LAFAYETTE, La. — A major federal grant will fund safety improvements along one of Lafayette’s busiest corridors, as city officials move forward with long-awaited upgrades to Johnston Street.
“We have been working on trying to do something in this area for a very long time. So, to finally see it come to fruition and to get funding for it, we're super excited,” said Ashley Moran, the MPO Planning & Policy Manager with the Acadiana Planning Commission.
After more than two decades of planning, an approximately 1.3 mile stretch of Johnston Street between Bertrand and Churchill Drive will undergo significant changes designed to curb crashes and increase pedestrian safety. Upgrades include protected bike and walking paths, new medians, improved crosswalks and better street markings.
According to the Louisiana Department of Transportation, eight people were seriously injured or killed on this portion of Johnston Street between 2018 and 2022. With more than 32,000 vehicles traveling the corridor daily and dozens of local businesses in the area, officials say the improvements are overdue.
“Lafayette scores as one of the highest parishes for cyclist and pedestrian crashes,” Moran said, noting Johnston Street serves as the city’s major commercial corridor outside of Ambassador Caffery Parkway.
Construction could cause some short-term disruptions for businesses within the area. “While it's going on, you're going to have people that won't want to use Johnston Street at all, so you're going to have some issues during the construction period,” said Gerald Judice, the general manager of Judice Inn, a longstanding restaurant in the area.
Still, he says the benefits will outweigh the inconvenience once the upgrades are completed. “Once it's done, I think you'll attract more people back to Johnston Street that just don't even want to travel it already because the danger of being able to ingress and egress from any parking lot anywhere and the possibility of accidents throughout Johnston Street,” Judice said.
Officials say public input will be welcomed as planning progresses, with opportunities for residents and stakeholders to weigh in beginning this summer. The project is part of Lafayette’s broader effort to make streets safer for drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians alike.
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