Let’s Not Meet by Accident

March 31, 2017 by Charlie London

photo sent in by Robert Thompson

Click on the photo for a larger view

 

Robert Thompson reported that at 7:30 a.m. this morning two folks met by accident at the corner of Broad and Esplanade.

Please slow down, the life you save may be your own.

***

info below gathered by Charlie London

 

Learn more about ways to reduce speeding in Faubourg St. John in the link below

http://peds.org/?s=speeding

Much of the threat to pedestrians comes from speeding cars. Fortunately, you’ve got plenty of ways to encourage drivers to slow down. Take action!

  1. Spread the word. Neighborhood websites, e-newsletters, Facebook Pages and twitter are all great ways to reach out.
  2. Use yard signs to remind drivers to slow down. Pick up signs at DRIVE LIKE YOUR KIDS LIVE HERE — or use plywood or laminated poster-board to create your own. Keep it simple.  Short messages and big letters work best.
  3. Set the pace. Driving at or below the speed limit forces others to do the same.
  4. Park your car in the street, and ask your neighbors to do the same. Narrow travel lanes prompt drivers to slow down.
  5. Install radar signs that show drivers how fast they’re going.
  6. Reduce speed limits. If the speed limit where you live is over 30 mph, ask transportation agencies to change it.
  7. Take back your street. Walk, ride a bicycle, sit on the front porch — and put some toys in your front yard.   Reminding motorists that streets are for people encourages them to slow down.

Bump outs like this one make crossing the street safer for pedestrians. And, in the middle of the street is a brick section with a gradual rise on either side. This helps slow traffic.
Bump outs like this one make crossing the street safer for pedestrians. And, in the middle of the street is a brick section with a gradual rise on either side. This helps slow traffic.

How a Dutch neighborhood pioneered an innovation now sweeping the globe

TRAFFIC CALMING HAS SWEPT THE WORLD over the past 20 years. It’s based on the rather simple idea that cars and trucks don’t have exclusive ownership of our streets. Streets are shared public space also belonging to people on foot and bicycles, in baby strollers and wheelchairs. Reminding motorists of this fact, traffic calming uses design features such as narrowing roads or elevating crosswalks to slow traffic and assert pedestrian’s right to cross the street.

This idea has altered the literal landscape of urban life in the Netherlands, Scandinavia, Germany and Australia as people move about their cities with more ease and pleasure—and it’s now taking off in other parts of the world.

bumpout1THE ORIGINS OF THIS INGENIOUS IDEA CAN BE TRACED TO DELFT, NETHERLANDS, where residents of one neighborhood were fed up with cars racing along their streets, endangering children, pets and peace of mind. One evening they decided to do something about it by dragging old couches, planters and other objects out into the roadway and positioning them in such a way that cars could pass but would have to slow down. Police soon arrived on the scene and had to admit that this project, although clearly illegal, was a really good idea. Soon, the city itself was installing similar measures called woonerfs (Dutch for “living yards”) on streets plagued by unruly motorists.

One can only imagine the response of city officials if these neighbors had meekly come to city hall to propose the idea of partially blocking the streets; they would have been hooted right out of the building. But by taking direct action, they saved their neighborhood and changed the face of cities around the world.
***

Filed Under: CRIME, Featured, HISTORY Tagged With: accident, auto crash, broad, crash, esplanade, faubourg st john, New Orleans, ride your bike, safety, wreck

HIT AND RUN BREAKS BACK OF BICYCLIST

October 1, 2016 by Charlie London

Please write to [email protected] if you have any information or a photo of the license plate of the vehicle in the video below.

By Richard Rainey, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune

A cyclist in Bayou St. John suffered cracked ribs and a broken back Tuesday (Sept. 27) when a white sedan hit her before speeding off, according to her attorney, Charlie Thomas.

A video from a nearby house shows a cyclist, who Thomas identified as Michelle Phillips, in the distance riding towards the Mississippi River on Esplanade Avenue. As she crosses Crete Street, a white sedan drives through the intersection, striking her to the ground before speeding off.

There is a stop sign on Crete at that intersection.

