The City of New Iberia will be adding more safety precautions to railroad crossing in the city limits. 
Railroad crossing arms and lights just like this one here will now be installed at Iberia Street, Weeks Street, Providence Street, Julia Street and on French Street.

The DOTD has announced that these projects will be completed in an effort to make the city of New Iberia safer. 

“We will have arms and light at every crossing, closing sounds yes but everybody crossing in new Iberia city limits will be safer,” says Councilman David Broussard. He’s been working to make railroads safer in New Iberia for years. 

He says, “That’s the big word we want to get out to the people. Y’all are going to be safe now.”
Even with the Five additional lights and arms, the DOTD may be closing some crossings. Closing the Caroline Street crossing was brought up in 2016, but never happened because of local pushback. 

“We work hard, we cut the grass on the track and we want the thing to stay open,” says Anna Belle Bayard.

Bayard has lived along Caroline street for years and doesn’t want to see the crossing close. 

“They have a lot of crazy people driving, even when the lights are on and when the arms are gonna come down. But why can’t they cut one more set of crossings?,” asks Bayard. 
Broussard says, “The state has the right to close any crossing they want, but this is very important for the safety of New Iberia. Safety is the big word.”

Some of the projects are already on the DOTD’s list to be completed this year.