Work is expected to begin in December to create dedicated bicycle lanes on St. Mary Boulevard, which runs though the heart of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette campus. The re-striping is set to begin after the end of the fall semester and is expected to be complete for the Spring 2014 term.
Vehicular traffic will occupy two lanes on St. Mary Boulevard from St. Landry to Taft streets. The bike lanes will occupy the two outside lanes — those closest to the sidewalks — along the stretch of road. They will be 6 feet wide, with a 3-foot buffer separating them from the vehicle lanes.
The bike lanes are part of UL Lafayette's Master Plan, a comprehensive, long-term plan to guide development on campus.
"One of our goals is to make the campus more pedestrian friendly and more friendly to bicyclists, as well," said Bill Crist, director of Facilities Management at UL Lafayette.
"In the past, cyclists have sometimes encroached on sidewalks, because they literally had nowhere else to go. We hope the designation of these lanes will help balance the needs of cyclists and pedestrians and create a new bicycle thoroughfare through a much-used part of the city."
