BR Council Dealing With Bus Bench Headaches

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Hundreds of benches lined with advertisements on them are set up in public rights of way across East Baton Rouge Parish. Sometimes they are at a bus stop; other times not. Often the placement is entirely random.

The benches have been a recurring source of frustration for Metro Council members, some of whom consider them to be poorly maintained eyesores. It is an issue they say they hope to deal with at their Oct. 9 meeting to decide which companies will have the right to place the benches in the public rights of way.

Councilwoman Ronnie Edwards said the unattractive benches devalue the community and that she would like to see a moratorium on awarding additional bus bench contracts until standards are put in place.