City-parish to consider two-year extensions for MoveBR consultants
Seven years after voters approved a half-cent sales tax to fund a sweeping transportation program, Baton Rouge officials are preparing to authorize another $32.5 million in contracts for the private firms that have overseen MoveBR.
The Metro Council is scheduled to consider two-year extensions that would provide up to $19.9 million for Stantec Consulting Services and up to $12.5 million for Westwood Professional Services (formerly CSRS). Stantec is responsible for community enhancements, corridor improvements and traffic-management projects; Westwood manages the larger road-capacity efforts, according to city-parish materials.
- MoveBR began collecting the half-cent sales tax in April 2019 and is slated to run for 30 years.
- The tax is meant to finance more than $1 billion in road expansions, sidewalks, traffic signals and other improvements.
- City-parish leaders say private consultants are needed because of limited internal engineering capacity.
Progress: spending vs. visible construction
Despite years of planning and spending, many of MoveBR’s largest projects remain years from finished pavement. At the end of 2025 the program reported that of its 137 listed project phases, 47 were complete, 23 were in construction and 67 — nearly half — remained in planning, design or right-of-way and utility phases.
| Metric | Amount |
|---|---|
| Total project phases listed | 137 |
| Complete phases | 47 |
| In construction | 23 |
| Planning/design/right-of-way/utility | 67 |
| Cumulative spending (through Dec. 31, 2025) | $350.1 million |
| Spending attributed specifically to MoveBR | $220.3 million |
Officials defend continued consultant use
Program managers and Councilwoman Laurie Adams, who represents part of the city-parish, said the gap between dollars spent and visible pavement largely reflects years of preparatory work that must happen before widening roads or adding lanes.
"I think in the early years it's been hard to see the progress because it's a lot of the things you can't see," Adams said. "I think over the next two years you're going to see project after project completed."
Adams also said the city-parish lacks the in-house engineering and project management staffing to run a program of MoveBR’s scale without outside contractors. "We do not have the volume of staff in city-parish government that you would need to manage these types of large projects," she said, noting government salaries cannot always match private-sector offers.
Questions for taxpayers and long-term delivery
The council vote will determine whether the consultants continue on the current trajectory for another two years at an estimated $32.5 million cost. Supporters argue the extensions ensure continuity and experienced oversight for complex right-of-way acquisition, utility relocation and design work that must precede construction.
Critics and some residents have pressed for clearer timelines and more visible progress, particularly on major corridors expected to reduce commute times and improve safety. With nearly half of project phases still in early stages, the next two years could be pivotal for moving projects from design and permitting into active construction.
As Baton Rouge balances the need to keep large-scale transportation projects moving with scrutiny over public spending, council members will weigh whether continuing the current consultant contracts is the most efficient path to completing MoveBR’s ambitious agenda.
Documentation provided to the Metro Council lists the contract amounts and active project statuses; the council meeting agenda is expected to include the extension ordinances on Wednesday.
