ACTION ALERT : Metro Council to vote on Bike Share funding.
Bike Share station in Birmingham, Alabama
This Wednesday, October 25th, the Baton Rouge Metro Council will vote on whether to provide funding to the Baton Rouge Bike Share, without which the Bike Share will either fail, or be forced to run in a more limited capacity than the currently planned 82 stations and 800+ bikes.
The majority of the funding ($2.1 million of about $3 million) for the Bike Share is set to come from corporate sponsorship and user revenues, with about $850,000 coming from a federal Transportation Alternatives Program grant, of which the city is required to provide a 20% match ($260,000).
The metro council hearing must authorize the city parish to provide these funds.
Using economic analyses of the project and of existing Bike Share programs, such as the Zyp system in Alabama, Bike Baton Rouge estimates that use of the Baton Rouge Bike Share system will generate around $650,000 in economic benefits for Baton Rouge per year, paying for the City-Parish investment swiftly.
To make sure our Bike Share system gets funded, we're asking you to contact your council person and ask them to vote to approve the city-parish to spend this amount to make Bike Share in Baton Rouge a reality. Below, we've provided contact details for all twelve metro council members, a map of our districts, and a template email that you can send to your councilperson.
Click HERE for a zoomable district map.
Email template :
Dear Councilperson,
On Wednesday, October 25th, the metro council will be asked to vote on the proposed funding of a small portion of a Federal Transportation Alternatives Program grant to help fund a Bike Share System in Baton Rouge. This funding, at $260,000, is less than 10% of the overall $3 million budget for the project, and the economic benefits of the program, which Bike Baton Rouge estimates at $650,000 annually, will see this investment pay for itself in healthier and happier residents of Baton Rouge in just a few months.
I urge you to vote to approve this funding amount.
Yours,
Name
Address
District 1 - Trae Welch
225.389.5170
225.910.2052
council-dist1@brgov.com
lrioux@brgov.com
District 2 - Chauna Banks
225.389.8331
council-dist2@brgov.com
vcarter@brgov.com
District 3 - Chandler Loupe
council-dist3@brgov.com
dpourso@brgov.com
District 4 - Scott Wilson
kkelly@brgov.com
council-dist4@brgov.com
District 5 - Erika L. Green
council-dist5@brgov.com
GGaines@brgov.com
jjamison@brgov.com
District 6 - Donna Collins-Lewis
council-dist6@brgov.com
pamelasmith@brgov.com
District 7- LaMont Cole
225.389.3182
council-dist7@brgov.com
TPHARRIS@brgov.com
District 8 - Buddy Amoroso
225-389-5168
council-dist8@brgov.com
dgoux@brgov.com
District 9 - Dwight Hudson
council-dist9@brgov.com
LALCH@brgov.com
District 10 - Tara Wicker
225-389-5140
225-389-8720
council-dist10@brgov.com
cclark@brgov.com
District 11 - Matt Watson
225-389-5169
council-dist11@brgov.com
mmcwhorter@brgov.com
jtittlebaum@brgov.com
District 12 - Barbara Freiberg
225-389-4697
council-dist12@brgov.com
ggremillion@brgov.com
Councilwoman Wicker Rides with Bike Baton Rouge
Left to right: Tina Ufford, Councilwoman Tara Wicker, Doug Moore, and Sarah Schramm
Bike Baton Rouge board members Doug Moore, Tina Ufford, and Sarah Schramm met with Councilwoman Tara Wicker last week Wednesday, October 11 to discuss bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure in Councilwoman Wicker’s District 10. District 10 covers an area from the Mississippi River to an eastern border of Plank Road, St. Rose Ave, and around the University Lakes, south to Gourrier Ave. It includes Southern University, Downtown, LSU and City Park.
Councilwoman Wicker and her husband recently have been cycling to some destinations in Baton Rouge and observed first-hand the challenges of navigating the streets by bicycle. Interested in improving conditions for bicyclists and pedestrians in her district, she accepted an invitation from Bike Baton Rouge Vice President Doug Moore to discuss ideas for improving bicycle connectivity in the city and take a 5-mile bike tour in her district.
