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Bike Baton Rouge


richyb83

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B.R. bike activists reaching out to businesses

Newly re-branded as Bike Baton Rouge, the nonprofit formerly known as Baton Rouge Advocates for Safe Streets hopes to make 2013 a turning point for cycling in the capital city. Part of that effort, says board member Beaux Jones, is a program that recognizes and promotes bike-friendly businesses and business districts. "When people can walk and bike in between the stores, rather than get on the interstate and drive, it's good for business," he says. It's a way to thank businesses that encourage biking for their customers and workers in various ways, from putting out bike racks to providing showers for employees. "We want to encourage businesses and merchant associations to get together and say, 'As a group, we want to support cycling and alternative means of transportation,'" Jones says. Promising areas could be LSU's North Gates, the Perkins Road overpass area, Mid City and Capital Heights. The national bicycle commuting rate is a bit less than 1%; and Baton Rouge's rate is roughly half of that. The sprawling Capital Region isn't ideal for biking, and recent high-profile deaths of cyclists can discourage novices. Bike Baton Rouge hopes encouraging more people to ride, if only for short trips of two miles or less, creates a critical mass that leads to better infrastructure and better understanding between cyclists and motorists. You can find out more about Bike Baton Rouge here.


http://www.businessreport.com/section/daily-reportPM&date=20121227#axzz2GbjIBnWQ

 

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Baton Rouge getting bike friendly

 

 Signs posted throughout the city-parish alert drivers to cyclists on designated bike paths, such as this sign posted on May Street between City Park Lake and University Lake. The city-parish has been working to make Baton Rouge more bike-friendly with an educational campaign, and creating designated cycling lanes.

 

Bike lanes, paths and shared-use roads have almost tripled in East Baton Rouge Parish since 2009, say officials with the Mayor-President’s Office.

In 2009, there were only 23 miles of bike routes, and now there are 68 miles and several more miles in the works,

 

Rest of good  article

http://theadvocate.com/csp/mediapool/sites/Advocate/assets/templates/FullStoryPrint.csp?cid=4751164

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  • 4 weeks later...

True all2neat!

 

Here is my idea for a bike/walking trail along the Bayou Duplantier watershed...from University Lake..under Lee Drive to the Perkins Road X'treme Sports Park...with little trail-head connections from Southdowns , Pollard Estates & neighborhhoods to the south....

This could also tie-in to BREC's proposed trails along Ward'sCreek from Siegen MarketPlace to Mall of La...then eventually to Perkins Rowe & X'treme SportsPark

 

You could bike across LSU and eventually hit the levee bike path along the river....

 

Take advantage of BR's system of creeks & bayou's with the linnear park/greenways


 

duplantierbiketrail2.png

Edited by richyb83
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  • 2 months later...

Thanks Antrell...that route(shown above) would tie-in with the proposed 7.4 mile Medical Loop pedestrian/bike path...need to post a map of that.

 

That would be a good idea Cajun!  True Garrett_225...wish they would start on that trail first!

 

Oh yeah...Here is the Bike Baton Rouge website

 

http://www.bikebr.org/action/projects/

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  • 5 months later...
  • 1 year later...

Metro Councilwoman forms two committees in attempt to resolve Baton Rouge bike lane dispute      

In an effort to resolve the simmering dispute over bike lanes on Glenmore and Hundred Oaks avenues, Metro Council member C. Denise Marcelle has formed two committees—one comprising bike lane supporters, the other bike lane opponents—tasked with meeting and coming up with a solution to the controversy.

Each committee has six members and will meet with the city-parish’s chief traffic engineer Ingolf Partenheimer and a representative of the parish attorney’s office in the weeks to come to discuss potential solutions.

Until the dispute is resolved, Marcelle has also asked cyclists not to call the Baton Rouge Police Department if someone is parked in a bike lane.

“I asked the cyclists not to call the police, and they said they want to reach a resolution,” Marcelle says. “I didn’t want the cyclists to put residents to the point where they don’t have any choice but to kill the bike lanes.”

