Pedestrian and Bike Studies

2024 Pedestrian and Bike Study : Report 

Introduction

The Office of Sustainability and Community Engagement conducted the Pedestrian and Bike studies to measure the volume and direction of pedestrian traffic of the Johnston Street intersections to evaluate efficiency and safety of students as the University progresses to the next stage of the Master Plan, to include the University of Louisiana at Lafayette's Health Sciences campus expansion across Johnston Street. Concerns of safety and the quality of life of students, faculty, staff, and community members sparked the need to place a critical eye on Johnston Street as it intersects with the University. In 2022, the first UL Lafayette Pedestrian and Bike Study Report was conducted and the second was completed in Fall of 2024. Volunteers assisted in both studies in 2022 and 2024 equipped with a counter to tally every pedestrian and cyclist crossing their section during 15-minute intervals, following American Planning Association (APA) standards.

In addition to the Pedestrian and Bike study, the Office of Sustainability partnered with Lafayette Consolidated Government(LCG) to hold the Bicycle and Pedestrian Workshop and deploy the Bicycle Lafayette Survey to the University. The Bicycle and Pedestrian Workshop was held in the 2023 spring semester to gather input from student, faculty, and staff about non-motorized connectivity. The Bicycle Lafayette Survey was also conducted during the spring semester of 2023 to gather input from students, faculty, and staff to provide LCG with feedback to improve Lafayette's existing and planned bike and pedestrian network.

When were the Pedestrian and Bike studies conducted?

• 2022 : Thursday, October 20, 2022 from 7am - 6pm and Monday, October 24, 2022 from 7am - 6pm
• 2024 : Wednesday, October 30, 2024 from 7am - 6pm and Thursday,November 7, 2024 from 7am - 6pm

Where were the Pedestrian and Bike studies conducted?

• East St. Mary Boulevard + Johnston Street
• East University Avenue + Johnston Street
• East Lewis Street + Johnston Street
• Midblock between Calder + Brashear Street on Johnston Street
• East University Avenue + Hebrard Boulevard
• East University Avenue + McKinley Street
• Midblock between Hebrard Boulevard + McKinley Street on East University Avenue

Major Findings from 2024's Study:

• 6047 Total Pedestrian Crossings on Wednesday, October 30, 2024
• 5130 Total Pedestrian Crossings on Thursday, November 7, 2024
• 351 Total Bicycles/Scooters on Wednesday, October 30, 2024
• 279 Total Motorist incidents documented on Thursday, November 7, 2024
• Averaging about 500 Midblock crossings every weekday on Johnston because there are .25 miles between crosswalks
• The busiest intersection for pedestrians is St. Mary + Johnston and the busiest intersection for cyclists is McKinley + University
• Most of the pedestrian crossings corresponds with class schedules with the peak time during the lunch period between 11:45AM -12:30PM
• According to the 2024 survey, over 60% of participants have reported that they have almost been hit by a vehicle on Johnston St. or University Ave with 9% reporting that they have been hit.

Findings from the 2022 UL Lafayette Pedestrian and Bike Study:

View UL Lafayette's Pedestrian and Bike Study Report here: 2022 Pedestrian and Bike Study Report 

View UL Lafayette's Pedestrian and Bike Study Presentation here: 2022 Pedestrian and Bike Presentation 

Read more about the University's campus bicycling efforts here!