Biking in New Orleans might be less of an uphill battle these days

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Biking in New Orleans might be less of an uphill battle these days
October 10, 2010
Kari Dequine
Times Picayune/NOLA.com

New Orleans has never been known as one the country's most bike-friendly towns. In fact, some say a bike trip through the Crescent City can be downright scary.
bicyclist-traffic.jpgView full sizePhotos by Rusty Costanza, The Times-PicayuneBicyclists account for 2.47 percent of the total commuters in New Orleans, according to U.S. Census figures.

But a recent increase in bike lanes, combined with growing economic and environmental concerns, has more and more residents using bicycles as their main form of transportation, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2009 American
New Orleans ranked sixth among cities with populations exceeding 250,0000 for the highest percentage of workers who use a bicycle to get to their jobs, with bicyclists accounting for 2.47 percent of the city's total commuters.

In Portland, Ore., which ranked first in the survey, 5.81 percent of the commuters travel by bike.

The ranking is consistent with a larger trend. In 2002, the first year the survey measured primary means of transportation, 1.6 percent of workers older than 16 commuted by bicycle. That number has increased steadily almost every year.

Gas prices, traffic congestion, pollution

Spikes in gas prices and the economic downturn have led many to seek less expensive forms of transportation, said Dan Jatres with the Regional Planning Commission. In a city where 18 percent of the population does not own a car, biking can be the most practical option.

Others take their bikes to cut down on pollution and traffic congestion.

But the most significant factor, particularly in the past few years, has been the addition of designated bike lanes on many of the city's main thoroughfares, including St. Claude, Carrollton, St. Charles and St. Roch avenues.
bicyclist-bike-lane.jpgView full sizeSince Hurricane Katrina, designated bike lanes have been added to many of the city’s main thoroughfares, including St. Claude, Carrollton, St. Charles and St. Roch avenues.

Before Hurricane Katrina, there were only seven miles of bike lanes, shared lanes and bike paths in the city. Now there are about 30 miles, with 14 more scheduled for completion by the year's end. The long-stalled Lafitte Corridor project is also under way, transforming a 3.1-mile strip between the French Quarter to Lakeview into a public park and path for bicyclists and pedestrians.

An influx of state and federal recovery cash to resurface roads has provided an unprecedented opportunity to add new paths and lanes, said Jennifer Ruley, pedestrian and bicycle engineer for the city's Department of Public Works.

"We are in a prime position to do it now," she said. "We aren't taking away from anything else. We are leveraging existing resources."

Bicyclists now part of the mix

The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development also adopted a policy in July that requires each state road construction project to take into account the best design for accommodating all forms of transportation, including cars, bicycles, public transit and pedestrians.

Billy Fields, who runs the Pedestrian and Bicycle Resource Initiative and directs the College of Urban and Public Affairs at the University of New Orleans, sees exciting signs of progress that are responding to "pent-up demand."

But many commuters say bike safety remains a serious concern.

Peter Martinat, who bikes from Gentilly to his job at Xavier University, said bike routes lack continuity. While there are comfortable stretches, they can disappear suddenly, he said.
biking-101010.jpgView full size

Crash statistics in New Orleans also remain high, Fields said.

"It's a city of bike riders, yet there is no attention being paid to the safety of bikers," said avid cyclist and chef Ian Schnoebelen. "It's very frustrating."

When Schnoebelen saw a billboard promoting a state law passed last year requiring motorists to allow at least 3 feet of space when passing a bicyclist, he found the concept somewhat impractical, especially on the city's narrow streets.

Conducting his own experiment, Schnoebelen taped a 3-foot yardstick to his handlebars and biked his normal route. As a line of cars stacked up behind him, one driver finally pulled up beside him. Schnoebelen explained the new law, and the driver sped off, but not before shaking his fist and cursing. Needless to say, the yardstick didn't last, at least at its original length, for more than a few days.

Education for everyone

Martinat said most drivers aren't aware of the number of cyclists on the road and need to be educated.

"We have to train the drivers as well as the bicyclists," he said. "It's not that they don't want to be careful -- it's just that they are not used to having bicyclists on the road."

Different groups, including the Regional Planning Commission, are trying to increase awareness, and therefore, increase safety.

Jatres is a member of the Metro Bicycle Coalition, an advocacy group formed in 2003 to improve commuting and recreational cycling conditions in and around New Orleans. The coalition is publishing a comprehensive bike route map of the city, which can be found at http://nolacycle.noladata.org, and puts on regular biking events, including the upcoming "Bike Bash," planned for Nov. 12-14.

And today, the international climate campaign 350.org is coordinating a ride as part of the "Global Work Day." The ride for climate solutions will begin at 1 p.m. at Jackson Square and will showcase some of the city's new bike lanes, as well as sites where others are planned.