Priority Issues

As Lafayette Parish began the recovery planning process, it was important to establish priority issues related to two major categories: Transportation & Infrastructure and Housing & Community Development. First, it was acknowledged by the community that the success of economic revitalization and community development depends upon how well the region and the State improves its highways, arterials and corridors for daily travel and emergency purposes.  Throughout the planning process, and through on-going contact with community leaders, the need to address these particular issues continued to resonate. Second, the influx of residents to the Parish exacerbates the need to build affordable housing and plan for future growth. The following listing provides a breakdown of priority issues by recovery topic:

Transportation and Infrastructure
• In order to improve the daily commuter/commercial and emergency evacuation performance of Lafayette and surrounding parishes, routes along I-10 need increased capacity and improved access.
• Existing surface roads, bridges, and transportation infrastructure need to be constructed or upgraded to meet the needs of current and future parish residents.
• In keeping with the regional transportation plans, including the upgrade of US 90 to interstate standards, several interchanges are needs on I-49 to improve access for daily traffic and evacuation purposes.
• The evacuation and commerce route in Southern Lafayette Parish is susceptible to flooding. In order to prevent this situation, an improved drainage system needs to be implemented along US Highwway 90 at the intersection of LA Highway 92.

Housing and Community Development
• The Parish experienced 15 years of population growth in a matter of months.  There is currently an overall shortage of housing since the storms, as demand has increased for evacuees and new residents;
• Vacant land in the Parish needs to be returned to commerce to accommodate the need for adequate, affordable housing;
• The land use planning process needs to be accelerated to plan for future growth in a coherent manner that employs Smart Growth concepts;
• Completion of the Housing/Neighborhoods section of the LINC is imperative to address short- and long-term housing and affordability issues in the Parish;
• Last year’s storms exposed weaknesses in the drainage/storm water system and intensified the need to complete planning and implementation for parishwide drainage improvements;
• Planning for long-term transportation needs is necessary for economic growth and improved emergency response;
• The Parish needs to mitigate repetitive loss structures through elevation and acquisition programs;
• There is a need for a multi-agency community center to anchor community development activities and to provide a staging area for future disaster relief and recovery activities.