The City Council has pulled the plug on free customized lighting displays on the Crescent City Connection, establishing new rules to charge fees to private groups that want to illuminate the bridge over the Mississippi River in colors of their choosing.
The change comes more than 18 months after new LED lights were installed on the bridge. In the months since, carnival krewes, universities, high schools, alumni groups, conventions, nonprofits and awareness campaigns have received complimentary custom displays.
The ordinance, sponsored by District B Councilmember Lesli Harris and District C Councilmember Freddy King III, establishes a nightly fee of at least $1,000 and no more than $15,000. It steers the proceeds into a newly created Crescent City Connection Bridge Lighting Fund that may only be used for maintaining, operating and programming the display and may not be transferred to the general fund…