In the video, the driver passes in front of the house with the camera.

New Orleans police confirmed they responded to a call about a hit-and-run at 6:09 p.m. They arrived to find a cyclist had been injured.

Thomas said Phillips was rushed to a hospital by ambulance and treated for cracked vertebra and ribs. She was released Thursday.

The crash comes on the heels of an arrest in another hit-and-run on a cyclist earlier this month.

Rebekah Abernathy was struck from behind Sept. 12 as she traveled on Magazine Street in front of the World War II Museum. The driver, Michael Foley was arrested Wednesday after turning himself in.

Magazine and Esplanade both have dedicated bike lanes.

http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2016/09/video_cyclists_back_broken_in.html

Filed Under: CRIME, Featured Tagged With: bad drivers, bayou st john, best neighborhood in New Orleans, bicycle, bicycle crash, bike, bike lanes, bike safety, crete, esplanade, faubourg st john, New Orleans, new orleans best neighborhood, safety

Fair Grounds Patrol

June 8, 2016 by Charlie London

by Charlie London

Fair Grounds Patrol

fairgrounds

As the summer heat gets more intense, crimes often do as well.

If you feel uneasy about getting from your car to your home, why not have the Fair Grounds Patrol meet you there?

Have a gut feeling something isn’t right? Don’t second guess yourself, call 911 then
call the Fair Grounds Patrol
.

Call (504) 251-0276 or (504) 251-0111 and the Fair Grounds Patrol will meet you at your home to make sure you get in safely.

Enhanced NOPD Patrol

Mobile phone numbers of Enhanced Patrol officers:

(504) 251-0276
(504) 251-0111

As part of the ordinance allowing the New Orleans Fair Grounds to expand their operations to allow for slot machines the Fair Grounds is required to fund enhanced NOPD patrols in areas surrounding their facility. The patrol consists of two patrol cars operating 24 hours per day 7 days a week. The officers in the cars will have mobile phones and can be contacted directly by residents in the patrol area. The patrol area is defined as the area bounded by Desaix Boulevard to Moss Street to Ursulines Avenue to North Broad Avenue to St. Bernard Avenue to Desaix Boulevard.

Captain Scott, who leads the Fair Grounds Patrol says,
“The Fair Grounds patrol really helps to keep this area safer than non patrolled areas.”
Auto thefts top the list. Capt. Scott reminds everyone to please lock their vehicle’s doors.

The Fair Ground enhanced patrol began August 19th 2007.

Mobile phone numbers of Enhanced Patrol officers:

(504) 251-0276
(504) 251-0111

Please keep in mind that this patrol is in addition to regular police patrols. We should still call 911 in case of emergencies. After calling 911 it might make sense to call one of the numbers above.


Map of the Enchanced Patrol Area:

FairGroundsPatrolMap

Simple Crime Fighting Tips

Please use these tips to eliminate the opportunity for a crime in your home or on your street.

• Light Places Discourage Crime/Dark Places Encourage Crime: Leave a light on at your front and back door all night. Set timers on lights when you are away. Remove dead limbs and bushes from in front of windows. Report all street lights out as soon as you notice them. Call 311, and remember to get a service request number. When you call, give the pole number and the address of the house closest to the pole.

• Make sure you have your house number close to the front and back doors of your house.
Dark numbers on light trim are easiest to read. During an emergency, this could save precious moments.

• Install a peep hole in your exterior doors if you do not have glass around the door. NEVER open the door to a stranger. Call 911 if you are suspicious of a caller.

• Add deadbolt locks to all of your doors, particularly those with glass near the doorknob. Remove the key from the lock. If you want to keep a key close to the door for emergencies, make sure it is not reachable from the glass panels in the door.

• Make sure to notify your neighbors when you are going to be away. Set timers on both indoor and outdoor lights. Arrange for papers, mail and flyers to be taken in, and ask neighbors to place some trash in your super can and wheel it to the alley on trash day. Arrange for the lawn to be mowed while you are away. These simple steps can greatly reduce your chances of becoming the next burglary victim.

