LAFITTE GREENWAY IS OFFICIALLY OPEN

November 6, 2015 by Charlie London

greenwayopen2015nov6jared

CITY CELEBRATES OPENING OF
LAFITTE GREENWAY BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN PATH
2.6 mile Linear Park Stretches from French Quarter to Mid-City
NEW ORLEANS – Today, Mayor Mitch Landrieu joined City Councilmembers, City Officials, and community stakeholders to celebrate the opening of the $9.1 million Lafitte Greenway Bicycle and Pedestrian Path. Stretching 2.6 miles, the Lafitte Greenway Bicycle and Pedestrian Path is a multi-use trail and linear park connecting six historic neighborhoods from the French Quarter to Bayou St. John and Mid-City. The Lafitte Greenway corridor is bounded by Basin Street, Lafitte Street, St. Louis Street and North Alexander Street. Before being converted to a railroad right-of-way, the corridor was the site of the Carondelet Canal that brought ships from Lake Pontchartrain and Bayou St. John to the historic French Quarter.

“The Lafitte Greenway is a truly transformational project that will spur community revitalization in the heart of New Orleans,” Mayor Mitch Landrieu said. “By converting this former industrial railway into a recreational green space, we are promoting not only healthy lifestyles, but also connecting neighborhoods in an entirely new way. As one of my administration’s committed capital projects, the Lafitte Greenway is another sign of the city we are working every day to build.”

The Lafitte Greenway lighting became operational this week. Photo courtesy Jennifer Ruley.
Lafitte Greenway lighting. Photo courtesy Jennifer Ruley.

The Lafitte Greenway Bicycle and Pedestrian Path includes a 12-foot wide asphalt path for bicyclists and pedestrians, new recreation fields and green space, landscaping improvements with over 500 trees, native meadows, rain gardens, trail lighting, storm water retention features, curb extensions, signal-enhanced high visibility crosswalks, ADA-compliant curb ramps at sidewalk corners, environmental remediation and a crushed stone walking path. A bicycle/pedestrian roundabout links the Lafitte Greenway with the Jefferson Davis Parkway and Wisner Bike Trails. At this time, the Lafitte Greenway Bicycle and Pedestrian Path is managed by the City of New Orleans. The City is working with The Trust for Public Land, a national nonprofit dedicated to conservation, on a long-range management structure to ensure the Lafitte Greenway’s operation and security. The Trust for Public Land was also a partner in the development of the Lafitte Greenway by acquiring and donating property for the project. With assistance from the Urban Waters Federal Partnership, an innovative federal union comprised of 14 agencies, the City is receiving technical support to promote the Lafitte Greenway’s long term viability.

Because of heavy rains in the spring and summer of this year, the recreation fields and greenspace adjacent to the Lafitte Greenway Bicycle and Pedestrian Path remain closed to the public as grass and meadow plantings continue to establish. Because of the growing season in New Orleans, these areas may not be fully established until late spring 2016. The City is monitoring its contractor, Durr Construction, as it maintains the fields and landscaping during this period. The City requests that the public stay on the multi-use trail and avoid walking on the grassy areas during this period. Until the City fully opens the Lafitte Greenway’s recreation fields and green space, no official activities or events will be permitted.

District A Councilmember Susan G. Guidry said , “Proposed in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the Lafitte Greenway is truly a transformative development for New Orleans.  Connecting historic neighborhoods through four Council districts, the Greenway establishes a new corridor for transportation, health, neighborhood business, and community development in the heart of our city. Coming into office, I identified the Greenway as my top priority project, and I have been proud to work with the community leaders, particularly the Friends of Lafitte Greenway, whose tireless advocacy, planning, and community building efforts have made this day a reality. The Greenway’s potential is immense, and today’s grand opening is only the beginning. I look forward to continuing to work to make the Greenway the best it can be as amenities, programming and community partnerships are established in the months and years to come.”

District B Councilmember LaToya Cantrell said, “The opening of the Lafitte Greenway signifies another milestone for the city’s transportation infrastructure. As we move forward, we must also encourage our residents to actively learn and understand vehicle, bicycle and pedestrian safety.”

With the completion of the Lafitte Greenway Bicycle and Pedestrian Path, New Orleans now has 100 miles of designated bikeways. The Lafitte Greenway Bicycle and Pedestrian Path connects to bikeways in the French Quarter and Central Business District via the Basin Street/ Loyola Avenue bikeway. It also crosses existing and future bikeways on North Galvez Street, North Broad Street, and North Jefferson Davis Parkway. Before Hurricane Katrina, there were only five miles.

