Plaquemines Parish, LA
Suzanne Leckert led a team of planners at TMG Consulting in the performance of a land use and transportation sub-area analysis for a partial wetlands area adjacent to the Naval Air Station/Joint Reserve Base in Plaquemines Parish, LA. With the goal of bringing economic opportunities to Plaquemines Parish, and strengthening ties to the NAS/JRB, the team provided planning and outreach services, as well as oversight of engineering services related to the potential development of a commercial air cargo facility to capitalize on the opportunities for air, rail, road, and river transport present at the site. An economic and demographic profile of the area was prepared, as well as inventories of the physical, engineering, land use, and environmental features of the site. Comparable developments across the United States were studied, and trends in the cargo industry worldwide were identified. Input from local government and business stakeholders was coordinated. Projections for the potential utilization of the commercial facility were generated, taking into account economic, geographical, and governmental factors. The implications of a build and no-build scenario were compared, and transportation goals, objectives and policies developed, consistent with the region’s Long-Range Metropolitan Transportation Plan Update.