• If you have alarm systems in your car and home, use them. If you have an alarm system in your home, and you have a skylight, make sure to have the skylight wired to the alarm system. This is a new way of entering homes without being detected.

• Leave your emergency numbers with a neighbor, and leave a copy by the kitchen phone, if you have one.

• Do not leave lawn mowers, bicycles or baby strollers in the yard unattended. • NEVER leave your purse in a shopping cart at the market, in your desk at work unattended, or on the back of your chair in public. Not only will your money and credit cards be used, but you could loose your personal identity. Personal identity theft is the fastest growing crime in our area.

• Shred all documents that contain any personal information about you or your family members (bank statements, credit card receipts, etc.) to avoid being a victim of Identity Theft.

• Never take valuables to the Gym with you. Even lockers that are locked can be the scene of a theft.

• Check your surroundings before getting out of your car on your way into the house, and out of the house on your way into your car.

• Remove all valuables from sight in your car, especially GPS, iPods, CDs, cameras, laptops, purses and money. If you must leave something in your car, store it in the trunk. When valet parking, leave only your car key.

• NEVER leave your car running without you in it. Besides inviting a car theft, it is also illegal.

• If you witness a crime, write down the details as soon as possible, and keep the paper in a safe place. It could mean the difference between a conviction and an acquittal. Call 911 and read from your sheet.

• Get to know your neighbors. If you know who belongs on your block, it is easier to spot someone who does not belong. Report suspicious behavior to the police. If you suspect it is a crime, call 911. Use the words “Possible Crime in Progress.” Get involved in your community. Apathy is the partner of crime.

The neighborhood association reimburses $150 to any Faubourg St. John neighbor that installs a camera on their house (looking out to the street) that records and is registered with SafeCam NOLA.

For more information and specific requirements, contact Teddy Mccullough at: [email protected]

SafeCam NOLA is a New Orleans Police Department initiative to enlist the help of community members in the fight against crime. The SafeCam online registration service was developed by the New Orleans Police & Justice Foundation at the request of NOPD. Citizen-provided security camera footage is increasingly becoming an invaluable asset to NOPD, helping establish leads and identify perpetrators. By voluntarily registering your contact information with NOPD through this site, detectives will know how to reach you if a crime occurs in the vicinity of your property. Registering your information does not provide NOPD with direct access to your camera. NOPD will only contact you if they believe your camera could contain evidence relevant to a criminal investigation. Evidence provided by your camera could mean the difference between bringing a perpetrator to justice versus leaving a crime unsolved.

Filed Under: CRIME, Featured, HISTORY Tagged With: best neighborhood in New Orleans, crime, crime fighting strategies, fair grounds, fairgrounds, faubourg st john, new orleans best neighborhood, police patrol, safety

THE MAN IN THE GLASS

May 27, 2016 by Charlie London

THE MAN IN THE GLASS

Check out this mirror that allows bar patrons to interact.

***

THE MAN IN THE GLASS
by Peter Dale Wimbrow, Sr.

When you get what you want in your struggle for self
And the world makes you king for a day
Just go to the mirror and look at yourself
And see what that man has to say.

For it isn’t your father, or mother, or wife
Whose judgment upon you must pass
The fellow whose verdict counts most in your life
Is the one staring back from the glass.

He’s the fellow to please – never mind all the rest
For he’s with you, clear to the end
And you’ve passed your most difficult, dangerous test
If the man in the glass is your friend.

You may fool the whole world down the pathway of years
And get pats on the back as you pass
But your final reward will be heartache and tears
If you’ve cheated the man in the glass.

Filed Under: CRIME, Featured, HISTORY, Living Well Tagged With: bars, bayou st john, best bar, best bars in new orleans, best neighborhood in New Orleans, drive, driving, faubourg st john, great drinks, memorial day, New Orleans, new orleans best neighborhood, pal's, party, safety, the talk

Persistence Pays at Local Bus Stop

May 27, 2016 by Charlie London

Robert Thompson writes:
It took over a year and a half, but a problem existing for more than a decade is no longer. Thanks to Cheryn Robles, Community Outreach Manager, Department of Public Works, a sidewalk hazard and eyesore at the Esplanade and Crete bus stop has been repaired. It may be a small step, but eliminating the chance an elderly transit rider would trip and fall is a worthwhile project. Here are the before and after pictures:

BEFORE
BEFORE
AFTER
AFTER

***********************
Many thanks to Robert Thompson for continuing to follow up on this safety issue!

***************************************************************************************************************************************
article below by Charlie London
311atNOLAdotGOV

Some folks lament about how they’ve called and called some nameless person about an issue they are having with the City. Don’t be that guy.

