Lafayette Consolidated Government (LCG) and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette celebrated a ribbon cutting this morning for the new UL Bikeway Connection, a shared use path for pedestrians and bicyclists who travel between the university’s main campus, Research Park and Louisiana Ragin’ Cajun Athletics facilities along Cajundome Boulevard.
The new 10-foot-wide path extends the existing UL Bikeway constructed in 2012 along Cajundome Boulevard from Eraste Landry Road to the Ira Nelson Horticulture Center on Johnston Street. With this new addition, cyclists and pedestrians can connect to the university’s main campus via St. Michael Street, St. Julien Avenue, then ultimately the heart of campus near the intersection of Girard Park Circle and East St. Mary Boulevard.
Other enhancements include newly reinforced crosswalks at two of Lafayette’s top 10 busiest crosswalks that provide connections between the main campus and Girard Park.
UL Lafayette Director of Sustainability Gretchen Vanicor said safely connecting cyclists and pedestrians to the university’s main campus and creating a more bike- and pedestrian-friendly campus is a priority. “A primary objective of our Sustainability Strategic Plan is to reduce local traffic congestion and associated emissions by expanding access to safe and sustainable, active transportation options for students, faculty, and staff. This path provides an added bonus of connecting the community to campus through shared infrastructure, ” Vanicor added.
The UL Bikeway Connection is the first of many trails to come. This new path coincides with the four-mile Rouge Route Network, one of seven bicycle network routes outlined in the Bicycle Lafayette Plan that includes 10.25 miles of proposed bikeways and trails and a loop connecting 17 neighborhoods from Rotary Point to Pontiac Point.
