|
Introduction:
Transportation is the second most important consideration in the Comprehensive Plan.
Land use being the most important. The framework of the Lafayette Parish arterial transportation
system has been planned for a long period of time. Charles Colbert completed the first Thoroughfare
Plan in 1955 for the City and Parish Governments. Many of the arterials proposed in 1955 have yet to
be built, but the need has not gone away. Camellia Boulevard bridge and extensions are only now being
constructed after forty five years. Lafayette City-Parish is the Hub of the region. The economic
viability of the community is critical to accessibility of retail, educational, industrial, service,
and medical facilities. Lafayette City and Parish Government must maintain an aggressive and long
range transportation plan and program. The MPO Citizen Advisory Committee, Transportation Technical
Committee and Transportation Policy committees have reviewed the current transportation plans and
programs and made the following set of recommendations to the LINC Steering Committee. The Steering
Committee reviewed and adopted the MPO Committee report with modest changes and adjustments.
___________________________________________________________________
Recommendation No. 1
Develop a stable source of transportation funding with a rational nexus. Alternatives to
be considered:
a. Local option gas tax
b. Roadway frontage fee
c. Driveway access fee
Commentary:Committee members expressed concern that current gasoline taxes are
still being channeled to activities other than transportation. Examples identified are state grant
funding for local jails and for State Police. Transportation Taxes should be directly applied to
transportation improvements and programs. However, considering the shortage of dedicated transportation
revenue, the subcommittee recommends three potential sources for local project funding that should be
considered thoroughly and submitted to the voters of Lafayette Parish with specific projects and
programs.
Recommendation No. 2
Improve management and maintenance of existing transportation
facilities with anticipated spending on new capacity projects.
Commentary:There is a continuing debate within the Lafayette community on the
need for new streets, roads, and highways throughout Lafayette Parish. Committee members determined
that priority should be focused on improving the management and maintenance of existing transportation
infrastructure when programming spending on new capacity projects.
Recommendation No. 3
Corridor Preservation and Management should be a major component of the transportation improvement
program for the parish.
Commentary: Committee members identified the I-49 Connector Corridor Preservation
and Management Plan as a model for identifying future arterial alignments well in advance of
construction and need. There have been repeated studies and recommendations over the last twenty
years urging local governments to institute corridor preservation for future thoroughfares. Maintaining
the integrity of the Consolidated Thoroughfare Plan would be a logical objective and goal for future
growth and development needs. The cost/benefits of corridor preservation are substantial and easily
demonstrated on current projects. The Camellia Blvd extension/bridge was originally recommended and
approved in March, 1956.
Recommendation No. 4
An Access Management Plan should be comprehensively adopted for all major thoroughfares in the parish,
both existing and planned based on the Florida Model with immediate implementation on new development
projects and a time frame technique to be determined for existing development (block by block).
Commentary: The committee recognized the tough political hardship that access
management generates. Commercial developers, business owners, property owners, and retailers
generally desire full and unobstructed access to all roadways. It is difficult at best for local
elected officials to say no. The proven reality is clearly demonstrated around the country that
access management improves accessibility and safety. It is time that Lafayette apply this
sophisticated expertise to our transportation network.
Recommendation No. 5
Enhance the transit alternative.
Commentary: Transit ridership has declined over the last twenty years. This is
understandable given the growth and spread of the Lafayette urban area and auto use. The Lafayette
Consolidated Government recently completed a major two year Parish Transit Study and Plan which
recommends over eighteen new initiatives for transit improvement. This Transit Study and Plan
should be an essential priority for the parish as a viable alternative to auto congestion, air
quality and transportation for those citizens who are disenfranchised from the auto user group.
The Committee determined that public transit is a community necessity and should be maintained
and developed in a manner that can and will attract a larger citizen market.
Recommendation No. 6
Implement new technology for enforcement, congestion management, and Intelligent
Transportation Systems (ITS).
Commentary: The Citizen Advisory Committee, Transportation Technical Committee,
and the Transportation Policy Committee have long supported and endorsed the concept and
practical applications of Intelligent Transportation Systems. Having toured the ITS facility
in Houston in 1997, the CAC committee members recommended and urged the MPO and Lafayette
Consolidated Government to prioritize this program for the Parish. Grant funds to complete
an ITS Deployment Plan for the parish have been secured and should be contracted within the
next few months. The State DOTD has indicated a initial funding support once the Deployment
Plan is completed. Lafayette Consolidated Government should be prepared to fully partnership
in this effort.
Recommendation No. 7
Develop and implement a Parish Traffic Calming Plan.
Commentary:The committee members note, with some frustration, the opposition
that is a natural reaction to increased development activity in and around established
residential areas. Lacking a general grid network of streets (which provide alternatives for
local and major streets and roads) Lafayette experiences negative congestion on the few through
streets and roads available. Increased traffic and speed prompts the need for innovative techniques
and options to slow through traffic, primarily, on local residential streets. Traffic Calming
designs should be incorporated into the long range transportation plan for the Parish.
