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Acadiana Planning Commission briefs council on Dale Street safety project funded by state safety program
Summary
Sarah Gary of the Acadiana Planning Commission told the council the Dale Street intersection improvements are funded by state safety funds with no local match; the work would replace signals with mast arms, add back plates and ADA pedestrian signals, and move into design after an entity-state agreement.
Sara (Sarah) Gary, CEO and transportation director at the Acadiana Planning Commission, briefed the New Iberia City Council on the Dale Street intersection safety improvements, a project that entered the local road safety program after staff raised safety concerns.
"This is safety funds. There is no match, so it's 100% — you guys get a project for no cost to you," Gary said, summarizing the funding trade-offs and timeline. She described the typical sequence: sign an entity-state agreement, advertise for design (about 30 days), selection and contracting for design (60–90 days), then roughly 12 months for design and another 1–2 years for construction, depending on complexity.
Gary said the project would replace existing flashing signal equipment with full mast-arm signals, add back plates (a proven safety countermeasure), install ADA-compliant pedestrian signals and improve crosswalks. She noted the project was competitive and involves federal-state processes for some elements.
Council members asked for clarifications on project limits and whether bicycle facilities were included; Gary said the present grant focuses on signal and pedestrian safety and does not include dedicated bike lanes, but the safety application considered bicycle and pedestrian traffic in the corridor.
The council voted to authorize the mayor to act on behalf of the city for the Dale Street project (state project H016077) so the city can sign the required entity-state agreement and move the project into the design phase.
Why it matters: The project brings state safety funding and upgrades to traffic signals and pedestrian facilities at key intersections on Dale Street. Because the grant requires no local match, the improvements can proceed without a direct capital ask to the city, but the design and construction schedule will still span multiple years.
The APC offered to follow up with exact limits and a map to the mayor for distribution to the council and public.