Call 311 but don’t expect the City to drop everything because you have a pothole or other City service issue. There is a serious backlog. So, call 311 or report the issue online at the link below:
http://nola.gov/311/

Mark the issue on your calendar two months later then call 311 and follow up. Yes, I said YOU need to follow up. After all, aren’t YOU the one who wants the issue taken care of?

NOLA-311-smallNew Orleans and City services are getting better. I’ve had excellent response from the City on a number of issues. However, there is not a pot of gold for the City to keep dipping from and there are plenty of issues that need attention all over New Orleans.

While there are always those who will gripe, moan and complain that they didn’t get what they wanted when they wanted it, there is no quick-fix solution. You have to call 311 about problems you notice and you have to follow up on the issue. There is no City employee running around in a pickup truck looking for streetlights that are out, potholes that need filling or storm drains that need to be pumped out. The City needs you to work WITH them and call 311 whenever you see something that needs to be taken care of… and follow up. http://nola.gov/311/

Call 311 and wait patiently. You can do this.

http://nola.gov/311/

NOLA-311-web

Filed Under: Featured, HISTORY, Living Well, More Great Posts! Tagged With: bayou st john, best neighborhood in New Orleans, bus stop, cheryn robles, city of new orleans, crete, esplanade, faubourg st john, new orleans best neighborhood, public works, robert thompson, safety, transit, transportation

Cross Walks

February 20, 2016 by Charlie London

walkzonesMap sent in by Bill Dalton. Click on the map for a larger view.

Trying to get from one side of Esplanade Avenue to the other can sometimes make one “cross”. But, that’s not what crosswalks should be. There are three dotted line areas noted in the map above which are crosswalks on Esplanade between Broad and Moss Street. These should be safe havens for pedestrians to cross Esplanade Avenue not a run-for-your-life situation.

Crosswalks aren’t ignored just in New Orleans. If you believe it is important enough to do something about, please continue reading.

Charlie London

******************************************************************
Emilie Bahr had this to say in a May 18, 2016 editorial at nola.com

As an avid runner and walker and a new mom to a 6-week-old, I’m increasingly concerned about the general lack of care or understanding on the part of drivers in this city as to the meaning of crosswalks. As I stroll my baby around my neighborhood, I’ve been alarmed and outraged by the number of drivers who have nearly hit me or who have simply sped through the intersection as I’ve attempted to cross the street with my stroller in plain view, ignoring the newly-striped crosswalks on Esplanade Avenue in Faubourg St. John.

It’s a phenomenon that is by no means limited to my neighborhood. Despite a state law that drivers must stop for pedestrians in crosswalks, I’ve never seen a police officer pull someone over for this common infraction. I am heartened by progress being made in the form of signs installed around town notifying drivers of the law that seem to be helping to change driver behavior at those intersections, but many more signs are needed, along with stepped up traffic enforcement and driver education.

Lawmakers are considering Louisiana’s first-ever law to increase penalties against motorists who strike and injure or kill someone on the road who wasn’t also driving a van, car or truck.

***
luche

Mexico City has a lot of things going for it, but it’s not a great place to walk. It has one of the highest pedestrian fatality rates in the world: there were approximately 1,000 pedestrian deaths in 2014, compared to 132 in New York City and 64 in London. (Each city has a population around 8.5 million.)

But Mexico City residents have a secret weapon: 29-year-old civil servant Jorge Cañez, who moonlights as Peatónito, a lucha libre defender of pedestrian rights. (Pedestrians are peatones in Spanish.)