Although the day was hot, spirits were high, as Bike Baton Rouge pointed out where roads were wide enough for bike lanes, challenges for cyclists who must navigate streets that don’t align, and where bike and pedestrian infrastructure does not connect.
After the ride, Councilwoman Wicker commented on how much safer she felt riding in a group and taking a lane of traffic compared to when only she is riding with only one other person on the edge of the street. Bike Baton Rouge members noted that it's a common misconception that bicyclists are required to ride as far to the right as possible, and that on streets too narrow to accommodate three feet of distance between a car and cyclist travelling the same direction, taking the lane is often the safest way to ride. (See reference here.)
Bike Baton Rouge left the councilwoman with a map that show where bike lanes exist, where they are under construction, and where they are feasible. The meeting ended with an agreement to continue pursuing improvements for bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure and to work with the city to install bike lanes where feasible.
EDITOR'S NOTE :
Two weeks after joining Bike Baton Rouge on this bicycling tour, Councilwoman Wicker made this statement at the October 25 Metro Council meeting regarding the Baton Rouge Bike Share.
"One of the things we found on our tour was that Baton rouge does not have infrastructure necessary for people that choose biking as an option for their mode of transportation, and that's a shame. I should be able to bike my babies through Baton Rouge or go to my Aunt and Uncle's house without having to worry about if I'm going to die in the street.
So if we want to grow as a major city, we need to be able to grow up and look at how major cities are attracting people to their community, and how they're attracting younger people and retaining them. I do believe that having biking as a viable option - if you have infrastructure improvements in place to allow that to happen - is wise, and it's progressive, and it's necessary."
Who's Who of Baton Rouge Bike and Ped Advocacy (Part 2)
We at Bike Baton Rouge are proud of the advocacy, social, and community work we do to promote safe and fun biking and walking in the Baton Rouge area, but lucky for us, we are not alone in this venture! Read on for the exciting sequel to our first Who's Who post as we continue introducing you to more groups that share similar goals as us. (Again, if you think we've missed any, please leave a comment and we’ll update the post!)
Center for Planning Excellence (CPEX)
CPEX is a non-profit organization that coordinates urban, rural and regional planning efforts in Louisiana. They have a particular focus on transportation and infrastructure, environmental issues, and quality design for the built environment. In Baton Rouge, they have implemented several short-term projects that demonstrated strategies for improving walkability and bikeabilty. Examples include:
CPEX's 2016 Better Block demonstration on Perkin's Road.
- Baton Rouge Sustainable Transportation Action Committee (STAC): Pilot project using data to identify where key infrastructure updates would have the greatest positive impact for reducing pedestrian, cyclist, and car crashes.
- Better Block Baton Rouge: Temporary installations showcasing how street improvements, public spaces, and street life can improve community connection and local commerce.
These and several other community-based demonstration projects have helped residents see alternatives to our current state of car-dominated street life in Baton Rouge.
Bike Law is a network of independent lawyers and law firms that advocate for cyclists. They are social as well as legal advocates, and provide pro bono legal advice to cycling clubs and teams.
Local government
While change at the city level never happens as quickly as we would like, the City of Baton Rouge does share our goals of more walkable and bikeable streets. Did you know that the city has been recognized for being a Bike Friendly Community by the League of American Cyclists? (We've got Bronze Status!) Two groups below show some of the collaborations that our public agencies are a part of.
Complete Streets Advisory Council meeting. Image from AARP.
Council members, representing governmental organizations and a variety of advocacy groups, work with the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development to make sure that the State’s Complete Streets policy is being implemented and to develop methods for measuring if the goals are being met. Complete Streets is a policy that supports multimodal transportation options, creating more options for how people move through the region, and improving safety for everyone.
Capital Region Planning Commission (CRPC )
The CRPC is a Council of Governments serving eleven parishes that addresses regional issues related to transportation, land use, economic development and the environment. It focuses much of its resources on transportation planning issues and activities, which includes highway and transit planning, the regional ridesharing program, transportation safety, and air quality issues.
Who's Who of Baton Rouge Bike and Ped Advocacy (Part 1)
We at Bike Baton Rouge are proud of the advocacy, social, and community work we do to promote safe and fun biking and walking in the Baton Rouge area, but lucky for us, we are not alone in this venture! We live in a city with multiple groups that share similar goals as us. In this post, we will introduce you to a few of them in a Who’s Who of Baton Rouge Bike and Ped Advocacy. In Part 1, we introduce you primarily to civic groups. (If you think we’ve missed any, please leave a comment and we’ll update the post!)
