ST. MARTIN PARISH — Patrick Valsin is an avid biker and walker in St. Martinville.
While some people might use the phrase “it’s as easy as riding a bike” to describe certain things, Valsin said his commute is anything but easy.
“It’s really not enough space for bike riders,” Valsin said.
“And I ride my bike at least everyday. And most of the times, it's like cars don’t follow the lanes they’re in. They’ll come into the bike lane. Well, really, not bike lanes, but they’ll come into the sidewalks. So, that pushes us into someone’s yard. And that’s unsafe for us as far as bike riders," he said.
City of St. Martinville Mayor Jason Willis said the city was awarded $1.4 million through a state grant last week for the Main Street Enhancement Program.
The grant will replace and extend sidewalks from Berard St. to Dernier St. by five feet. Every hundred feet will also have decorative lighting in flower beds.
He said in the past, the city was only able to fix a portion of Main Street’s side walks, ending at St. Martin Parish Courthouse, through grant funding.
Willis believes there will be benefits for the community through beautification.
"And that helps with people’s property value, that makes people want to live here, and it makes you feel good, that you have a clean, nice, walkable city,” Willis said.
“It’ll also make your city safe. You know, when your city is dirty, then here comes crime. Because it seems crime follows dirt. So, you clean your city, it keeps the criminals out as well too," he said.
Betty Lewis works at St. Martin Parish Adult Drug Court, located across the street from the court house. She bikes to work and feels the replacement and extension is necessary.
“The sidewalks are really too small, they’re all broken up some people have to walk in the street, or pass in somebody’s yard,” Lewis said.
When I told her the city would be renovating the sidewalks, she was all for it.
“I’m happy that it will be extended because I have to ride my bike on the sidewalks and it is small, so I wish it would widen it up a little bit,” Lewis said.
Mayor Willis said the project’s design phase is currently out for bid and he expects the project to begin in fall.