Please visit the link below for the rest of the story:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/mexico-citys-lucha-libre-hero-comes-to-pedestrians-rescue_us_56901ed1e4b0c8beacf7064a

***********************************************************************

In 2010, I highlighted crosswalk safety.  I received the following from neighbor Diane Angelico:

Diane Angelico writes, “excellent idea. An elderly gentleman who lived where Kelly and Bob Thibeau live now was struck by a car and killed crossing on esplanade. Do not know if it was that intersection or the one straight down Grand Route. This happened back in the mid to late 80s.”

************************************************************************

10 Ways to Make Streets Safer: A Primer for the Citizen

by Jill Escher of Walk San Jose

1. Put in Zebra Stripes at Key Crosswalks
The easiest and least expensive thing a city can do to improve conditions for pedestrians is to simply improve the visibility and prominence of crosswalks on high-volume streets.

2. Place Bicycle Lanes on More Streets
Another inexpensive action is bike lanes. They make the streets safer for bike use, thus encouraging bicycling as an alternative to the car. They separate pedestrians further from car traffic and they narrow car lanes in some cases, causing cars to slow down.

3. Place Pedestrian Islands/Refuges on Busy Streets
Refuge Islands bring the safety of the raised sidewalk to the center of the street. This can be an effective way to improve safety without having to install an expensive traffic signal. It can be particularly effective when combined with corner “bulb-outs.” See #5.

4. Restore our “Stolen” Corners
City’s should restore tight, old-fashioned “square” corners to our intersections, and discard the broad, rounded “speedway” corners currently favored by traffic engineers. The modern, broad corners induce motorists to speed as they make turns through intersections, they create unduly large intersections that are scary to cross on foot, and they steal key territory from pedestrians and give it to cars.

5. Place “Bulb-outs” at Key Intersections
Imagine blowing air into a regular street corner’s sidewalk until it expands out into the intersection a few feet on all sides. That’s a bulb-out! These type of curb extenders are popular in retail districts. They shorten the distance across a street and make pedestrians more visible to oncoming drivers. They also slow car speeds which is a boon to nearby retail stores. Store owners want people to slow down and look, and they want people to be able to easily cross the street to their store.

6. Add More Crosswalks
Some cities claim to be improving pedestrian safety by removing crosswalks. They argue that crosswalks provide a “false sense of security.” They are wrong. What crosswalks do is communicate to motorists that they should yield to pedestrians. Without crosswalks, motorists are simply not inclined to stop for a pedestrian. What we need are safer crosswalks. Lighted crosswalks or raised crosswalks are good examples. (In Arcata, Calif., crosswalks were erased to erase “liability.” -ed.)

7. Convert Four-lane “Collector” Streets to Three-lane “Multi-modal” Streets
A three lane street has periodic turning lanes which efficiently take turning cars out of the flow of traffic. Four lane roads are less efficient because turning movements are unpredictable and require a lane change into flowing traffic. It is much safer for a pedestrian to cross this type of street than a standard four lane street with no median. This treatment creates the
opportunity to add bicycle lanes without removing any parking spaces.

8. Install Roundabouts
Medium-sized traffic circles and small-sized roundabouts are increasingly popular traffic control devices. They are an effective and inexpensive alternative to traffic signals or stop signs.

9. Install Speed Humps
Speed humps can be effective at diverting cut-through traffic from neighborhood streets, and slowing traffic down to about 15 MPH. They are much less jarring than their smaller counterpart, “speed bumps.”

10. Join your local affiliate group
We can connect you to other advocates and help you to get educated as well as to educate others.

courtesy: Walk San Jose, in turn from THE PEDESTRIAN FOOT PRINT, The Bay Area’s Pedestrian Newsletter: Vol. 2, Issue 3, February 2000. Published monthly by BayPeds.

***

DRIVER AND PEDESTRIAN BEHAVIOR AT CROSSWALKS

A companion study was conducted by Knoblauch et al. on pedestrian and motorist behavior and on vehicle speed before and after crosswalk installation at sites in Minnesota, New York, and Virginia (on two-lane and three-lane streets) to help gain a better understanding of the effects of marked crosswalks versus unmarked crosswalks. The study results revealed that very few motorists stopped or yielded to pedestrians either before or after marked crosswalks were installed. After marked crosswalks were installed, there was a small increase in pedestrian scanning behavior before stepping out into the street.