Baton Rouge Bicycle Club | Advocacy, Social Rides
A BRBC social ride along the levee.
BRBC promotes cycling, safety, education, and fitness for recreational and touring cyclists. They encourage and promote bicycling as a way of life and as a safe and enjoyable recreation and transportation option by leading touring rides in and out of town for all skill levels. Every Saturday they have a “Tour de Café” ride around the lakes, levee, and Capitol with refreshment stops at cafes. BRBC also advocates for the inclusion of bicycle safety in infrastructure projects in the Baton Rouge area.
Front Yard Bikes | Advocacy, social rides
Front Yard Bikes. Image from 225 Magazine.
FYB is a community bike shop that focuses on teaching participants of all ages how to fix and maintain bikes. This bike shop doubles as an after-school program for kids in the area. Every Friday they have social rides to local parks, libraries, museums, monuments, and more.
Baton Rouge Area Mountain Biking Association | Advocacy, Social rides
BRAMBA organizes mountain bike trail building efforts and supports mountain biking in the Baton Rouge area. They operate as advocates of the Kerry Stamey Trail System, organize trail maintenance days, and host an online forum for sharing information.
If you like trail riding, check out BRAMBA.
Geaux Ride | Social rides
Although Geaux Ride is a bike rental and bike tour business, they also double as a social group, hosting free, public social rides downtown every Thursday evening.
Public social ride downtown led by Geaux Ride.
BREC (Baton Rouge Recreation and Park Commission for the Parish of East Baton Rouge) | Social Rides, Infrastructure
Silver Spokes ride hosted by BREC.
BREC manages the Baton Rouge area’s park system and fosters outdoor recreation. One of the ways they promote outdoor activity is through their Outdoor Adventure initiative, which includes programs like Silver Spokes—social rides for seniors with specially-designed bikes for riders interested in more stability or comfort than the average bicycle.
Walking and Running Clubs | Social walks, runs
There are several walking and running clubs in Baton Rouge. Their primary focus is on fitness and community-building, but participants are also advocates for safe streets since they are navigating the roads on sidewalks as vulnerable users. The East Baton Rouge Public Library hosts Your Pace or Mine Walking Club several days a week, and running clubs like Happy’s Running Club, Varsity Sports Running Club, Black Girls RUN!, and Club South Runners have regular runs and races.
AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) | Advocacy
AARP advocates for complete streets, livable communities, and streetscape design that allows pedestrians with a range of abilities and those with mobility devices to move freely through their communities and around town. The Baton Rouge branch has been active in the local complete streets conversation.
Baton Rouge Area Foundation | Advocacy
BRAF is a non-profit organization connecting philanthropic sources with civic projects in South Louisiana. They have a Mobility Initiative which advocates for transportation choices for bicyclists, pedestrians, and public transportation users. They have helped fund the soon-to-be-implemented bikeshare program.
Volunteer for the National Bicycle and Pedestrian Documentation Project!
The number 2 google image search result for 'bike count'.
This September, Bike Baton Rouge will be participating in the National Bicycle and Pedestrian Documentation Project for the first time - and we need your help!
The project is an effort to count pedestrians and bicyclists nationally, and to provide data for bicycle and pedestrian advocates (like Bike Baton Rouge), as well as governmental organizations and planners with the hopes that these counts will help to put more (and better) bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure into the ground - and making bicycling and walking safer and more enjoyable.
In our case, this data will also be used to support local projects. We'll be providing the counts to our friends at various government and non-government organizations - and we'll be utilizing the counts ourselves in an exciting report about bicycling in Baton Rouge that we'll be releasing later this year.
The counts will occur at two times - on Tuesday, September 12th (5pm - 7pm) and Saturday, September 16th (12pm - 2pm), in around ten locations in Baton Rouge. We'll work with you - our volunteers - to assign you a location as convenient to you as possible (we'll try our best, we swear!)
So - how do the counts work, and how can you help?
1) Register to volunteer for the counts HERE!