Click here to learn more about bicycling in New Orleans

The Lafitte Greenway Bicycle and Pedestrian Path is part of the Lafitte Corridor Revitalization Plan which was developed by the New Orleans City Planning Commission in conjunction with the City’s Department of Public Works. The Lafitte Greenway Bicycle and Pedestrian Path was designed by Design Workshop and constructed by Durr Heavy Construction. Diedonne Enterprises, A&A Enterprises, Metro Service Group, Traffic Solutions, Balthazar Electrik, Contractor’s Source, RLH Investments LLC and Twin Shores served as DBEs on the project. Funding for this $9.1 million project comes from Disaster Community Development Block Grants and Louisiana Recreational Trails Grants.

Cedric Grant, Executive Director of the Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans, said , “The Lafitte Greenway has been highly anticipated for many years and today’s ribbon cutting is validation of the extensive input from neighborhood and civic groups. This is more than just a green space; it is another important multi-modal transportation option that will serve as a gathering place for the entire city. This public investment will encourage further redevelopment from Bayou St. John to the French Quarter.”

Pat Forbes, Executive Director of the State of Louisiana Office of Community Development, said , “The City’s decision to invest disaster recovery funds in the Lafitte Greenway is already paying off in so many ways, and will continue to do so for many years. It has transformed a once-blighted industrial corridor into an amenity for residents and businesses in the Treme and Mid-City neighborhoods, it’s already spurring commercial projects, and it holds rainwater during storms, reducing run-off and flooding.  Recreation, economic stimulus and resilience: it perfectly fits our mission to recover safer, stronger and smarter than before.”

tonight

Patron Party | 6 PM
Soirée | 7 PM

HONORING THE VISIONARIES WHO CATALYZED THE LAFITTE GREENWAY’S CREATION

Erin Baker, Edgar Chase, Lake Douglas, Bart Everson, Billy Fields, Dubravka Gilic, Larry Lagarde, Wendy Laker, Linda Landesberg, Janet Ward Pease, Jennifer Ruley, Daniel Samuels, Leonetta Terrell, Jacob Wagner, Daniel Winkert

_____________

Dance to music by Smoking Time Jazz Club & DJ Pompeii

Swing with sensational swing dancers

Mingle with Friends of Lafitte Greenway supporters

Enjoy wine, New Belgium beer, and specialty cocktails

Sample cuisine served by Liberty’s Kitchen, a Lafitte Corridor social enterprise

Peruse the silent auction, featuring Lafitte Corridor businesses

Dress your best in cocktail attire

_____________
Tickets will be available at the door.
Already purchased tickets?
Your tickets will be available at will-call at the door under your name or the name of your business.


WHEN

November 06, 2015 at 6pm – 10pm

WHERE
Zulu Social Aid & Pleasure Club – Roy E. Glapion Reception Hall
730 N Broad St
New Orleans, LA 70119

Soirée | 7PM – 10PM
$95 Standard
$75 Members

Patron Party & Soirée | 6PM – 10PM
$145 Standard
$125 Members

Filed Under: Featured, HISTORY Tagged With: bayou st john, best neighborhood in New Orleans, bicycle, bike, children, excercise, excercise new orleans, faubourg st john, fitlot, fitness, friends of lafitte corridor, friends of lafitte greenway, fun, green space, kids, lafitte corridor, lafitte greenway, natural, nature, New Orleans, run, walk, where to excercise safely in new orleans

Friends of Lafitte Greenway

August 24, 2015 by Charlie London

FriendsLafitteGreenway

Friends of Lafitte Greenway

We are delighted to announce that, effective today, we are changing our name from Friends of Lafitte Corridor to Friends of Lafitte Greenway. As the grand opening of the Lafitte Greenway nears, our new name is a reflection of our renewed commitment to this, now real, public space.

For nine years, we have worked with the community, our members, partners, and public officials to advocate for the preservation of the open green space within the Lafitte Railroad “Corridor”—stretching through nine New Orleans neighborhoods—and its transformation into the “Lafitte Greenway”. Today, that transformation is nearly complete.

Our new brand reinforces our commitment to providing the programs, events, improvements, and advocacy that will make the Lafitte Greenway a vibrant community asset. We believe that by focusing our efforts on supporting the Lafitte Greenway, we will best serve the surrounding Lafitte Corridor neighborhoods. Friends of Lafitte Greenway looks forward to continuing to be your partner in building, programming, and promoting the Greenway as a great public space.

We invite you to visit our new website at www.lafittegreenway.org to get to know our new look. Let us know what you think by emailing [email protected]!

