For too many years biking in New Orleans has been focused on RECREATIONAL Biking.
It's time to make it MORE about getting from Point A to Point B.
"For us to say we're successful is to really build the commuting population," says Robert Mendoza, the city's director of Public Works. "If we don't get to that, I don't know we'll be able to say we were successful in doing this."
The challenge now? "The name of the game is increasing connectivity," MBC director Wine says. Finding ways to connect bike lanes to other bike lanes means giving cyclists a place to go once they've arrived at their destination. There are bike paths in Mid-City near Bayou St. John, but how does the city connect those to Carrollton Avenue in Uptown? And from there to St. Charles Avenue? Streetcars and buses have similar budgetary and geographic gaps, but bikes have a bigger obstacle: bad roads.
"I get calls: 'Why does it stop there, why not continue on?'" Ruley says. "The reality is we don't want to direct people to potholes."
Well now that Carrollton is repaved it seems a PERFECT TIME to extend the bike lane from where it ends at Carrollton & Claiborne on toward City Park & the Lake.
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