Tech update!
Hey folks! This post is about tech! Mostly… apps. There are a number of different apps that can improve your ride or, given time, improve our city. We’d like to take a minute to let you know about them in case you didn’t already….
RedStick 311 - This app is most useful for reporting maintenance issues that need to be addressed by the city/parish. Annoying pothole always tripping you up? A bike lane in need of re-striping? Vegetation blocking a sidewalk? RedStick 311 lets you take a picture of the issue, post a location and your request will be routed to the proper department. If you see something, say something! Remember, the city/parish can’t fix what they don’t know is broken. Squeaky wheel gets the grease! (By the way, there’s a web version for those who don’t do smartphones).
529 Garage - This app is used for registering your bike with BRPD. The old paper form, manual entry of bike registration is done in EBRP. 529 Garage lets you register your bike and, in the event it is stolen, will help police get it back to its owner in the event it is recovered. Stolen bikes are very rarely returned to their rightful owners, it’s true. But in cities that have 529 Garage, where participation has been robust, recover rates have increased dramatically. And, for those who don’t do apps, you can email us your bike’s info (make/model/color/serial # and even a picture of you with it) and Bike BR will register it for you!
Ride Spot - not unlike Strava or MapMyRide, Ride Spot, brought to you by People for Bikes, lets you map out your routes which you can use to track your fitness or share with other people for wayfinding. If you ever do a great ride and want to share it with folks afterwards, this is a great app to have.
Our Streets - This one is very new. It is a sequel to How’s My Driving, which allows bike riders (or anyone, really) to report issues such as illegally parked cars or dangerous driving behavior. Now…. does the information go right to the police? No. It goes to the company who made the app and they, in turn, compile the data. So if you’re trying to get someone ticketed or towed, or if you need to report a crime, you still have to call 225-389-2000, but if you want to help compile data about where cars are consistently illegally parked or what locations are prone to dangerous driving, this app is great. And like with the others, the more people that participate, the better it works.
Ok… enough about apps, on to the gear….
Cycliq cameras - Ever had a bad experience on a bike and wished you had proof of it later… but didn’t? In the event of a crash, it’s often the driver’s word against a bike rider’s and unfortunately, the driver will most likely be given the benefit of the doubt, all other things being equal. These cameras can help you plead your case should you become the victim, or even near victim, of a dangerous driver. You can assist law enforcement by showing them camera footage; plus, you won’t have to memorize the license plate number. And guess what? If you’re a Bike Baton Rouge member or a member of any other cycling club, you can qualify for a sweet discount!
We hope you utilize some or all of these new advances and that they improve your riding experience!
Cheers! #YeahBike!