We want to thank Line 58 for their contributions that made this rebranding possible.

Thank you for your continued support!
Sincerely,

Sophie Harris
Executive Director
Friends of Lafitte Greenway

about us

As the Lafitte Greenway opens to the public this summer, we continue to promote this great public space and host community events. Our commitment is to foster a vibrant and active greenway that encourages economic development, and links adjacent neighborhoods, cultural features, historic sites, retail areas and public spaces. Learn more.

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: bayou st john, faubourg st john, friends of lafitte corridor, friends of lafitte greenway, lafitte greenway, New Orleans

Lafitte Greenway Almost Complete

July 9, 2015 by Charlie London

lafitte-greenway-map1The Department of Public Works construction contractor, Durr Heavy Construction, has completed placement of the asphalt portion of the Lafitte Greenway bicycle and pedestrian path in Areas 2, 3, 4, and 5. The path in Area 1 is 85% complete. The concrete path in Area 6 is complete. , The contractor has completed installing all trail lighting except within the N. Broad St. median. The contractor will install wiring for the trail lighting in July. Lights are being tested as the wiring is completed.

The overall project is about 96% complete and scheduled to be fully open to the public at the end of summer 2015. This schedule is weather dependent.

The contractor has installed 90% of the Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFBs). The new pedestrian-activated flashing beacon systems are currently being tested and adjusted. Please continue using pre-project crosswalks at this time, as the new beacons are not yet fully operational.

The contractor is scheduled to complete pavement markings and signage by the end of July, pending weather.

Tree planting is 75% complete project-wide. The spring planting season has ended and remaining trees will be planted in late October and November. Landscaping work will continue through July.

Area 1 (N. Alexander St. to N. Carrollton Ave.): Concrete work is substantially complete. DPW has converted St. Louis St. between N. Carrollton Ave. and N. Solomon St. to one-way lakebound operation. Please obey the new one-way signage.

Area 2 (N. Carrollton Ave. to N. Jefferson Davis Pkwy): All work is substantially complete.

Area 3 (N. Jefferson Davis Pkwy to N. Broad St.): The Jefferson Davis intersection asphalt is 90% complete, with some curb work and additional asphalt patching remaining. Workers have removed the abandoned railroad tracks. Please note the N. Lopez St. pedestrian bridge is now closed pending the planned future construction of a replacement bridge. Please use alternate routes.

Area 4 (N. Broad St. to N. Galvez St.): After a delay for striping adjustments, workers will mobilize this month to begin widening the N Broad St median between St. Louis St and Lafitte Ave. This follows the Broad-Lafitte Streetscape project’s reduction of lanes on N Broad St from 3 lanes in each direction to 2 lanes in each direction and addition of designated bike lanes. The N. Rocheblave St. pedestrian path will remain closed for the duration of construction in Area 4. Workers have begun construction on the new, paved N. Rocheblave St. walk. Please use N. Galvez, N. Dorgenois, or N. Broad streets during construction and avoid entering the construction site.

Area 5 (N. Galvez St. to N. Claiborne Ave.): Work at the N. Prieur St. crossing is substantially complete. N. Prieur St. is now open to vehicular traffic, although that is subject to change based on construction activity. Please use caution when crossing the Lafitte Greenway, and watch out for construction materials which may be stockpiled in the parking lanes. Please do not park on N. Prieur St. within the Greenway footprint until the project is complete. The contractor will begin placing the Carondelet Walk crushed stone walking path during the first week of July, with scheduled completion by the end of July. The Carondelet walk will run along Lafitte Ave between N. Claiborne Ave. and N. Galvez St.

Area 6 (N. Claiborne Ave. to Basin St.): Durr Heavy Construction continues work in the City-owned parking lot to prepare the pavement for the asphalt path.

lafittegreenwaysignThe Broad and Lafitte Streetscape project, which connects to the Lafitte Greenway at Broad St., is also currently under construction. Crews have framed the new sidewalks and are scheduled to pour concrete for the new sidewalks this week. Additionally, the project to re-pave St. Louis St. between N. Broad St. and N. Claiborne Ave. is well underway. Crews are currently framing and pouring sidewalks adjacent to the Lafitte Greenway. Completion of these projects will coincide with opening of the Lafitte Greenway.

Please use caution when driving, bicycling or walking near active construction sites. Traffic cones, construction fencing and safety signage are in place to keep everyone safe. Please respect the signage and fencing – do not enter active construction sites.

Thank you for your continued patience.