2) There will be an optional (but recommended) training session at our next General Meeting on Thursday, September 7th. If you won't make it or are just curious, you can download all of the count instructions and documentations here. We'll finalize a time and location for this meeting a little closer to the date of the meeting.
3) You'll receive a count package, including counting and recording materials (clipboards, pens, etc) and some free Bike BR swag in return for your help!
4) On the count days, you'll make your way out to the count locations, complete your counts, and then send them to us (phone, email, snail mail, carrier pigeon, anything is fine!). You can sign up for just one of the two count days, or for both of them!
5) Bike Baton Rouge will collate your data, submit it to the National Bicycle and Pedestrian Documentation Project, and publish it on our website for the whole world to see.
Interested? Click HERE and we'll get back to you with more information.
Thanks for supporting Bike Baton Rouge!
Bike Baton Rouge announce winners of annual Mike Bitton Awards
Bike Baton Rouge announce winners of annual Mike Bitton Awards
5/2/2019, Baton Rouge, LA
Bike Baton Rouge today announced the recipients of the annual Mike Bitton Awards that recognize community members who have gone above and beyond in their efforts to make Baton Rouge a better place to bike. The Mike Bitton Awards are named after former LSU student Mike Bitton, who became a spokesperson and advocate for bicycle safety and awareness following a hit and run crash on River Road that left Mike with life threatening injuries.
2019’s award recipients are as follows:
Bike Friendly Business - Radio Bar
Since it’s first day open several years ago, Radio Bar has welcomed its bike-riding customers with open arms, installing one of the largest bike racks at a private business in town. They have hosted fundraisers for cycling causes, including one for Bike Baton Rouge, which allowed us to raise money to publish our Economic Benefits Report.
Bike Friendly Professional - April Renard
While at DOTD, April was involved in everything related to bikes/pedestrians and Complete Streets. April worked tirelessly to change the culture of traffic engineering to one that values human life and mobility. She continues such work at CSRAS as the Complete Streets Lead of the MoveBR program.
Bike Friendly Elected Official - Tara Wicker
We don’t give this one out every year because, sadly, some years we simply don’t feel anyone has earned it. Not so this year. Councilwoman Wicker, an avid bike rider herself, has always been a steady ally in the fight for safer streets and more bike and pedestrian infrastructure. She was a main voice in helping to make BikeShare a reality in Baton Rouge and serves on the city/parish Complete Streets committee to this day.
Mike Bitton Award - Dr. Jean George
Dr. George was a co-founder of the Sustainable Transportation Action Committee which helped to expertly show the potential and possibility of redesigning a portion of Florida Blvd, one of the most dangerous streets in the state, to where it works for all road users. Dr. George works with AARP and is unmatched in her quest to make roads safer in Baton Rouge so, as she so often puts it, “people can be safe to walk across the street.” Her passion for road safety, civic engagement and for an active lifestyle for senior citizens makes us proud to know her.
Bike Baton Rouge is a local non-profit 501 (c) 3 organization and has been dedicated to making bicycling trips in Baton Rouge safer and more enjoyable since 2006.
Dr. Jean George
Meet the Board - Sarah Schramm
Sarah is a landscape architect from Wisconsin who brings great enthusiasm and creativity to the Bike Baton Rouge board.
Who are you and where are you from?
I'm a landscape architect/ecologist/adventurer from Milwaukee, WI.
Why do you love bicycling?
I love bicycling because I love being outside and I like the feeling of speed. I also like the social and functional aspects of it.
Why did you join the Bike Baton Rouge board?
I feel like I can be helpful to the organization and I support the mission of Bike Baton Rouge. A perfect combination!
What do you see YOUR role as with Bike Baton Rouge? What do you do and what are you good at?
Currently I think I help build relationships within the group by reaching out to and engaging with members at the rides and other social events. I think I could help more in a wide range of capacities including organizing events, researching policy and making hand-outs, finding and applying to grants, and attending local policy meetings. I'm good at organizing, research, graphics, and writing.
What would you consider the greatest challenge to bicycling in Baton Rouge?
I consider the lack of connectivity between places to be the greatest challenge to bicycling in Baton Rouge. There are often few side-roads available to get to different areas outside of a core area in Baton Rouge. The main road options are inhospitable for bicyclists.
