A 71-year-old New Orleans man is still relying on a cane and walker a month after he says a driver struck him on his scooter near North Broad and Onzaga and then kept going without stopping. Steve Brown's recovery has become a rallying point for 7th Ward residents who say they want a direct voice in the state's targeted resurfacing and safety work on one of the neighborhood's most dangerous corridors.
Brown was hit on October 17 and told WDSU he still experiences dizziness from the crash, and that the driver who hit him drove off without stopping. He's spent the past month recovering at home. His account has become a focal point as neighbors push the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development to factor community concerns into targeted resurfacing and safety improvements on North Broad Street.
A Stretch Residents Call a Speedway
Morgan Clevenger, president of the Fairgrounds Triangle Neighborhood Association, has described the stretch of North Broad Street between Bayou Road and St. Bernard Avenue as a speedway marked by frequent serious wrecks, according to WDSU. Clevenger said crashes and hit-and-runs have become daily dangers for people who live along the corridor, and that residents are effectively risking their lives just using the road.
The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development has proposed improvements for US 90 covering North Broad Street, Gentilly Boulevard and Chef Menteur Highway, running from Lafitte Avenue to France Road, according to the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development. Per WDSU, the project includes roadway resurfacing, neutral ground modifications and accessibility upgrades, and construction is expected to begin in 2027 if it moves forward as planned.
What the DOTD Plan Would Change
A separate account of the project from Yahoo News describes the DOTD work as involving resurfacing and pedestrian improvements between Lafitte Avenue and France Road. That report also says the plan would add left-turn lanes and make changes to median openings near St. Bernard Avenue, changes aimed at the same corridor residents have flagged as hazardous.
Clevenger said the state infrastructure project should be community-led, according to WDSU, framing resident input as essential to the targeted work DOTD ultimately pursues. State representatives and senators are set to host a town hall at The Broadside on November 19, per WDSU's reporting, giving neighbors a formal opportunity to weigh in. WDSU reported that the meeting is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. at The Broadside; a Yahoo/WGNO report gives the venue's address as 600 North Broad St. and says Clevenger helped organize it.
Open Questions Ahead of the Meeting
Neither account establishes a confirmed construction start date beyond the 2027 target tied to the project moving forward as planned, nor a final design for the corridor. For residents like Brown, still navigating recovery with a cane and walker, the upcoming town hall represents a chance to turn personal loss into influence over how targeted safety work on North Broad Street ultimately takes shape.
