JEFF DAVIS PARISH — Jeff Davis Parish is about one-third of the way through a road safety study aimed at identifying high-risk areas for drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians, with officials hoping the effort will position the parish to secure federal infrastructure funding.
The parish is participating in the Safe Streets and Roads for All grant program, which is guiding the study and could serve as a pathway to future federal dollars for road improvements.
Residents asked to identify problem areas
Parish Administrator Ben Boudreaux said officials have mapped parish roads and gathered input from residents.
"We've kind of laid out the roads of the Jeff Davis Parish," Boudreaux said. "We've done some surveys looking for input from residents in the area, kind of looking at the hotspots or areas that people know about that maybe not show up in the data statistically."
Boudreaux said that local knowledge is a key part of the process.
"It could be areas that maybe there's not a history of crashes, but people know it's not really safe," he said. "Maybe the road is not wide enough, or there are other issues that people that live locally know about."
Study to serve as foundation for federal funding application
Boudreaux said the findings will be compiled into a report that officials plan to use when applying for additional federal funding.
"The ultimate goal is not just to do a study; it's ultimately to follow up with some infrastructure improvements, and we want the community to know that we're out there, we're listening," Boudreaux said. "We want to know where they think these improvements need to be, and we need their input to do that."
He said the completed report will act as a stepping stone toward implementing the study's recommendations.
Parish officials are encouraging all residents to submit feedback online. Once the safety plan is complete, the parish will formally apply for federal funding.