What are you and Bike Baton Rouge doing to tackle that challenge?
To tackle those challenges, Bike Baton Rouge attends public meetings to voice support for transportation plans that include bike lanes, bike paths, and sidewalks. Also, Bike Baton Rouge has been working with BREC to connect neighborhoods with bike paths through city park land.
What will bicycling in Baton Rouge look like in 1/5/20 years time?
With more bike paths and complete streets, and more bike-focused social events, I think we will see more people on bikes in Baton Rouge.
What is does your 'ideal' day of bike riding in Baton Rouge look like?
I wake up early on a sunny, crisp morning, meet up with my pals, and bike to a camp site where we grill out, throw a frisbee, and tell funny stories. Also, there are potato chips.
Open letter to Baton Rouge's Mayoral Candidates
[EDITOR's NOTE : The following letter was sent to Baton Rouge's mayoral candidates on October 6th, 2016. Responses to the letter will be published by on Bike Baton Rouge's website on October 21st, 2016. We encourage you to pass the letter below on to those candidates yourself - it is ALWAYS better to have more voices.]
In spite of Bike Baton Rouge's continuous work to ensure the safety of locals, Baton Rouge remains a largely hostile environment to bicyclists. The poor quality of Baton Rouge’s narrow roads makes it incredibly dangerous to ride a bike almost anywhere in the city. Additionally, drivers and bicyclists alike receive little to no education concerning safe practices on the road, which can prove fatal. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDCP) 2015 report, Louisiana ranks third-highest in bicycle-related deaths.
Increasing the conditions for safe bicycling in the city is not solely a matter of improving a recreational activity. Making safe bicycling more common could solve part of Baton Rouge’s traffic congestion problems; it could also provide a cheaper commute alternative. Furthermore, studies have shown that bicycle-friendly neighborhoods attract more economic development.
With the upcoming Mayoral elections, Bike Baton Rouge is committed to ensure that candidates are aware of the city’s lack of appropriate infrastructures and are dedicated to solve these serious issues during their term. To this effect, Bike Baton Rouge asks that all candidates answer the following questions so as to inform voters of their intentions concerning the health and safety of their constituents:
1) Are you aware of Baton Rouge’s increasing bicycling community and their demands for safer infrastructures?
2) What are your plans regarding the development of safer environments for bicyclists in the city?
3) Baton Rouge has had two bicycle master plans, one in 1974 and the other in 1996; neither were implemented. Will you and your team listen to the concerns of your constituents regarding bike safety and commit to a bicycle/pedestrian master plan? What would be the timeline for implementing this plan?
4) The position of Urban Transportation Coordinator has been left vacant since 2009 in spite of the fact that it is already budgeted for. When will you fill that essential position?
5) Bike Baton Rouge is committed to ensuring the safe access to bicycling on roads across the city. North Baton Rouge is home to most of the city’s bicycle commuters. What will you do to improve bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure in North Baton Rouge?
Please send responses to bikebatonrouge@gmail.com
Bike Baton Rouge is a 501c3 organization
www.bikebr.org
Meet the Board - Tina Ufford
Tina is a long time bicycle advocate and former Board Member of Bike Baton Rouge. She practices and teaches many things, including Yoga, Massage and Pottery.
Who are you and where are you from?
Tina Ufford Colorado Springs, CO
Why do you love bicycling?
Outside, gas free, exercise time! It shifts me into thinking about where I am..rather than where I'm going
Why did you join the Bike Baton Rouge board?
I want to be heard, I want to help create change. I want to funnel frustration into action and help others do the same.
What do you see YOUR role as with Bike Baton Rouge?
Connecting the dots in the networking world, finding new partnerships. Keeping things going when we get stalled or burned out.
What do you do and what are you good at?
I am a healer and a creator, an explorer and an educator. I'm good at giving permission, and making people comfortable.
What would you consider the greatest challenge to bicycling in Baton Rouge?
Guh! I only get to pick one...? Continuity! From planning to intersections to sidewalks, it's my biggest frustration here.
What are you and Bike Baton Rouge doing to tackle that challenge?
Creating rides and events that document the experiences of all riders in town. Inclusion. All people, all areas of town. And then pushing for change.
