I’ve been traveling to and from Baton Rouge a lot lately. My mother is ill, and it’s becoming a routine trip. Funny, BR is only a little over an hour from New Orleans, but it seems such a long way. People like Joseph and I are so spoiled: depending on traffic (and the number of streets that are torn up now) we live about 10 minutes from the office; we can be downtown or in the Quarter in seven minutes, uptown and Mid City in about the same amount of time; in Metairie in 20 minutes, and at the airport in about 30. A trip to the airport or Kenner is now long for us.

I was thinking when I used to live in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, or when I drove in Atlanta, that over an hour’s commute in a car to visit a friend or work was nothing, even expected. And Los Angeles…well, the traffic there is enough to make you commit suicide. Yep, we’re spoiled.

I keep wondering when our politicians will step up to the plate and actually make a light rail system between New Orleans and Baton Rouge a reality to create a real metroplex that would be anchored by the two cities. Remember the Dallas-Fort Worth area? Now that’s a metroplex. The two cities are connected by a toll road and a light rail train.

Both cities have an appeal (I like Baton Rouge’s suburban ambience, but culturally, it doesn’t hold a candle to New Orleans). Wouldn’t it be great if we could hop on a train at downtown Union Station and be in BR in 30 minutes? Take a train to the airport? Anyone who’s been to Europe knows that the availability of a train option is wonderful, and sometimes is the only way anyone does travel. They’re clean and safe, they run on time; they are dependable.

I’ve talked about this for 40 years (a friend, a transportation engineer envisioned a high speed train that crossed Lake Pontchartrain and connected the North and South Shores). Politically though, we’ve had issues getting to what will work, transportation-wise, and that is a real pity. Louisiana: so much potential, so much stupid politics.

Let’s also think about what impact a train could have on cultural assets for the region; everyone would benefit from it. Transportation access is key to economic development and could also be for cultural stimulus and growth. I say we need some political foresight and work to get this done.