Bike lanes have been in place on Glenmore and Hundred Oaks avenues for nine years, but they only recently became a source of controversy, after cycling enthusiasts insisted police crack down on violators parked in bike lanes. Though the move was intended to protect cyclists, it caused a backlash among many Glenmore and Hundred Oaks residents, angered that they were being told they couldn’t park in front of their homes.

Last Monday, residents from throughout the neighborhood met and clashed in heated exchanges, not only over the Glenmore and Hundred Oaks lanes but over bike lanes in general. Since then, tensions have eased and Marcelle is hoping the two sides will begin to discuss potential solutions. It was the second such meeting at which tempers flared, but no solutions were found.

Partenheimer believes a solution can be found, though cost will be an issue. Among the ideas on the table are to allow parking in bike lanes at night and to narrow the existing median on both streets and add a travel lane on each side.

“We’ll either find a compromise or we’ll have to figure something out because the bike lanes are an amenity,” Partenheimer says. “I have a really hard time pulling them without some sort of substitute plan.”  https://www.businessreport.com/article/metro-councilwoman-forms-two-committees-attempt-resolve-baton-rouge-bike-lane-dispute

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EPA releases report outlining steps Baton Rouge should take to establish bikeshare program     

A new Environmental Protection Agency report released today on the possibility of establishing a bikeshare program in Baton Rouge says there’s enough support for such a program, but a lot of work is needed for it to become a reality.

“Baton Rouge has a number of strengths that will contribute to its pursuit of a bikeshare system,” the report says, noting downtown revitalization, a higher-than-average share of young adults compared to the state, the recent adoption of a Complete Streets policy and ongoing work on a network of bike paths downtown.

Among the biggest obstacles to overcome are a lack of funding for a bikeshare program and the need for a safe, connected network of bike paths, the report says.

“The newness of bikeshare discussions in the region mean that the area’s partners requires additional and ongoing efforts to continue defining what bikeshare will look like,” the report says.

Baton Rouge was awarded a technical assistance grant from the EPA earlier this year to help develop a bikeshare program. EPA officials spent two days in Baton Rouge in late July and held a number of meetings to get public input on what kind of bikeshare program is desired. The EPA contracted with Asheville, North Carolina-based Kostelec Planning, with support from Orlando, Florida-based Renaissance Planning Group, to conduct the tours and public meetings that took place on July 28-29.

The report says city-parish leaders should next define a more refined concept of what the local bikeshare program will look like, based on the outcomes of the community meetings. That process could take anywhere from four to six months. The report outlines further steps to see a bikeshare program established, none of which could be taken in less than a year.

Downtown Development District Executive Director Davis Rhorer says stakeholders from the Baton Rouge Area Foundation, Center for Planning Excellence and city-parish will hold a meeting in the coming weeks to discuss next steps.

“It’s a framework for us to begin a discussion on how to move forward. We’re going to be taking this report and assessing what we can do in Baton Rouge,” he says. “There is going to be a meeting in the next couple of weeks, but I think the bulk of the work will be done in early 2016.”

What the report makes clear is that the city-parish cannot establish a bikeshare program on its own.

“It will require partnerships between the public sector, private sector, universities, nonprofit organizations and other institutions,” the report says.

“The public, political leaders and stakeholders” have voiced “strong support” for a bikeshare program, the report says. However, it goes on to note “there is still some resistance in the community,” adding “a plan that identifies incremental/phased changes in infrastructure and/or citywide programs could help possible resistance to change and capitalize on existing support.” 

Access the complete report.   https://www.businessreport.com/article/epa-releases-report-outlining-steps-baton-rouge-take-establish-bikeshare-program

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  • 2 weeks later...

Officials meet to begin developing ways to bring Baton Rouge bikeshare program to fruition          

Two weeks after the Environmental Protection Agency released a study on the feasibility of establishing a bikeshare program in Baton Rouge, officials with various local agencies met on Monday to begin mapping out their next steps to establish a program to Baton Rouge.