What will bicycling in Baton Rouge look like in 1/5/20 years time?
Well I'm pretty satisfied with the Dawson's creek path for this year! One little spot by Coyote Blues to smooth out, and we have a real people mover.
5 Years- I hope to see more education for riders and drivers, and for Government St, Eugene St, and Acadian to be slower, smoother, and safer.
20 years when I'm 60, I hope it just looks something like other capital cities as far as biking infrastructure goes.
What is does your 'ideal' day of bike riding in Baton Rouge look like?
Morning ride to the Farmer's market downtown, lunch on the levee, a pit stop at home, sunset at the Perkins park, Trader Joe's on the way home. Getting groceries on bike is always ideal.
Anything else you'd like to mention?
I believe our transportation troubles are the biggest reason for amazing people leaving this town. I have been here for over 10 years now, and plan to stay. When I travel to other cities, I realize how far we have to go, and also how easy we have it!! Good weather most of the time, mostly flat terrain, and the parade culture all lend themselves to this being one of my favorite places to ride! I feel that safe easy travel-biking, walking, public transport-makes a strong connected city,where people want to grow roots and bloom! I know that Bike BR is part of that foundation that keeps me here.
Announcement - Bike Baton Rouge Annual General Meeting and By-Laws vote - October 5th at 7pm
At our annual general meeting on October 5th (location TBD), Bike Baton Rouge members will be voting on adopting a new set of by-laws for the organization. By-laws are the 'constitution' of any non-profit organization such as Bike Baton Rouge, and describe how that organization should be run.
All Bike Baton Rouge members will be eligible to vote on the by-laws - either at the meeting itself or online here. You can sign up for membership here any time or at the meeting itself.
Read more about the changes to our by-laws and put your vote in here.
Why else should you be a Bike Baton Rouge Member?
1) It helps us be your voice. When we talk to elected officials or employees of the city (or state) about bike issues, we use our membership statistics to help our case. If we tell those people that we represent over a hundred paid members of Bike Baton Rouge, they listen a little harder than if we were there alone. Those people make and enforce our laws and buy the infrastructure that we'll be riding on in the years to come.
2) It helps us help others. The money raised from memberships goes directly back to making bicycling in Baton Rouge safer, easier and more enjoyable. Our most notable examples from 2016 include our light donation program, which has seen four hundred sets of LED bike lights donated to people without them (mostly by the BRPD) - and the Bike Baton Rouge Map stickers which we are putting up around our city to help people get around town easier.
3) It helps you help us. We are a 100% volunteer run organization. Our members make us who we are - from our board of directors, to the people who put on our bike rides, and the people who staff our volunteer events like bike parking.
Thank you for supporting Bike Baton Rouge!
http://bikebr.org/bylaws
Meet the Board - Part 7 - Michael Domingue
Michael Domingue is our newest addition to the Bike Baton Rouge Board. He brings with him a wealth of practical knowledge and experience as the FHWA Recreational Trails Administrator for Louisiana.
Who are you and where are you from?
My name is Michael W. Domingue and I am from New Orleans, Louisiana. I have lived throughout Louisiana my entire life.
Why do you love bicycling?
I love it because it is fun, good exercise and cheap transportation.
Why did you join the Bike Baton Rouge board?
I hope to help make the bike community more prominent and influential in public policy-making in East Baton Rouge Parish.
What do you see YOUR role as with Bike Baton Rouge? What do you do and what are you good at?
I want to help build the organization’s membership. I administer the Recreational Trails program for the State of Louisiana. I am good at fundraising and organizing.
What would you consider the greatest challenge to bicycling in Baton Rouge?
Poorly designed automobile infrastructure which blocks cyclists and pedestrians from getting around is the biggest challenge in Baton Rouge.
What are you and Bike Baton Rouge doing to tackle that challenge?
We are trying to find short but impactful bike linkages (filling in the gaps) throughout Baton Rouge.
What will bicycling in Baton Rouge look like in 1/5/20 years time?
1 year: several more short ped-bike connections (like the Pennington Trail Segment and the Riverbend Connectivity Trail) will be completed by BREC and the FHWA Recreational Trails Program for Louisiana.