Recommendation No. 8
Adopt uniform parishwide roadway design standards for application by local, state
and federal agencies.
Commentary:The CAC recommended and the Lafayette Consolidated Government,
acting in its capacity as the Metropolitan Planning Organization, adopted design standards
for all major street functional classifications in 1997 with the adoption of the Consolidated
Thoroughfare Plan. These standards are to be applied to all street, road and highway
construction in the Parish. The Lafayette Consolidated Government has improved construction
cross standards, but many state projects are not being built accordingly. There has been some
improvement, but more needs to be done. The Citizens Advisory Committee suggests revising the
Functional Classification Design Standards and securing intergovernmental agreements with DOTD
for future arterial construction.
Recommendation No. 9
Secondary Street System and Plan should be developed and adopted for long term growth and
development of the parish.
Commentary:One of the critical transportation network needs throughout Lafayette
Parish is the lack of inter-connectivity among Lafayette residential developments. The Planning
Commission appears to work diligently requiring new developments to provide stub-outs and
interconnecting streets as urban area expands. The problem is centered on the pervasive desire
of many residents to live on dead end streets or cul de sacs and limit inter-connectivity to the
greatest degree possible. The current Subdivision Regulations require "cross streets" every 1,500
feet along major arterials. This regulation is difficult to pinpoint and is frequently omitted or
waived. The committee recommends that comprehensive parishwide Secondary Street Plan be developed.
This plan should clearly identify minimal secondary streets within a given area.
Recommendation No. 10
Realisticize the Financially Constrained Transportation Plan (FCTP)
Commentary:The Financially Constrained Transportation Plan (FCTP) is a federally
mandated requirement for urban areas receiving federal transportation funds for metropolitan
transportation networks. The process attempts to apply realistic projections of transportation
revenue from all sources (local, state, federal and private) in a comprehensive improvement program
coordinated through the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) in a cooperative war. The committee
notes that project costs are continually escalating and becoming increasingly unrealistic. Revenues
can be and are redirected and/or fluctuate enough to distort what resources are available to meet
the projected improvement plan schedule. Three suggestions are made by the committee to improve
the process: 1. Annual review of FCTP project costs. 2. Annual review of all transportation revenue
sources committed to the FCTP. 3) Annually reduce or remove transportation projects when funding and
costs do not match in the FCTP.
The FCTP should be "realisticized". The committee recognizes this is a newly coined word, but decided
it fit the recommendation well.
Recommendation No. 11
The number of planned grade separation intersections/interchanges should be reduced.
Commentary: There are a total of thirty-two grade separation interchanges and
intersections planned in Lafayette Parish. Not one has been built in the last eighteen years. The
Louisiana Avenue Interchange on I-10 will be under construction in the Spring of 2001. The estimated
cost of this new interchange is approaching $20,000,000. The committee suggests alternative designs
in lieu of grade separations be considered for these planned intersections. $640,000,000 for proposed
grade separations alone is beyond the committee’s comprehension with the limited funding overall for
transportation improvements over the next twenty years.
Recommendation No. 12
Roundabouts should be considered as a viable alternative to grade separations and standard
grade intersections.
Commentary: Recognizing the prohibitive cost of grade separations and the on-going
cost of maintaining traffic signals and safety issues at regular grade intersections the committee
has reviewed recent studies on alternative roundabouts. Florida is beginning to experiment with new
modern roundabouts which are better designed than the traffic circles we are familiar with in Alexandria.
Clearwater, Florida has recently constructed a roundabout at a major intersection that is working well. The
committee notes these modern roundabouts keep traffic moving, are signal light free, safer for pedestrians,
reduce traffic accidents substantially, provide an aesthetically pleasing asset to the community and cost
20% -30% of the money needed for a grade separation.
Conclusion
New technologies are rapidly changing the way we do business. The impact of this new changing world
cannot be totally seen or imagined, but trend is definitely identified and is being applied in almost
every aspect of society. Telecommunications and individual transit may greatly alter the transportation
network of the future. Until that time some transportation basics must be addressed in a comprehensive,
coordinated and cooperative manner.
The recommendations submitted are provided to fill the "gaps" that the committee considers lacking in the
current transportation network. Revenue for transportation improvements are derived from four primary
sources: federal, state and local governments and the private sector. How these four groups bring their
resources together to accomplish a common goal or objective is the ultimate achievement for the
Comprehensive Plan and for the community as a whole.
Greater efficiency, accountability, greater coordination, and greater cooperation are the mantra for
the committee’s recommendations. The Transportation Element of LINC should be a comprehensive program
with a comprehensive vision to meet the goals, objectives and strategies of this critical transportation
network now and in to the future. |
