see photos of the event. BGR also thanks WWNO New Orleans Public Radio 89.9 FM for rebroadcasting this event on October 4, 2023, at 9 p.m.
Click here to download a copy of the speakers’ slide presentation.
Full Video
Video Clips
How did the City end up with so many stalled street projects? (13:30 to 16:08)
The City has hired a project management consultant to help prioritize and expedite projects. (23:08 to 24:23)
Public Works is using task-order contracting to break projects into smaller pieces and minimize work delays. (20:36 to 22:36)
The City issues report cards to hold contractors publicly accountable for their work. (49:59 to 52:23)
A strategy shift from quick fixes to full curb-to-curb reconstructions provides longer-lasting benefits, though the short-term inconvenience may be greater. (24:24 to 26:16)
What does the City need to do to get FEMA to extend a deadline to initiate all remaining projects by February 2024 or risk losing the federal funding for those projects? (34:02 to 36:04)
How will the City balance the need to get the remaining street projects started quickly to meet the FEMA deadline with the desire to minimize disruptions to the public? (42:21 to 44:40)
How will the City maintain rebuilt streets to maximize the benefits of the large infusion of federal dollars? (57:20 to 58:34)
Photos
Picture Credits: Jill Lafleur Photography