The construction of a new pedestrian and bike path will provide alternate and safer modes of transportation in and around campus by August 2010.The 10-foot wide concrete sidewalk and bike path will link the South Gates Business District, located on Burbank Drive, and the residential areas located south of campus to the campus core along Nicholson Extension.The path will stretch one-half mile and allow for a connection with the Louisiana Transportation and Research Center and the LSU Child Care Center located off Gourrier Lane.”This is primarily lawn and parking now,” said Jason Soileau, Office of Facility Development assistant director. “Currently the only route to these areas is through the parking lot, which is not safe for pedestrians.”The project is estimated to cost $275,500. The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development will fund 95 percent of the project. The University will be responsible for the remaining 5 percent of the cost, totaling $13,775.The project was selected to be included in the DOTD’s Transportation Enhancement Program, which aims to build more balanced transportation systems that include pedestrians and bicyclists. The two-year program, which ends in 2009, received 79 project applications, costing $20.6 million.The University is responsible for funding 100 percent of design and testing costs. Soileau said testing and planning have not yet been determined.”We are in the process of getting a proposal from designers to perform the design,” Soileau said. “But the DOTD design process is a long, drawn-out process.”This project is the third phase in a continued effort to facilitate a pedestrian-oriented campus, Soileau said. Phase I was constructed in 2004, costing $650,000, and Phase II was constructed in 2007, costing $430,000 to provide better access to the University Lake. Construction prices continue to rise every year, so the cost per linear foot continues to rise, Soileau said.More than five miles of paths have been built on campus in past few years, and campus traffic has been reduced by more than 60 percent since Easy Streets Phase I was implemented in 2007.The path will also include intermittent lighting along the length of the route.Since August 2002, about 85 car accidents have occurred on Burbank Drive at Nicholson Drive and Gourrier Lane, according to the LSU Department of Public Safety and the Baton Rouge Police Department.”We have been very aggressive in trying to incorporate safe paths that are well lit and encourage pedestrian use,” Soileau said. “Pedestrian safety is a top priority to the campus administration.”Aislinn Smith, a biochemistry sophomore, said the south side of campus is not “bike-friendly.””It is impossible to ride on the road itself because cyclists are not fast enough for street traffic,” she said. “For everyone living in that residential area it will greatly ease the efforts of a green ride to class.”Smith said she would love to ride her bike to class more often, but bike riders are limited by the “unfriendliness” of campus roads.—-Contact Leslie Presnall at [email protected]