Initial span of trail scheduled to open

LAFAYETTE — The first stretch of a biking and hiking trail that could eventually go from downtown Lafayette into St. Martin Parish is scheduled to open Saturday.

The Atakapa-Ishak Trail, named after Native Americans who lived along the Vermilion River, has been in the planning stages for several years.

The first phase is a 2-mile trail connecting Parc Sans Souci in downtown Lafayette with Beaver Park along the Vermilion River.

“It’s the first part of a long journey,” said Scott Schilling, who has been active in planning and promoting the project and founded a nonprofit group to help raise money for its completion.

The section that opens Saturday was funded with a $100,000 grant from the Federal Highway Administration, which paid for pavement markings, signs and trail head kiosks.

The initial phase of the trail travels along a mix of existing roadways with “shared roadway” markings, sidewalks and new bike lanes.

Lafayette city-parish government has been approved for another $89,000 in federal funds for a second phase that will allow the path to continue from Beaver Park, go under the nearby U.S. 90 overpass and then to the Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve’s Acadiana Cultural Center off Fisher Road.

“The beauty of it is that it is from park to park to park,” said Jennifer Severson, who has been helping oversee work on the trail for city-parish government’s Traffic and Transportation Department.

There is no timeline for the second phase, she said, but early planning work has begun.

Schilling said the next major push will be a loop around the backside of the Lafayette Regional Airport along the Vermilion River and Bayou Tortue.

The ultimate goal is to continue into St. Martin Parish, running through the undeveloped wooded areas in Vermilion River corridor and near Lake Martin before connecting with La. 31, which connects to Breaux Bridge and St. Martinville.

“The primary focus is to find a route that takes advantage of the scenic beauty between Lafayette and St. Martin Parish,” Schilling said.

Negotiations and planning have been ongoing with private interests and government agencies that own land in the area.

“This is a multiyear effort,” Severson said.

She said interest in the trail will likely grow as people begin enjoying the first segments.

“Once people are out there using this trail, chances are they are going to tell us they want more,” Severson said.

The progress on the Atakapa-Ishak trail comes as city-parish government is working on a long-range plan to expand options for bicyclists and, Severson said, funding is available for a handful of other bicycle trails within the city.

“That’s what we are working on: to expand the network for bicyclists,” she said.

The ribbon-cutting for the first phase of the Atakapa-Ishak Trail is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Parc Sans Souci, followed by a bike ride along the trail to Beaver Park.

For more information, visit http://www.latrail.org or http://mpo.lafayettela.gov/projects/Atakapa-IshakTrail/Atakapa-IshakTrail.asp.