Also, there was approximately a 1.6-km/h (1-mi/h) reduction in vehicle speed after the marked crosswalks were installed. These behavioral results tend to contradict the false sense of security claims attributed to marked crosswalks, since observed pedestrian behavior actually improved after marked crosswalks were installed at the study sites. However, measures such as pedestrian awareness and an expectation that motorists will stop for them cannot be collected by field observation alone. Installing marked crosswalks
or other measures can affect pedestrian level of service if the measures increase the number of motorists who stop and yield to pedestrians.
Reference: https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/safety/04100/04100.pdf

Pedestrians are legitimate users of the transportation system, and their needs should be identified routinely —and appropriate solutions selected—to improve pedestrian safety and access. Deciding where to mark crosswalks is only one consideration in meeting that objective.

The study results revealed that under no condition was the presence of a marked crosswalk alone at an uncontrolled location associated with a significantly lower pedestrian crash rate compared to an unmarked crosswalk. Furthermore, on multilane roads with traffic volumes greater than 12,000 vehicles per day, having a marked crosswalk was associated with a higher pedestrian crash rate (after controlling for other site factors) compared to an unmarked crosswalk. Therefore, adding marked crosswalks alone (i.e., with no engineering, enforcement, or education enhancement) is not expected to reduce pedestrian crashes for any of the conditions included in the study. On many roadways, particularly multilane and high-speed
crossing locations, more substantial improvements often are needed for safer pedestrian crossings, such as providing raised medians, installing traffic signals (with pedestrian signals) when warranted, implementing speed-reducing measures, and/or other practices. In addition, development patterns that reduce the speed and number of multilane roads should be encouraged.

Street crossing locations should be routinely reviewed to consider the three following available options:

1. No special provisions needed.

2. Provide a marked crosswalk alone.

3. Install other crossing improvements (with or without a marked crosswalk) to reduce vehicle speeds,
shorten the crossing distance, or increase the likelihood of motorists stopping and yielding.

GUIDELINES FOR CROSSWALK INSTALLATION

Marked pedestrian crosswalks may be used to delineate preferred pedestrian paths across roadways under the following conditions:

• At locations with stop signs or traffic signals to direct pedestrians to those crossing locations and to prevent vehicular traffic from blocking the pedestrian path when stopping for a stop sign or red light.

• At nonsignalized street crossing locations in designated school zones. Use of adult crossing guards, school signs and markings, and/or traffic signals with pedestrian signals (when warranted) should be considered in conjunction with the marked crosswalk, as needed.

• At nonsignalized locations where engineering judgment dictates that the number of motor vehicle lanes, pedestrian exposure, average daily traffic (ADT), posted speed limit, and geometry of the location would make the use of specially designated crosswalks desirable for traffic/pedestrian safety and mobility.

Marked crosswalks alone (i.e., without traffic-calming treatments, traffic signals and pedestrian signals when warranted, or other substantial crossing improvement) are insufficient.

Reference: https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/safety/04100/04100.pdf

Whether you walk, bike or drive, take 5 seconds to follow crosswalk safety guidelines.

Pedestrians:
• Always cross at marked crosswalks.
You forfeit your rights as a pedestrian if you cross elsewhere.
• Obey any pedestrian signals and look left-right-left
to make sure the road is clear in both directions before crossing.
• If a vehicle approaches, make eye contact with the driver
to be sure s/he sees you before you cross.
• Look before walking past stopped vehicles.
Do not cross just because a driver waves you on. Be sure all lanes are clear first.
• Remember that bicyclists are not considered pedestrians
unless they are walking their bikes. Otherwise, they are considered vehicles.
Bicyclists:
• Yield to pedestrians.
• Remember that bicyclists are not considered pedestrians
unless they are walking their bikes. Otherwise, they are considered vehicles
and forfeit their rights as pedestrians in the case of an accident or citation.
• Use marked bike paths or multi-use paths when available.
• Obey vehicular traffic signals and laws on the roadways.
• Use extra caution as you transition between bike paths, roads and sidewalks.
Be aware that your actions are unpredictable to drivers and pedestrians.