Cheryn Robles, APR
Community Outreach Manager
Department of Public Works

Filed Under: Featured, HISTORY Tagged With: bayou st john, best neighborhood in New Orleans, faubourg st john, friends of lafitte corridor, greenway, lafitte, New Orleans

Keeping the Greenway Clean

April 11, 2015 by Charlie London

corridor-cleanup1

With the opening of the Lafitte Greenway fast approaching (end of Summer 2015), NOLA Trash Mob teamed up with Friends of Lafitte Corridor and volunteers from the LSU School of Public Health to clean up the Lafitte Greenway around the 2200 block of Lafitte Street on Saturday, April 11, 2015.

Friends of Lafitte Corridor,  ladies from the LSU School of Public Health and the Trash Mob cleaned the Lafitte Greenway on April 11, 2015.
Friends of Lafitte Corridor, ladies from the LSU School of Public Health and the Trash Mob cleaned the Lafitte Greenway on April 11, 2015.
A few of the ladies from the LSU School of Public Health who helped clean the Lafitte Greenway on April 11, 2015.
A few of the ladies from the LSU School of Public Health who helped clean the Lafitte Greenway on April 11, 2015.
Volunteers enjoyed treats provided by the ladies from the LSU School of Public Health.
Volunteers enjoyed treats provided by the ladies from the LSU School of Public Health.
Children enjoying the playground at 2200 Lafitte Street in New Orleans.
Children enjoying the playground at 2200 Lafitte Street in New Orleans.
The Lafitte Greenway is projected to be complete at the end of Summer, 2015.
The Lafitte Greenway is projected to be complete at the end of Summer, 2015.
The Lafitte Greenway as of April 11, 2015.
The Lafitte Greenway as of April 11, 2015.
The Lafitte Greenway as of April 11, 2015.
The Lafitte Greenway as of April 11, 2015.
Lafitte Greeway progress as of April 11, 2015.
Lafitte Greeway progress as of April 11, 2015.
Work continues on the Lafitte Greenway which should be complete at the end of Summer, 2015.
Work continues on the Lafitte Greenway which should be complete at the end of Summer, 2015.
Progress on the Lafitte Greenway as of April 11, 2015
Progress on the Lafitte Greenway as of April 11, 2015
Lafitte Greenway progress as of April 11, 2015
Lafitte Greenway progress as of April 11, 2015

dontrashdat

The Friends of Lafitte Corridor distributed the flyer below at the Faubourg St. John Neighborhood Association meeting on April 7, 2015.
Click on any of the pages below for a larger view.

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folc-flyer-144-page2

folc-flyer-144px-page3

FOLC-flyer1-144px-page4

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: abatement, bayou st john, clean up, cleanup, faubourg st john, flyer, folc, friends of lafitte corridor, help, litter, LSU, saturday, trash mob, volunteer

Greenway Construction Should Start Soon

February 25, 2014 by Charlie London

CITY OF NEW ORLEANS SELECTS CONTRACTOR FOR CONSTRUCTION OF LAFITTE GREENWAY, SETS PUBLIC MEETING DATE

The construction of the long-awaited Lafitte Greenway, overseen by the City’s Department of Public Works, will be completed by Durr Heavy Construction, LLC.

 New Orleans, LA – February 24, 2014

 baby-boyz-lafitte-hike1aThe City of New Orleans has officially awarded the construction of the Lafitte Greenway, a 2.4-mile linear park and bike path to be built from Mid-City to Treme, to Harahan-based Durr Heavy Construction, LLC. The City received five bids from Greater New Orleans-area contractors ranging in amounts from $5.5M to $7.9M. Durr Heavy Construction submitted the lowest bid.

The City of New Orleans will hold a public meeting with Durr Heavy Construction for the purpose of communicating important information about how the construction will take place, as well as for public input and questions. The public meeting will take place on Wednesday, March 19 at 6pm, and will be held at the Sojourner Truth Neighborhood Center, located at 2200 Lafitte St, New Orleans.

 Friends of Lafitte Corridor (FOLC) is reaching out to the residents and businesses along the Corridor about the meeting to encourage community members to get clarification on any questions they may have about the construction. “While the City’s bid documents are specific about certain aspects of construction, such as the time for completion and the amenities to be included in this initial build, there are also important aspects which are left to the contractor’s discretion, such as where on the Greenway construction will begin,” said FOLC Chair Samuel Spencer. “For this reason, this single public meeting is an important event, particularly to those residents and businesses along the Lafitte Greenway and greater Lafitte Corridor. FOLC will compile questions and also live tweet the meeting, so if you cannot attend, you can still submit questions to [email protected] and follow the meeting at twitter.com/folcnola.”

