How to Request a Traffic Light Timing Change in Lafayette

(LAFAYETTE, LA) - We've all been there. You're sitting at a red light in Lafayette, there's not another car in sight, and the light just won't change. Or the left-turn arrow turns green long enough for two cars to get through, and you're stuck waiting through another full cycle. Here's something a lot of people don't know: you can actually do something about it.

Lafayette's Traffic Lights Can Be Adjusted From an Office

Lafayette's traffic signals are connected through LUS Fiber, which lets city-parish traffic engineers monitor signals, pull statistics and change the timing without leaving their desks. According to KLFY, engineers decide how long each light stays red, yellow and green using traffic data and patterns at nearby intersections.

That means if a light on your commute seems off, reporting it puts it in front of the people who can check the data and make a change.

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How to Request a Traffic Signal Timing Adjustment

You've got two options:

Contact LCG's Traffic Signal Maintenance Foreman directly. Devin Alleman can be reached at 337-291-8568 or dmalleman@LafayetteLA.gov. He's also the contact for malfunctioning signals and school zone flashers, according to LCG's traffic page.
Use 311 Lafayette. Submit a request under "Traffic" at 311lafayette.services, or call 311 (337-291-8200) Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

*Be specific. Give the intersection, the direction you're traveling, the time of day and what's happening. "The left-turn arrow for eastbound traffic only lets three cars through around 5 p.m." gives engineers something they can check. "This light is terrible" doesn't.

Keep in mind that lights along a corridor work together, so changing one can affect the others. Not every request will lead to a change, but it's worth asking.

Other Issues You Can Report in Lafayette

The 311 Lafayette portal handles a lot more than traffic lights. You can report:

Potholes and sidewalk problems
Drainage issues
Abandoned vehicles
Tall grass
Litter and illegal signs
Mosquito problems
Animal control issues
Missed garbage pickup
Transit and parking concerns
Utility and fiber problems
Park issues

You can also file certain police reports and get crash reports online. Requests sent after hours or on weekends are handled the next business day.

A few more numbers to keep handy:

Damaged or missing street signs: 337-291-8565
Speeding in your neighborhood: LCG has a traffic calming policy. Contact Traffic
Engineering at 337-291-8506.
Street light out: Report it through 311 or call 337-291-5700.
Emergencies: Call 911. 311 is for non-emergencies only.

Bigger Traffic Light Fixes Could Be on the Ballot

If you think the problem is bigger than one light, you're not alone. LCG's Commuter Connections plan includes 18 proposed projects, one of which is parish-wide signal retiming and synchronization. The bond millage renewal that would pay for them is on the December 12 ballot, with early voting November 28 through December 5.

If there's a light on your commute that drives you crazy, now you know who to call. I've got one in mind myself (looking at you, Cameron at Ambassador Caffery around 2am).

The History Behind Lafayette's Street Names

We drive them on a daily basis. Some are smoother than others. Some we use more frequently than others. Some randomly start, end, and/or change names. They're the streets of Lafayette. The names behind many of these streets have interesting histories. We take a look at where those names come from and the impact their namesakes have had on the city and the parish.

Gallery Credit: Joe Cunningham