Tourism benefits of Taylor Parkway touted

    It’s been over 15 years since the Zachary Taylor Parkway Commission (ZTP) updated its master plan to develop the scenic, historic and economic resources along the route.

   The commission met in Mansura July 8 to get a progress report on a new master plan. Increasing tourism along the parkway is one of the main goals of the project to create a wide east-west highway across the middle of the state, between I-10 and I-20.

  “This is a marathon event, not a sprint,” ZTP Vice Chairman A.J. Roy of Marksville said. “This is a long-term effort and what it will produce can invigorate us all -- should invigorate us all -- to use this as a springboard for development in our parishes.”

 

   Roy served as host for the meeting, which was held at the Cottonport Bank Camp in Mansura. Roy is president of the bank.

  Bruce Richards, vice president of N-Y Associates -- the company hired to update the master plan -- said the parkway stretches from Alexandria through Avoyelles and the Florida parishes to end at Poplarville, Miss. It generally follows La. Hwy 1, La. Hwy 10 and Miss. Hwy 26. 

   It is named after the only man elected President from Louisiana, Mexican War hero Gen. Zachary Taylor.

  Richards said there are numerous sites along the Taylor Parkway that are of historic interest, provide visitors an understanding of the state’s cultures, are scenically beautiful and provide opportunities to enjoy the outdoors with  nature trails, hunting, boating and fishing.

Work together

  The master plan will help commissioners and local governments and tourism boards work together to promote the Taylor Parkway as a tourist attraction.

   He said the parkway will never be a national vacation destination like Disneyland, the Smoky Mountains and New Orleans. However, he said it can be a regional vacation destination. Most of the state is within 100 miles of at least a section of the parkway -- perfect for day-trip outings or weekend vacations.

   Richards said there are six basic types of attractions, and the Zachary Taylor Parkway is blessed with numerous examples of all six -- scenic, natural, recreational, archaeological, historic and cultural.

   During his presentation, he noted the Marc Dupuy Jr. Nature Trail at Grand Cote National Wildlife Refuge as an example of a scenic site. Spring Bayou was used as an example of a natural attraction. Quality golf courses, such as Tamahka Trails in Marksville, are recreational sites. The Marksville prehistoric Indian park and museum is an important archaeological site. Historical sites include homes such as Hypolite Bordelon House in Marksville and Desfossé House in Mansura. Cultural attractions are not necessarily permanent sites, but include festivals such as Marksville’s Arts & Music/ Independence Day Festival and Mansura’s Cochon de Lait Festival

   Richards said it is important to get public officials, businesses, tourism boards and civic leaders to work together to promote the parkway.

    The effort is not just to promote tourism, but to create a safer transportation route for all motorists and to support existing business and industry while creating an atmosphere to encourage new and expanding business and industry.

    It was noted that the stretch of La. Hwy 1 through Marksville has an “abnormally high accident rate,” which is defined as at least twice the state average. The reason given was that it is a construction zone and it is hoped the accident rate will return to normal after construction is completed.

   The figures indicated 67 percent of those accidents were rear-end accidents, 16 percent were sideswipes, 10 percent involved left/right turns and 7 percent were intersection accidents.

   After the presentation, Roy said everyone “needs to get excited about this, work with our police juries, councils, mayors and every leader in our communities. This is something we can really get behind.”

   Roy said commissioners and other interested parties cannot let the interest end after the Master Plan is finished, presented and adopted in a few months.

   “We have to keep the fire burning and not let this effort run out of gas,” he said. “Pull together. It is the best all of us have to offer. United we can stand and we will succeed.”