December Newsletter
Do you have a favorite holiday song or carol? Mine is Carol of the (Bike) Bells! Ding, ding, it’s the end of the year and we’re closing 2021 out with some exciting things happening for biking in Baton Rouge. Check out the latest from Bike BR and #yeahbike!
BIKE SAFETY - November was, sadly, a difficult month for cyclists in Baton Rouge. Tyrone Sauvant and Norimoto Murai died as the result of vehicle violence. A third cyclist whose name has not been made public was killed as well when they were hit by a high-risk driver who fled the scene. Safety is always a high concern for us at Bike BR and we are saddened and angered by these losses and the reality that vulnerable road users are often relegated to secondary consideration when traffic planning is underway. The Center for Analytics & Research in Transportation Safety at LSU recently released their findings for 2020 and noted that while the pandemic saw fewer cars on the road leading to fewer crashes, fatalities spiked. Early data from the NHTSA shows crashes and fatalities on the rise nationally in the first half of 2021. It’s always a good time to be reminded of safe road practices. We have a few tips on our website to help make sharing the road safer, you can find them here.
Bike Safety and infrastructure was also back in the news this past month. We had the opportunity to speak out about how to improve safety for all our citizens through interviews with local media. See what our board representatives had to say, you can find their interviews on our media page here. We are committed to improving conditions for all road users and our deepest condolences go out to the friends and families of everyone affected by traffic violence.
CRANKSGIVING 2021 - Cranksgiving 2021 was a hit! We had 40 riders ranging in age from 3 to 80 navigate their way to five different grocery stores to gather food to donate to the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank. Thank you to everyone who participated, volunteered, and donated, and if you didn’t get a chance to participate, make a plan for next year. Cranksgiving is always held the Sunday before Thanksgiving. Check out the gallery to relive some highlights!
UGLY SWEATER RIDE - We kicked off the holiday season with a group ride to the Downtown Festival of Lights. Several Bike BR members met up with a contingent from BRAMBA at City Park and headed to North Boulevard Town Square just in time to catch the city flip the switch on the Christmas tree. See a few pictures from BRAMBA member Robin Gibb Diamond here.
ADVOCACY UPDATE - This one is an advocacy win! Last month, the Metro Council adopted the ordinance changes that we proposed. These changes modernize the current city laws regarding bicycling and also bring them in line with current state laws. Our Vice President, Mark Martin, spearheaded this effort and wrote about what the changes mean on our blog here.
5. COMING UP - We have a lot of great things coming up in 2022! There are two in particular that many people have asked us for, and we’re happy to be able to bring them back starting in January.
First, we will be holding our open meetings again, called Gears on Tap! The first meeting will be Tuesday, January 11, at 6:30 p.m. at Cypress Coast Brewing. These meetings are open to anyone and will feature talks by local bike-friendly businesses, bicycle advocates, and other local enthusiasts. We hope to see you there!
The other new feature on our calendar is our MONTHLY RIDES! The second Friday of each month will bring a new Bike BR ride planned and led by a Bike BR board member. The first ride will be held on January 14, at 6:30 p.m. leaving from Cypress Coast Brewing. Helmets are encouraged, but not required except for children 12 years or younger. Children must also be able to ride a regular bike (no balance bikes or training wheels, please). Come ride with us!
6. CALENDAR OF EVENTS
January 11 - Gears on Tap, 6:30 p.m. at Cypress Coast Brewing
January 14 - Second Friday ride, 6:30 p.m. at Cypress Coast Brewing
Here’s a list of weekly rides. Find one near and meet some fellow bike riders!
Sunday
Baker Buffalo Cruisers -Baker, LA-
Baker Walmart (6PM)
Monday
Downtown East Social Ride -BR, LA-
Electric Depot (6PM)
Tuesday
Tuesdays on Wheels -Port Allen, LA-
Cohn Elementary (7PM)
Wednesday
Capital Heights Social Ride -BR, LA
Ingleside United Methodist Church (7:15PM)
Westside Wednesday -Baker, LA-
Ruffin’s II (7PM)
Thursday
Geaux Ride -BR, LA-
521 N Third St (7:45PM)
Friday
Who Dat Riderz -BR, LA-
Past Time Lounge (7PM)
Tuesday, Thursday, (6:30 PM) and Saturday (8AM)
Community Riders -Zachary, LA-
BREC’s Zachary Community Park
Membership - Please consider becoming a member if you're not already. The more members we have, the louder our voice. And if you're not sure if you're still a member, email us at info@bikebr.org and we'll check!
