Was This the First Roundabout in Acadiana? [Photo]

Roundabouts are a thing in Acadiana. Although we often like to make fun of them, they really are incredibly useful in keeping traffic flowing. It got us thinking, when and where was the very first roundabout in Acadiana?

How Many Roundabouts Are In Acadiana?

Youngsville has routinely been called the "Capital of the Roundabouts", and for good reason.

In lieu of traffic lights, the City of Youngsville has opted for roundabouts to deal with the increasing traffic brought on by the incredible growth the area is experiencing.

According to the last update from DOTD, there are 28 roundabouts in Lafayette Parish alone.

The last update to DOTD's roundabout list was in February of 2019, so certainly that number has grown.

Research shows roundabouts are safer than traffic lights and are a lot more cost-efficient as well.

From weforum.org -

"Overall, it has seen a 90% reduction in fatalities, 76% fewer injuries, and a 30%-40% fall in the number of accidents involving pedestrians.

Each roundabout is also reported to save around $5,000 a year on the State’s electricity bills."

Although it might seem like Acadiana's fascination with roundabouts is a relatively new obsession, it looks like Lafayette might have been hip to the roundabout almost 100 years ago.

Arbolada Neighborhood In Lafayette, La

Constructed in the mid-1930s right by the UL campus in Lafayette, the Arbolada neighborhood might have the very first roundabout in Acadiana.

Tucked away in the Arbolada neighborhood located right off of Johnston Street, you can see the roundabout in the aerial photo taken roughly around 1935.

Below is a current Google Maps satellite view.

Who knew?

The Arbolada neighborhood was roundabout when roundabout wasn't cool

As far as we know, this could be the very first roundabout in Acadiana.

If you know of a roundabout that had been around longer than the one in Arbolanda, please let us know.