5 years: The Baton Rouge Downtown Greenway will be completed from City Park/ Brooks Park to the Louisiana State Capitol and the downtown area. The Wards/Dawson Creeks Trails will be completed from Pecue Lane to the Burden Research Center, the LSU AgCenter Botanical Gardens and the Rural Life Museum.
20 years: A ped-bike trail roughly paralleling Perkins Road/Bayou Duplantier will connect LSU to the Wards/Dawson Creeks Trails and beyond. The Wards Creek Trail will extend under the I-10/I-12 interchange into north Baton Rouge connecting to a network of ped-bike trails all the way to Southern University.
What does your 'ideal' day of bike riding in Baton Rouge look like?
I like to ride to work from my home in Riverbend Lakes Subdivision to the Louisiana State Capitol by way of the Riverbend Connectivity/Farr Park Trail to the Mississippi River Levee Ped-Bike Trail. On my way home, I like to shop at Matherne’s Market or stop to get a drink before getting on the levee to go home. On my days off, I like to ride my children and grandchildren to the Riverbend Park (2,000 feet from my house), to the levee, to LSU or to downtown Baton Rouge (Farmers/Artists Market especially).
August Metro Council Meetings and Green Light Plan Tax/Millage
All twelve of Baton Rouge's Metro Council Districts will be holding meetings in the upcoming weeks. These meetings will include discussion of renewing the Green Light Plan's sales tax as well as a proposed millage that will go towards road maintenance/construction as well as "community enhancement and beautification" projects which could (and some might argue should) see improved sidewalks and bicycle infrastructure in and around Baton Rouge.
It's not yet known if that will be the case, but attending the meetings and asking your metro council members is a sure way to find out.
Should the tax and millage pass through the metro council, Baton Rouge will have a chance to vote on the matter in December.
Per the official press release :
"Mayor-President Melvin L. “Kip” Holden has scheduled a series of 12 public meetings in August to gather public input about the next phase of the Green Light Plan.
The proposal calls for a proposed parish-wide 5-mill property, 30-year tax to fund an estimated $452-million in road and street improvements. An estimated $260 million of the project funding would come from bond sales, with the other $192 million coming in the form of pay-as-you-go revenue.
The proposed Green Light Program property tax would free up the existing half-cent sales tax for rehabilitation and community road enhancement projects that include neighborhood road rehab, advanced signalization, pedestrian safety features and beautification.
The proposed tax would allow the Green Light Program to continue at the same pace as it did for its first 10 years, when it used a portion of the half-cent sales tax for road improvements.
The Mayor has scheduled the following public meetings in each council district in August to get public input about possible future projects and funding for the next phase of Green Light Program. The meetings will follow an informal “open house” setting that will include one-on-one discussions and feedback between the public and the staff.
Following the public hearings in August, the proposal calls for the Metro Council to consider in September a resolution for a tax December election, when voters would make the final decision"
Each meeting will take place between 5:30pm and 6:30pm at the dates and locations below.
District 5 - Tuesday, Aug. 2
Charles R. Kelly Community Center
3535 Riley Street
District 12 - Wednesday, Aug. 3
St. Aloysius Catholic Church Parish Hall
2025 Stuart Avenue
District 7- Thursday, Aug. 4
Dr. Martin Luther King Community Center
4000 Gus Young Avenue
District 10 - Tuesday, Aug. 9
Dr. Leo S. Butler Community Center
950 Washington E. Street
District 4 - Thursday, Aug. 11
Central Branch Library
11260 Joor Road
District 2 - Tuesday, Aug. 16
Scotlandville Branch Library
7373 Scenic Highway
District 1 - Wednesday, Aug.17
Zachary Branch Library
1900 Church Street, Zachary
District 6 - Thursday, Aug 18
BREC Saia Park
855 N. Donmoor Avenue
District 11 - Tuesday, Aug. 23
Main Library, 1st Floor Meeting Room
711 Goodwood Blvd.
District 8 - Thursday, Aug. 15
Jones Creek Branch Library
6222 Jones Creek Road
District 3 - Tuesday, Aug. 30
Bluebonnet Branch Library
200 Bluebonnet Blvd.
District 9 - Wednesday, Aug. 31
Bluebonnet Branch Library
9200 Bluebonnet Blvd.
What district are you in? Check out this map.