Drivers:
• Yield to pedestrians in crosswalks and at intersections.
• Be prepared to stop
at all marked crosswalks. Stay alert and reduce speed in areas with crosswalks.
• Be alert for bicyclists and skateboarders
whose approaches to the crosswalk may be much swifter than those of pedestrians.
• Come to a complete stop
if pedestrians are crossing or preparing to cross.
• Wait until pedestrians have crossed at least one lane past the lane you are in
before resuming travel.
• Never pass another vehicle that has stopped or is slowing down at a crosswalk.

Filed Under: Featured, HISTORY, Living Well Tagged With: angry, baby safety, bayou st john, best neighborhood in New Orleans, child safety, cross, crosswalk, crosswalk safety, faubourg st john, kid safety, pedestrian safety, pedestrians, safe walk, safety, walk, walk safe

SAFE ON OUR STREETS

January 22, 2016 by Charlie London

Safe on Our Streets New Orleans (SOS NOLA) is working to unify and amplify the voices of New Orleans residents, neighborhood groups, and community organizations about crime prevention. One of the first things they’re doing is promoting a Neighborhood Level Crime Survey for ‪#‎NOLA‬ residents to share their experience with crime, law enforcement response, crime prevention resources, and perceptions of public safety here in town. It is a short (5 minute) survey of 17 questions.

If you’re concerned about crime in New Orleans, please take a look!
Thanks!
www.sosnola.com
StChasAveAssocOur entire city is endangered by out-of-control crime. For the past three months, a coalition led by the St. Charles Avenue Association and St. Claude Main Street has been working with a diverse group of neighborhood leaders and civic associations to amplify and unify our voices and to find real, creative and effective solutions.

stclaudeindexTo date, more than 50 neighborhood associations and civic organizations have participated in our meetings, all focused on tapping into the concerns of citizens and to seek solutions to the crime problems that grip our city. After surveying our neighborhoods citywide and listening to the leaders, we are mobilized.

Our committed organization, S.O.S., (“Safe on Our Streets”) welcomes all neighborhoods to join the effort to make the outrageenough1 heard and solutions known. Neighborhood and civic organizations can join by emailing [email protected]. We need and want your energy and desire to make every New Orleanian safe on our streets.

The survival of this great city depends on solving this heinous problem. By speaking with one united voice, City Hall and others will hear our distress call — S.O.S — and make crime the No. 1 priority.

Camille J. Strachan president, St. Charles Avenue Association New Orleans

Jonathan M. Rhodes past president, St. Claude Avenue Main Street New Orleans

S.O.S  (Safe on Our Streets) works to improve public safety in all neighborhoods in New Orleans. To achieve this, S.O.S supports a network of more than 50 culturally, ethnically and geographically diverse neighborhood and civic organizations  to make all streets safe. S.O.S works to unify the voices of New Orleans residents, advocate for best practices in policing, and ensure the fair allocation of technology, programs and other public resources in order to reduce crime.

 S.O.S was founded in 2015 by a diverse group of community groups all concerned about the staggering rise in crime. Throughout Greater New Orleans, S.O.S. is committed to making the streets of this city safe for all.

walk-against-crime-May29

Faubourg St. John residents support the New Orleans Police Department’s 1st District

Filed Under: CRIME, Featured, HISTORY Tagged With: 1st District, bayou st john, best neighborhood in New Orleans, best neighborhood website, crime, crime reduction, enough is enough, faubourg st john, fight back, New Orleans, new orleans police department, nopd, safe, safe on our streets, safety, sos

City Takes Quick Action

December 18, 2015 by Charlie London

treedown2015dec18The tree in front of 3309 Grand Route Saint John has been dying for quite some time. Recently, small parts of the tree have been falling on cars parked under or near the tree. This morning, a large branch ended up in the street.

I called 311 and within 30 minutes, Chief Urban Forester Bob Richards with the City of New Orleansbobrichards-bw-2015dec18 drove up in a white City pickup truck. He hopped out, grabbed the chain saw he brought with him and within just a few minutes had the pieces of the large branch loaded up in the truck.

