Bike Streets Scavenger Hunt
Thank you to everyone who participated in the Bike Streets bike rack scavenger hunt! We believe Bike Streets is an amazing piece of digital infrastructure, and we’ve seen firsthand how much easier it can make navigating the city by bike. If you haven’t checked out the map or app yet, we highly encourage you to do so.
Bike Streets New Orleans is a grassroots effort that relies on community suggestions to identify quiet streets and protected infrastructure, as well as construction, closures and other disruptions that aren’t always formally communicated. If you’re interested in the methodology behind Bike Streets, you can also check out Avi’s book.
Downtown Bikeway Network
One piece of good news is that the City has begun planning a new Downtown Bikeway Network. We’ll be keeping a close eye on this project and have already provided feedback on the design.
Get Involved in the City Budget
The City’s budget is one of the biggest opportunities we have to advocate for the infrastructure and services we want to see in New Orleans. City Council budget hearings are happening now, and many of the Departments we work with are presenting their plans. The hearings are open to the public, and residents can attend and provide comment. We highly encourage you to do so.
This schedule is open to change so click here to check the most up to date info- Committee for a Better New Orleans budget guide
- Budget hearing schedule
- Stream of initial Budget Presentation from September 22nd. Remember: you can catch previous Livestreams in the City Council’s Youtube channel.
- Committee for Better New Orleans Webinar: Resident’s Guide to the new City’s Budget Dashboard and other resources that can help you understand where money is going and how to participate.
We especially encourage folks interested in biking, walking, transit and infrastructure to pay attention to these conversations. Budgets are statements of priorities, and showing up during the process is one way we can make sure safe, connected transportation is part of that conversation.
Other Ways to Weigh In
Comment on changes to North Broad Street by October 2
DOTD is planning to resurface US 90 from Lafitte Avenue to France Road. The project includes some welcome pedestrian improvements, but also changes to the existing bike lane, medians and turning movements. At the recent public meeting, we learned that portions of the existing buffered bike lane will lose buffer space to accommodate vehicle turning movements, while the bike lane itself would remain paint-only. If you bike, walk, live or travel along Broad Street, please take a few minutes to review the proposal and share your thoughts with DOTD.
Comment on the region’s Transportation Improvement Program by October 12
The Regional Planning Commission’s Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) lays out transportation projects expected to receive federal funding over the next four years. You don’t need to review the entire document. If there’s a project, dangerous crossing or missing connection you know well, tell the RPC about it. We’d particularly like to highlight the St. Claude Avenue corridor study and encourage the RPC to prioritize and expedite that work.
Help shape the region’s long-term transportation plan by October 12
The RPC is also accepting comments on its Metropolitan Transportation Plan 2056, which sets transportation priorities for the Greater New Orleans region over the coming decades. This is a good place to share your broader experience: What would make it easier and safer to walk, bike or take transit to work, school and everyday destinations?
Federal transportation funding
Congress is working on the next federal transportation bill, and proposals under discussion in the Senate could restrict where federal funding can be used for bike lanes and other bike-safety projects. The League of American Bicyclists is asking people to contact their members of Congress and urge them to preserve federal funding for biking and walking safety projects. It takes about a minute, and adding a couple of sentences about why safe biking infrastructure matters in your community makes the message more personal.
Join Us for St. Claude Trash Bash: October 10 from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm
And finally, we’d love to see some of you out on St. Claude with us! For the St. Claude Trash Bash on October 10, Bike Easy has adopted the first block of St. Claude just off Elysian Fields, an area that has experienced ongoing maintenance and cleanliness issues over the years. We want to use this as more than just a cleanup. We’ll be out there cleaning up the block, talking with neighbors and people using the corridor, and listening to what people have to say about St. Claude. It’s also a great opportunity to talk with folks about our Safer St. Claude work and what we’d like to see for the corridor in the future.
We’re looking for volunteers to help us with the cleanup and community engagement. If you can join us, reply to this email and let us know. The St. Claude Trash Bash is part of a broader community-led effort focused on improving the corridor, including safer streets, better infrastructure, lighting, tree canopy and long-term investment.Thank you for continuing to show up, ask questions, file 311 reports, attend meetings and speak up for safer, more connected streets across New Orleans.
Policy work is often slow, but having more people paying attention and showing up makes a real difference.
We hope to see you out there!
Allene La Spina & Adam Davis
Co-Chairs, Bike Easy Policy & Design Committee