STATEMENT FROM MAYOR-PRESIDENT BOULET ON CURRENT ROAD PROJECTS

STATEMENT FROM MAYOR-PRESIDENT BOULET ON CURRENT ROAD PROJECTS

As Mayor-President, working with our City and Parish Councils, our responsibility is to ensure the infrastructure we build today serves the needs of our families, our businesses and our community for decades to come.

As the older parts of Lafayette are going through a revitalization with unprecedented infrastructure investments, we are experiencing growing pains and learning lessons while also moving forward, giving us all the opportunity to make needed changes along the way so our revitalization is healthy and sustainable.

After reviewing recent roadway projects and listening to residents, business owners, and transportation professionals, I am directing a reset on how the Lafayette Consolidated Government administration approaches the planning and design of urban roadways.

I want to specifically address the University Corridor and the Bertrand Revitalization project.

1. The University Corridor Project

In previous administrations, LCG roadway design trends have emphasized narrow travel lanes—sometimes as small as nine feet wide—as an effort to calm traffic. This was the justification when the plans were finalized on the University Corridor in 2022. Our community has expressed concern on the University project about both the lane widths and the proper access to businesses.

Once the DOTD/FHWA project deliverables are complete in the next 3-5 months, LCG will have the opportunity to make modifications to address both concerns. I assure you we are working on those potential modifications now and will have them ready for public input prior to implementation.

Moving forward, our default planning approach for major urban corridors will shift toward eleven-foot travel lanes whenever practical and appropriate. We are looking at all existing roadway projects designed under previous administrations through the lens of safety, functionality, accessibility, long-term mobility. At the same time, we remain committed to balancing the needs of pedestrians, cyclists, drainage infrastructure, business access, and neighborhood connectivity.

2.The Bertrand Revitalization Project

Another area of concern voiced by businesses in the Bertrand corridor is the more restrictive Lafayette Development Code Type A development standard that will be

automatically triggered in this project. When looking at the actual implications of this part of the Lafayette Development Code, both Council Chair Boudreaux and myself agree when we are investing in our urban corridors, we want standards that make sense, that do not create unreasonable burdens on our businesses and on our families.

This summer, we are reexamining the Lafayette Development Code as it applies to revitalization projects and our established businesses. We will revisit the more restrictive Type A Development Standard as it impacts existing commercial corridors. After several conversations with council members, I can say we are all interested in a code that works with our businesses, not against them. We will be formulating the appropriate changes to the code for public input prior to implementation.

Let me be clear, we can revitalize older parts of town, build safe pedestrian and bicycle facilities and build roadways that accommodate vehicles. In addition, we can do it without an unreasonable burden on our businesses.  It is our responsibility to find that balance.

As we continue investing in infrastructure, our goal is simple: build roadways that are safer, more efficient, and better suited for the way Lafayette moves today and will move in the future. This reset is about putting common sense, safety, and long-term performance at the center of every transportation decision we make.

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