District 6 is the geographic heart of Lafayette Parish. Just look at a map. Johnston Street, West Congress, N. College, S. College, Eraste Landry, Doucet Road., Vital, Foreman Dr., West St. Mary Blvd., West University Ave., Ambassador Caffery Prkwy., Dulles, Bertrand, Cajundome Blvd., Brentwood Blvd., and others serve as the vessels that carry the lifeblood to the heart of Lafayette. Imagine going anywhere in Lafayette without traveling on one of those streets. And, as Lafayette grows, the flow along and through those vessels becomes more and more congested. As the arterial streets become increasingly unable to keep up with Lafayette’s growth, traffic flow seeks the point of least resistance, emptying into once peaceful neighborhoods in order to avoid the traffic gridlock. Fast forward to 2035 when my granddaughter Colleen is 30 and has a family of her own. What will the congestion be like then? The most pressing problem in District 6 is obviously traffic planning into the future, yet the present Consolidated Government seems to have difficulty dealing with the now, much less the future. I’m not sure consolidation ever delivered what it promised.

We need to foster a dynamic urbanization pattern that manages the future development of District 6 without diminishing or endangering the quality of life. For example, when looking at the Johnston Street Redevelopment and Beautification Initiative, will the cost and/or inconvenience out-weigh the benefits or should we focus on the arterials that connect Lafayette to other parish communities. Future development within the District is made daily by the decisions of property owners, developers, businesses, and local government. A comprehensive plan can facilitate how these independent decisions come together to meet both short-term and the long-term community objectives.

All roads in the parish are a major concern. I would not support a new tax. We will need to more creative on ways to fund new projects.

Our greatest traffic need: Lafayette needs an inner and outer transportation loup, with overpasses, underpasses, designated non-stop right turn lanes, and other manner of 21st century traffic management tools. We also need to employ some of those kinds of traffic flow mechanisms on our existing arterial roadways to provide better flow of traffic. That would be a much better use of the $400 million it would take to achieve the Johnston Street (ugh) Boulevard. Funding source: We should be flush now that City Government has raised our property taxes. Since our local government just got a big pay raise, we should dedicate all of that new revenue to needed infrastructure and traffic needs.

The strain on current and future maintenance and development of roads and right-of-ways is starting to show because of the increase in traffic congestion and population growth. A possible revenue source to ease traffic concerns may be to introduce a city-parish bond program (not a tax) specifically for road and drainage repairs and improvements. The city could borrow money on the open bond market at a low interest rate and then issue municipal bonds that would be paid back like a regular loan.  To help curb the cost of borrowing, the city could also refinance existing city debt at lower interest rates and look into tapping into state and federal funds that have been and will be allocated for capital improvements.

I have read the LINC plan. There are parts of it that make sense. I will need to study it more to have a better opinion about it.

LINC is a plan that is not a plan. It encompasses so many ideas and strategies, that it is more a plan to have a plan. And, LINC does nothing to help the heart of Lafayette, which is District 6. Just study the LINC Designated Areas Map. Only LINC Area 3 addresses any of the concerns of District 6 and that LINC study has been “put on hold” until further notice. LINC does not address any of the core issues that must be addressed about the heart of Lafayette, namely Johnston Street, West Congress, N. College and S. College, Eraste Landry, Doucet Rd., Vital, Foreman Dr., West St. Mary Blvd, West University Ave., Ambassador Caffery Prkwy., Dulles, Bertrand, Cajundome Blvd., Brentwood Blvd. Or the traffic problems through that area. The real world requires real answers. Frankly, I would not vote to fund the LINC Plan as it is currently conceived.

Louisiana Statutes give the authority to implement a comprehensive plan to city and parish planning commissions. Lafayette's City-Parish Planning Commission is responsible for coordinating the Plan as set forth by a Comprehensive Plan Implementation Committee. The CPIC reviews and evaluates the Plan and, when necessary, makes recommendations to the Council for revisions. The Home Rule Charter gives the Council the authority to affirm or over-rule any recommendations or decisions of the Commission. A formula for municipal funding will need to be developed to insure fair and equal opportunity for participation by all elements of the plan. Based on necessity, the funds will then have to be allocated and utilized by the parish to advance parish planning and project initiatives.

As a avid biker, I have always wanted to see more bike paths in Lafayette. We do have situations where there are deep ditches next to busy streets. Both of these thing should be addressed. The problem will always be funding. Where to get the money. Will all the people of the parish want to support this issues.

Sidewalks and bike paths should be taken on a case by case basis. The bike paths along Johnston Street were a total waste of money. I once rode my bicycle along the Johnston Street bike paths, but with great fear and trepidation. The paths are unsafe with the amount of traffic on Johnston, and I certainly would not want my child or grandchild out riding a bike there. Bike paths should be built away from traffic, not in it. Likewise, sidewalks should be built where foot traffic demand is high enough to warrant a sidewalk, and where walking on the right side of a street is unsafe because of traffic volume or questionable footing to the right of the roadway. And, if your going to build a sidewalk, it must be continuous–no stopping and starting every few blocks!

We need to improve the physical environment in which we live and reduce the opportunity of injury and crime by adopting strategies that both work and are cost effective.  One way to improve community safety and access would be to increase street lighting, street signs and to improve access to transit services in those areas. We should also look to law enforcement to increase its visibility and to strictly enforce traffic laws in those areas with high traffic volume.  Finally, we can promote community activities that contribute to raising the level of community awareness and safety for residents and people visiting, working, and living within the community.

I would like to see more utilities put underground. I would more parks. I would like to see more smart growth in the parish. I think we can start now at working on these issues. 

What should Lafayette look like in 20 years. Well, it took thirty-five years to get a bridge across the Vermilion River at Camelia Blvd. We’ve been talking about I-49 through or around Lafayette since the days of Kenny Bowen. If we double our pace, if we correct the NOW as well as make realistic achievable goals for the FUTURE, and if we SPEND our money WISELY, and that is a key, maybe we can make improvements to the heart of Lafayette that will correct our traffic situation. Maybe we can have a new park on the UL Horse Farm. Maybe we can bury some of the utility lines along Johnston Street and other places as well. I’m sure that some see Lafayette in twenty years with three more “River Ranch” type developments somewhere in the Parish where it takes 30-40 minutes in traffic to get across town. Driving in traffic for 40 minutes twice a day is not my idea of the quality of life that I want to live. That’s why I live in the heart of Lafayette on West Saint Mary Blvd., two blocks from where I went to first grade at Myrtle Place School. Shorten that morning and evening traffic time, and everyone will like Lafayette a lot more, no matter what Lafayette may look like in 20 years–no matter what neighborhood we may live in. Oh, and, garbage pickup twice a week, wouldn’t be bad either!

As Lafayette continues to expand, land use and drainage issues will increase. As a result, we will have to incorporate "Smart Growth" principles. These principles form a community planning and transportation theory that concetrates growth within the center of a city and allows for outward expansion. We see two kinds of Smart Growth in Lafayette: the revitalization of the city’s downtown area as well as new developments like River Ranch. In 20 years, I see community life in the parish being more walkable and bicycle friendly, town-centered and having a greater mix of housing, commercial and retail uses. I also see a greater use of public lands by creating and incorporating parks and recreational green spaces in order to preserve community access to the outdoors and reacreation.