This fall, University of Louisiana at Lafayette students who commute to and from four Acadiana communities can let someone else do the driving.
That’s thanks to Ride Acadiana, a pilot transit program that will launch Aug. 20, the first day of the Fall 2018 semester. On weekdays, buses will travel round trip between Lafayette and the communities of Crowley, Duson, Rayne and Scott. One of its stops is UL Lafayette’s Edith Garland Dupré Library.
Bus fares are $5 for a 2-ride card, and $20 for a 12-ride card, with discounts for people 65 years and over, and those disabled or on Medicare. Children 5 and younger ride free. Fares may be paid on-board the bus with exact change, or passes may be purchased in advance at each of the city halls in Crowley, Rayne, Duson and Scott, and at Lafayette’s Rosa Parks Transportation Center. The schedule has morning run times from 5:30 a.m. to noon, and afternoon/evening run times from 1 to 8 p.m. For complete details, visit RideAcadiana.com.
Eunice Mayor Scott Fontenot likes the idea.
“I think it is good for us because ... even if you work in Lafayette they are going to have areas in Crowley where you can go park your car, hop on this bus and go to Lafayette” Fontenot said.
“I hope people will use it because I think that it’s really good for the region,” he said.
Fontenot think if the transportation project is successful, the next area to be served would be Opelousas.
Eventually, the bus route may come to Eunice because of the number of students from Lafayette Parish who attend LSUE, he said.
“I think if I worked in Lafayette or I went to school there I think I would do it,’ he said. “I mean you can get on the bus and ... you don’t have to drive. You can do homework on the bus. You can do some work for your phone like your e-mails or anything,” he said.
Patricia Cottonham, UL Lafayette’s vice president for Student Affairs, said students who use the commuter service “aren’t only getting a ride to campus and a ride home. The transit program also provides the opportunity to study, review class notes or decompress while someone else takes the wheel.”
South Louisiana Community College is also a stop, and commuters who work in Lafayette or people whose doctors are in the city can use it as well, said Monique Boulet, the Acadiana Planning Commission’s chief executive officer.
The planning commission is administering the program in cooperation with Lafayette Consolidated Government. A U.S. Department of Agriculture grant is funding it with support from the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development.
“Ride Acadiana will provide commuters between Acadia Parish and Lafayette with easy, affordable access to transportation, with the additional benefit of reducing the number of vehicles on the road,” Boulet said.
And fewer vehicles on the road are good for the environment, said Gretchen Lacombe Vanicor, director of the Office of Sustainability.
UL Lafayette’s Sustainability Strategic Plan encourages ride-sharing and public transit use among students and faculty as a way to reduce harmful emissions.
“Sharing rides or taking the bus alleviates traffic congestion; that’s the immediate benefit. But in the long term, sustainable transportation choices limit the production of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide,” Vanicor said.
Eight daily trips – four to Lafayette and four return journeys – are planned initially. If successful, service could be extended to other parishes, Boulet said.
Lafayette Consolidated Government will provide two, 16-seat buses that will run Mondays through Fridays, from 5:30 a.m. to noon, and from 1-8 p.m.
There are seven stops in the Hub City, including Dupré Library, SLCC and Lafayette General Medical Center. Others include: Acadia General Hospital and the Wal-Mart Supercenter, in Crowley; Duson City Hall; Southside Community Center and U.S. Post Office, in Rayne; and Scott Market in Scott.
There are 20 stops all together; a complete list can be found at rideacadiana.com. The website also includes fare information and maps of the routes.
Supported by: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, Acadiana Planning Commission and Lafayette Consolidated Government.
Buses: Two 16-seat, ADA-compliant vehicles, equipped with a lift, on-board securement area for two wheelchairs, and a bike rack.
Bus stops
Crowley
— Odd Fellows Road / Tower Road (near Walmart).
— Odd Fellows Road / Cherokee Drive (Stine) This is a designated Park & Ride location.
— North Parkerson / Northern Avenue.
— North Parkerson / East 6th Street.
— North Parkerson / 1st Street (Enterprise Center). This is a designated Park & Ride location.
— South Eastern Ave (La. 13) / East Elm Street (Lagrange Grocery). This is a designated Park & Ride location.
— North Parkerson / East 1st Street (Bus Depot).
— East Northern Ave / Hwy. 90 (Acadia General Hospital).
Rayne
— 4th Street / Anding Street (Southside Community Center). This is a designated Park & Ride location.
— American Legion Drive / 2nd Street (American Legion). Street parking here is a designated Park & Ride location.
— Hwy 90 / Arenas Street (Post Office).
Duson
— Toby Mouton Road / North A Street (Town Hall). This is a designated Park & Ride location.
Scott
— 917 Cayret St. (Scott Market). This is a designated Park & Ride location.
Lafayette
— Luke Street / Devalcourt Street (SLCC parking lot B).
— Bertrand / Congress Street (University Hospital and clinics).
— Johnston Street / College Road (near Walgreens).
— Johnston Street / College Road (near Albertsons).
These are transfer stops where riders can transfer into the Lafayette Transit System for access to other routes in the city.
— East St Mary Blvd / Hebrard Boulevard (UL Dupre Library).
— Coolidge Boulevard / Hospital Drive (Lafayette General Medical Center).
— Rosa Parks Transportation Center. This is a transfer stop where riders can transfer into the Lafayette Transit System for access to other routes in the city.