“The idea is that we’re going to take the feasibility study and start acting on the recommendations,” says Davis Rhorer, executive director of the Downtown Development District.

Some of the steps discussed include searching for grant programs to cover some of the program’s costs, as well as studying bikeshare models in similar-sized cities. Rhorer says work also will need to be done to meld together the bike trail master plans for both the Capital Region Planning Commission and its city-parish counterparts.

“We want to make sure everything is coordinated and there is one master plan for trails for bike sharing,” Rhorer says.

The EPA report, released Oct. 13, says there is enough support for a bikeshare program in Baton Rouge, but a lot of work needs to be done for it to become a reality.

Rhorer says the cost of the program varies depending on how extensive the program will be. He sees Baton Rouge starting small, as other cities have done with their programs, and starting with only a few points downtown before gradually expanding to create an intricate network. Making LSU and Southern University as destination points that people can reach via bicycle from downtown is also a goal, Rhorer adds.

The EPA awarded a technical assistance grant to Baton Rouge earlier this year to help develop a bikeshare program. EPA officials spent two days in Baton Rouge in late July and held a number of meetings to get public input on what kind of bikeshare program is desired.

Officials from the DDD, CRPC, city-parish Planning Commission, Baton Rouge Area Foundation and BREC attended Monday’s meeting.    https://www.businessreport.com/article/officials-meet-begin-developing-ways-bring-baton-rouge-bikeshare-program-fruition

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Officials meet to begin developing ways to bring Baton Rouge bikeshare program to fruition          

Two weeks after the Environmental Protection Agency released a study on the feasibility of establishing a bikeshare program in Baton Rouge, officials with various local agencies met on Monday to begin mapping out their next steps to establish a program to Baton Rouge.

“The idea is that we’re going to take the feasibility study and start acting on the recommendations,” says Davis Rhorer, executive director of the Downtown Development District.

Some of the steps discussed include searching for grant programs to cover some of the program’s costs, as well as studying bikeshare models in similar-sized cities. Rhorer says work also will need to be done to meld together the bike trail master plans for both the Capital Region Planning Commission and its city-parish counterparts.

“We want to make sure everything is coordinated and there is one master plan for trails for bike sharing,” Rhorer says.

The EPA report, released Oct. 13, says there is enough support for a bikeshare program in Baton Rouge, but a lot of work needs to be done for it to become a reality.

Rhorer says the cost of the program varies depending on how extensive the program will be. He sees Baton Rouge starting small, as other cities have done with their programs, and starting with only a few points downtown before gradually expanding to create an intricate network. Making LSU and Southern University as destination points that people can reach via bicycle from downtown is also a goal, Rhorer adds.

The EPA awarded a technical assistance grant to Baton Rouge earlier this year to help develop a bikeshare program. EPA officials spent two days in Baton Rouge in late July and held a number of meetings to get public input on what kind of bikeshare program is desired.

Officials from the DDD, CRPC, city-parish Planning Commission, Baton Rouge Area Foundation and BREC attended Monday’s meeting.    https://www.businessreport.com/article/officials-meet-begin-developing-ways-bring-baton-rouge-bikeshare-program-fruition

As much as I would love a bikeshare program, it only really works in dense cities like Paris, Berlin, etc. 

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As much as I would love a bikeshare program, it only really works in dense cities like Paris, Berlin, etc. 

We need to add more sidewalks kand bike lanes for it to work the right way, but what we could do now is focus on Downtown, Mid City, City Park, LSU, South Medical District, Perkins Rowe and Southern University. Then expand to other location once sidewalks and bike lanes are added.

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We need to add more sidewalks kand bike lanes for it to work the right way, but what we could do now is focus on Downtown, Mid City, City Park, LSU, South Medical District, Perkins Rowe and Southern University. Then expand to other location once sidewalks and bike lanes are added.

