Christmas shopping traffic

[TBEAR]

Ok, as we all know the traffic has gotten worse in Lafayette in the last two years. Now its real bad with christmas. I tried to get from Kaliste Saloom to Johnson using Caffery on Saturday. It took me 43 minutes. I timed it. Stop go, Stop go, Stop go. Just wanted to mention that to everyone, DO NOT GO NEAR THE MALL until after christmas, you will regret it.

[LisaS]

I was trying to use E Broussard @ 2:30 today and traffic was backed up past that new subdivision development Stonehaven. That would be about 15 light cycles.

Now, who in "city planning" approved the new apartments and subdivisions at the end of K Saloom Road ? They are not finished building and traffic is deplorable already.

I am no planner, but common sense would dictate that the infrastructure would be in place before the development. Why wait until later ? Look at the inconvenience then.

I think these people should refund their salaries because surely the money has not been earned.

[fubar]

The new apartments at the end of Kaliste Saloom Road are on property from Shine Young's boy - Old, old Lafayette rank politics - Shine Young, Jimmy Domengeaux and J.Y. Foreman - their ghosts are still with us.

[TBEAR]

Oh yeah, politics as usual, screw the rest of us that have to live with the traffic, shine youngs kid doesnt even live around there. And its obvious that city planners aint got a clue, before they let them biuld that monstrosity they should have made them pay to four lane part of Kaliste Saloom. its not even occupied all the way yet with only a few people living in the front building, wait til the houses go up in there.

[coolboy]

You know it's fitting that we are discussing traffic and the problems with overdevelopment without proper infrastructure and roads in place. My parents' home is on the northside located in one of the last quiet neighborhoods left in Lafayette. Unfortunately, the I-10 extension with Louisiana Ave is causing a major development boom in that area. Of course, here comes the developers wanting to build apartment complexes in my parents' area.

The residents got together and went to the planning and zoning commissioners meeting to voice their concerns. Fred Prejean, who I used to respect, was taking a pretty harsh tone with the residents. He actually stated that had Durel's one-cent taxes passed, there wouldn't be the issue of a lot of traffic going through the neighborhoods with these new apartments. It was almost as if he wanted to say that it was the residents' fault! The commission voted to approve the change of land from residential to commercial. The project is a go and my parents are thinking about moving from a home they lived in for the past 30 years.

My point is why does the commission continuously allow this city to grow at such a fast rate knowing full well that the infrastructure cannot take much more? The LCG rubber stamps d**n near everything, so you can forget about them doing something about it. Lafayette is starting to lose that small town feel.

If Mr. Prejean is one of the members on this messageboard, shame on you, Sir. Especially when you made a big deal about the Freetown area when Capstone wanted to build apartments near UL. Freetown may be historic, but the neighborhood and the city where I grew up is also historic...to me at least.

[TBEAR]

they all want more building and more people moving to the area, then while they make money, that they dont spend on the right things, we people suffer from these idiots with higher crime rates, traffic, and no jobs for our kids to have because they invited every tom, thingy, and harry to lafayette. Perfect example of leaders who think they are to good for us everday citizens and think their a**ses dont stink. I'll bet if you or me were part of the Jones's they would be all ears.

[SeleR]

I was reading an article in our Advertiser recently and the report was that people were buying new homes rather than other available properties. This bodes well for developers who do not benefit from resale of existing homes. The problem is, the new homes amplify the traffic problems, and the real beneficiary is the developer, not the parish as a whole. If our elected officials, through zoning and planning, controlled development, like we thought they were doing, then infrastructure would indeed be in place before new construction ensued. The developers would in fact push for that because they could not make money until streets were built, water capacity was available, drainage was planned and so forth. The developers jump in, build, and move on.

My question is; Do we really want to continue to grow ?

Crime is growing at a faster rate than population. Our acting chief does not have a clue what to do. I saw in paper today that a nude man was killed by overzealous taser use. It should have been obvious that he was not armed. He even had a compound ankle fracture. How difficult would it have been for 4 officers to cuff him? How much will we settle on this death ? Last one was $80,000. We are turning into Shreveport right before our very eyes !

[zoe10850]

I think the boys were afraid to frisk him. Oh, for the good cops of old. They would have hit him upside the head, knocked him down and cuffed him End of story. The crime increase and our weak response by law enforcement is of concern to many. It can turn a nice little city into an undesireable place very quickly. We are becoming all those places we used to look down on. We even have the pathetic leaders to prove it.

Back to traffic; why have a planning commission if all they do is rubber stamp developers plans, and do not hold developers accountable for the drainage problems, traffic problems, and other ills ? The planning commission is a microism of city administration; useless.

[scotty]

Overzealous taser??? If people would obey the police, they would not have to worry about being tasered. In my day it was a slap jack or a night stick upon refusing to obey. The police did not argue, they took charge. Shooting a fleeing person, or an agressive move toward them would very likely result in getting yourself shot. Oh, for the good old days.

[scotty]

I am curious as to how many brains it takes to close I-49 lanes for 8 miles in both directions right during Christmas shopping days. I guess about the same amount it took to close the entire length of I-10 during Thanksgiving week. I could understand the east end of it, but traffic could surely been allowed to Butte LaRose, or even Whiskey Bay. Signs could have been put up at I-49 detouring all through traffic, as was done, but allowing local traffic on through to the Butte La Rose, or Whiskey Bay exits. No businesses would have suffer and it would have cut down on the 190 and 90 traffic flow.

[zoe10850]

I do not know where the decisions eminate from, but I often wonder if the cost and inconvenience weighed against the possible negative aspects, for example; recent well blowout by I-10. It was no danger whatsoever to highway travelers. I am sure a few would rubberneck, but honestly, in this part of the country, we have all seen excess gas burnoff, a large fire in effect, and we rarely give it a second thought. Look at the thousands who were inconvenienced, not to mention the business lost on roadway, plus the damage to infrastructure on U S 190. A few fenderbenders is always apossibility when one slows down the traffic flow, but is that a greater cost ? The road would have been open if a hurricane evac was going on.

[irish]

i guess i am nieve, however i was just informed that the tickets handed out by the speed vans do not go on your driving record- and is a purley civil fine- i was under the assumption that the vans were utilized to deter speeders ect... however that does not do any good for $50.00 that is going into (i assume) joey's pocket without establishing a record that has much more punitive powers...i am getting sick of this b.s. morality precheached by joey and dee and everybody else when its all about the money because a tax didnt pass...if you truley cared that people were speeding creating a hazard where people can be seriously injured i would think some type of enforcement besides oops... heres $50.00 would be required that goes to joey and dee and the rest of there b.s....i am so sick of lafayette government i could puke...

[ij]

Irish, please do not forgot about barley chuckles.

[percy]

I was on West Congress on Sat morning about 7. I saw a speed van parked before the Hilton Gardens. It was amusing to see the flash go off when a school bus went by.

[zoe10850]

Last night at about 9:00 p.m. I was at intersection of Kaliste and Pinhook, is turn lane. When green arrow came on, I paused for a moment, all cars had stopped, so I began to proceed. Some idiot in a little Ford p/u truck blasted through light at about 60 mph. Had I or anyone moved forward, someone would have died.

Please tell me how the camera is going to help in a situation similar to that ? A police officer sitting there would have made guy stop, but there is no deterrent from a camera. Is just about the money. And I bet the school bus does not pay for ticket any more than the city police that have been caught.

[ij]

I think it's all about the money.