 The funding available for the construction of the Greenway comes from Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds and will allow for the construction of a 12-ft-wide asphalt bike path from Basin Street to N. Alexander Street through currently-vacant city-owned land, once the site of a canal and railway. The construction will also include lighting, new trees and native plants, softball/baseball backstops, soccer goals, a walking path, bike racks, and rain gardens. The City currently anticipates the construction to take one year.

 Friends of Lafitte Corridor is a member-driven nonprofit organization, founded in 2006, devoted to revitalizing Lafitte Corridor by working to build, program, and promote the Lafitte Greenway as a great public space.

 

 

Filed Under: Featured, HISTORY Tagged With: corridor, friends of lafitte corridor, lafitte, New Orleans

Calling All FOLCs

June 21, 2013 by Charlie London

FOLC-Meeting-June27th

Hello and thanks again for coming out to the annual hike of the Lafitte Corridor. I’m Sam Spencer, chair of the FOLC board of directors, and I want to issue a special invitation to our yearly membership meeting, to be held this Thursday, June 27.

The FOLC board meets every month and all are welcome, but once a year we create a special agenda geared toward letting the membership know where the project and the organization are in the big picture. On the verge of an expected groundbreaking before 2013 is out, suffice it to say we are in the middle of a critically important time for the corridor.

So come join us this week and get caught up! The time, place, and agenda are below, and as you can see the program includes a time for answering your questions. Thanks and we’ll see you Thursday!

Sam

—————————-

We will be meeting on Thursday, June 27 from 6:30p-8:00p at:

Sojourner Truth Neighborhood Center
2200 Lafitte Street (at Galvez)
New Orleans, LA 70119
Map

Membership portion (6:30pm-7:30pm)

  • Introductions and welcome – Samuel Spencer, FOLC Board
  • State of FOLC – Harry Vorhoff, FOLC Board
  • State of the Corridor including near-term timeline – Guest speaker(s) TBD
  • Overview of the Lafitte “Blueway” (water management) – Daniel Samuels, FOLC Board; Dana Eness, Urban Conservancy
  • 2013 Hike overview – Annie Kelly, FOLC Board
  • Treasurer’s report – Alli DeJong, FOLC Board
  • Membership Q&A – Samuel Spencer, FOLC Board

Board business (7:30pm-8:00pm)

  • Approval of May minutes
  • Board Discussion/Nomination/Reinstatement; including president position
  • Review of the second May CPC meeting/vote
  • Status of ongoing EPA-facilitated meetings with the City
  • Discussion of future FOLC role as to operation and management
  • Cox Conserves Heroes grant – Daniel Samuels, FOLC Board

***

Please mark your calendar and join us as we discuss the current state of the Lafitte Corridor and what lies ahead (hint: it’s exciting.) We will be meeting on Thursday, June 27 from 6:30p-8:00p at:

Sojourner Truth Neighborhood Center
2200 Lafitte Street (at Galvez)
New Orleans, LA 70119

The agenda for the meeting is below, and it includes time for your questions about what’s up with the corridor. Looking forward to seeing you then!
Samuel Spencer, FOLC Chair
http://folc-nola.org/

Membership portion (6:30pm-7:30pm)

Introductions and welcome – Samuel Spencer, FOLC Board
State of FOLC – Harry Vorhoff, FOLC Board
State of the Corridor including near-term timeline – Guest speaker(s) TBD
Overview of the Lafitte “Blueway” (water management) – Daniel Samuels, FOLC Board
2013 Hike overview – Annie Kelly, FOLC Board
Treasurer’s report – Alli DeJong, FOLC Board
Membership Q&A – Samuel Spencer, FOLC Board

Board business (7:30pm-8:00pm)

Approval of May minutes
Board Discussion/Nomination/Reinstatement; including president position
Review of the second May CPC meeting/vote
Status of ongoing EPA-facilitated meetings with the City
Discussion of future FOLC role as to operation and management
Cox Conserves Heroes grant – Daniel Samuels, FOLC Board

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: blueway, friends, friends of lafitte corridor, greenway, New Orleans

Lafitte Greenway Presentation

July 9, 2011 by Charlie London


Get Microsoft Silverlight

Dan Samuels with Friends of Lafitte Corridor and Jennifer Ruley with the City of New Orleans discuss the future of the Lafitte Corridor with New Orleans City Councilmembers Kristin Palmer and Susan Guidry.

Filed Under: More Great Posts! Tagged With: bayou st john, bike, corridor, dan samuels, faubourg st john, friends of lafitte corridor, fsjna, greenway, lafitte, New Orleans, planning, ride, urban, walk

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