Lafayette has a car-brain problem (RANT!) (Many: apartments, house, neighborhood)

[AguaDulce]

Many people who live here have never ever left their house on foot, not once in their entire lives.

How can this be?

It's because this is by far the most car-centric place I've ever lived. Over the years, every urban planning decision that was made catered to the personal automobile above all other forms of transportation.

It is extremely unpleasant and dangerous to walk or bicycle anywhere here.

AND, even though we have a modest transit system, only the absolute bare minimum of service level is provided. There is no bus tracking and most stops are not covered (a few covered stops have recently been built with funds received through corporate sponsorship). To purchase a bus pass, you must physically go to the downtown transit center with cash in hand during business hours Monday thru Friday.

About bicycling: Even though we have a couple of bike lanes, they are a joke because a painted line does not protect anyone on a bicycle.

Especially when the speed limits are as high as possible because the car-brains demand it AND the cars are mostly giant trucks.

"Oh, but it's an oil town"

So what?

Those rich oil industry people travel to Europe all the time to visit charming walkable cities. Then they come home and retreat to their suburban paradises just outside of downtown Lafayette and it's back to the F-150.

[Hemlock140]

Your walk-score is really not that bad, at 42. Where I grew up in Lafayette California it's just 26/100. Where I live now in Sammamish WA it's 1. Not only do we have no "downtown" but we are at 600' elevation with a lot of hills, very few sidewalks, only a few apartments and big lots. The only transit is a bus that passes though only on the main arterial. That all makes it more attractive to those of us that like elbow room, and enjoy driving.

[AguaDulce]

Originally Posted by Hemlock140

Your walk-score is really not that bad, at 42. Where I grew up in Lafayette California it's just 26/100. Where I live now in Sammamish WA it's 1. Not only do we have no "downtown" but we are at 600' elevation with a lot of hills, very few sidewalks, only a few apartments and big lots. The only transit is a bus that passes though only on the main arterial. That all makes it more attractive to those of us that like elbow room, and enjoy driving.

Thanks.

[sluggermatt15]

Originally Posted by AguaDulce

Many people who live here have never ever left their house on foot, not once in their entire lives.

How can this be?

It's because this is by far the most car-centric place I've ever lived. Over the years, every urban planning decision that was made catered to the personal automobile above all other forms of transportation.

It is extremely unpleasant and dangerous to walk or bicycle anywhere here.

AND, even though we have a modest transit system, only the absolute bare minimum of service level is provided. There is no bus tracking and most stops are not covered (a few covered stops have recently been built with funds received through corporate sponsorship). To purchase a bus pass, you must physically go to the downtown transit center with cash in hand during business hours Monday thru Friday.

About bicycling: Even though we have a couple of bike lanes, they are a joke because a painted line does not protect anyone on a bicycle.

Especially when the speed limits are as high as possible because the car-brains demand it AND the cars are mostly giant trucks.

"Oh, but it's an oil town"

So what?

Those rich oil industry people travel to Europe all the time to visit charming walkable cities. Then they come home and retreat to their suburban paradises just outside of downtown Lafayette and it's back to the F-150.

Lafayette isn't an oil town. All those jobs packed up and moved away.

[AguaDulce]

Originally Posted by sluggermatt15

Lafayette isn't an oil town. All those jobs packed up and moved away.

Interesting.

[sluggermatt15]

Originally Posted by AguaDulce

Interesting.

The top employers are with the city/parish, hospitals, University of Louisiana, and corporate jobs.

Here:

https://www.theadvertiser.com/story/...id/2350758001/

[AguaDulce]

Originally Posted by sluggermatt15

The top employers are with the city/parish, hospitals, University of Louisiana, and corporate jobs.

Here:

https://www.theadvertiser.com/story/...id/2350758001/

I get it, but the decisions about urban planning over the past 60 or so years have been made with only personal automobiles in mind, when Lafayette WAS an oil industry town.

[annie_himself]

Yeah Lafayette struggles alot from terrible urban design. It's pretty sad that there's no urban neighborhood outside of downtown.

[sluggermatt15]

^Totally agree with you both. Driven there many times.