This is a good point, but it would be expensive to do this, and most homeowners lots go up to the street which means the city can't just build sidewalks where they want. They'll have to add bike-lanes to already narrow streets. But it has to make sense to ride a bike for a bikeshare program to work, here in BR there's not much sense to doing it. Doesn't mean we shouldn't try, but I think we're going from step 1 to step 25 and skipping everything in between.

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This is a good point, but it would be expensive to do this, and most homeowners lots go up to the street which means the city can't just build sidewalks where they want. They'll have to add bike-lanes to already narrow streets. But it has to make sense to ride a bike for a bikeshare program to work, here in BR there's not much sense to doing it. Doesn't mean we shouldn't try, but I think we're going from step 1 to step 25 and skipping everything in between.

Good point. I think we need much better infrastructure but it should still work well if we keep the operation small enough. I would only install centers in downtown and LSU for now.

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Good point. I think we need much better infrastructure but it should still work well if we keep the operation small enough. I would only install centers in downtown and LSU for now.

As would I. That area will benefit the most from it, though  the divide between Downtown and LSU needs to be gentrified. 

I would also limit CATS to covering that area, with routes that shuttle people to major employment areas for the rest of the city. Have smart transportation, not sprawling transportation.

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  • 2 years later...
A MESSAGE FROM THE DDD
bikestationheader_emailheader.jpg
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Get Pumped!
bike repair stations Downtown!

Biking downtown? Do you have a flat tire? Just locate one of the two new downtown Bike Fixation Stations. A Bike Fixation Station is a fully equipped bike repair station that offers the user tools to add air to their tire or even make a quick repair.

bikestationheader_emaillbody.jpg

They are located at Riverfront Plaza (the top of the levee near the City Dock) and on the Downtown Greenway (at North Boulevard and 7th Street near the exercise equipment). These locations have been conveniently located with riders in mind.

The bike repair station offers the user:
Wheel Chuck and Bike Hanger
Deluxe Tool Set
Air Pump with Pressure Gauge

 

bikestationmap_emailbody.jpg

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img-spacer.gif Bike Fixation >> img-spacer.gif
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img-spacer.gif Bike Downtown >> img-spacer.gif
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  • 2 years later...

225-02-Feb-2021-Dine.jpeg?q=70&crop=faces&fit=crop&w=1300&h=600

In 2020, Baton Rouge saw the opening or expansion of several new bike pathways, including on a portion of Government Street, Phase II of the Downtown Greenway and an extension of the Mississippi River Levee Bike Path. In June, the Metro Council passed the Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan, which recommends the city ultimately create more than 350 combined miles of safe on-road and off-road trails. And, a master plan spearheaded by the Baton Rouge Area Foundation to revamp the LSU and City Park lakes calls for dedicated paths linking to other bike routes.

https://www.225batonrouge.com/article/225s-february-2021-issue-stands-now

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  • 10 months later...

A bike path through five parishes? Planning Commission asks for public input on trail design

https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/article_a87ec56e-5ead-11ec-82c5-7be520a6bd7a.html

Interesting one of the trails along the levee in Iberville Parish  up to Ramah I-10 on the edge of the Atchafaylaya National Wildlife Refuge

https://crpcla.org/

CRBPP+network+map.JPG?format=1000w

Edited by richyb83
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  • 2 weeks later...
On 12/20/2021 at 3:22 PM, richyb83 said:

A bike path through five parishes? Planning Commission asks for public input on trail design

https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/article_a87ec56e-5ead-11ec-82c5-7be520a6bd7a.html

Interesting one of the trails along the levee in Iberville Parish  up to Ramah I-10 on the edge of the Atchafaylaya National Wildlife Refuge

https://crpcla.org/

CRBPP+network+map.JPG?format=1000w

They should absolutely try to incorporate the road alongside False River and into St. Francisville for this.   That's one of the most scenic drives in the region right now, and it's mostly flat and ideal for bikes.....they just need a lane since traffic moves fast in some spots.    Most of those roads are due for an overlay anyways.  Would be a good time to stripe a lane.   

Edited by cajun
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