Bob said he’ll be sending in a work order for the rest of the tree since it is clearly dead and poses a hazard to citizens. Many thanks to 311 and Bob Richards for their quick action on this hazardous situation.

This situation drives home the importance of planting the correct tree between the sidewalk and the street.

Please consider the trees in the list below when considering a tree to plant between the sidewalk and the street:

PLANTTHIS

The most important consideration in planting trees and shrubs is the planting depth. Don’t plant too deep! Plant all trees and shrubs about one inch above the surface of the existing soil. No dirt should be placed on top of the existing roots and nursery soil so as to not smother the root system. Mulch well, leaving a two inch gap around the caliper(s) of the plant.For the most efficient use of water, construct an earthen berm two to three inches high around the drip zone area of the plant after planting. Water in well after planting!

PLANT IT LOW, IT WON’T GROW | PLANT IT HIGH, IT WON’T DIE

Want more information on what to plant between the sidewalk and the street?
Contact Parkway Partners at:
Phone: (504) 620-2224
Fax: (504) 620-2225
[email protected]

The Department of Parks and Parkways maintains all City trees. These include trees on public property such as neutral grounds and in parks, and trees between the sidewalk and street.

Employees at the Department of Parks and Parkways perform an enormous number of tasks to maintain and upgrade public green spaces, and to re-green and beautify New Orleans. These include:

Tree Trimming, Planting & Removal
Permitting Work on Public Trees
Mowing, Edging, Weeding, Trimming and Planting on Neutral Grounds
Maintaining equipment and facilities in Parkways parks
Annual Tree Sale
Work closely with neighborhood groups and volunteer groups both local and from out of town

The Parkways team consists of licensed arborists, licensed horticulturalists, golf course professionals, licensed landscape architects, grounds keeping specialists and the hard-working arboreal and grounds maintenance teams.

***

I am extremely grateful to the representative at 311 and to Bob Richards at Parks and Parkways for their quick action on the dead tree at 3309 Grand Route Saint John that was clearly posing a hazard to citizens.

Charlie London
Content Strategist for…
https://fsjna.org | http://katrinafilm.com
http://faubourgstjohn.nextdoor.com
http://facebook.com/faubourgstjohn
Tweets by FaubourgStJohn
http://faubourgstjohn.net

Filed Under: Featured, HISTORY Tagged With: bayou st john, city of new orleans, city street, correct trees to plant, dead tree, faubourg st john, grand route, grand route saint john, New Orleans, parks and parkways, parkway partners, safety, tree planting, tree removal, trees

Stay Away and Be Ok

September 13, 2014 by Charlie London

Here is a question you should ask yourself, your family and friends: Is okay to walk across your neighbor’s front yard without their permission? Most responsible adults are going to answer, “Of course not.”

As a follow-up question, ask if it’s okay, or if it’s “a problem” for uninvited guests to walk on or across railroad property without permission.

Unfortunately, most members of our society don’t see railroad trespassing as a problem even though railroad rights-of-way constitute privately-owned land and are – especially bridges, tunnels, mainlines and switch yards – among the most dangerous places non-railroaders could occupy.

warning-railroad1Trespassing on railroad property is illegal and foolish. Without question, a 10,000-ton train moving 50 mph is going to take a much bigger bite out of a trespasser than the dog in your neighbor’s front yard.

Indiana Rail Road recently made news across the world when our executive, legal and public relations staffs made the decision to release video of a near-fatal encounter between an Indianapolis-bound train and two trespassers on Shuffle Creek Trestle, near Bloomington, Indiana.


Two female subjects, both in their mid-30s, dove between the rails after attempts to run proved futile. The locomotives and several cars passed above them, but the subjects are fortunate for two reasons: there is a mere 10 inches of clearance between the crossties and bottom of a locomotive’s snowplow, and if one of the heavy air hoses connecting each locomotive and railcar had been hanging lower than normal, it would have struck and killed them.

The point is: the women should have never been on railroad property to begin with, for their act could have resulted not only in their death but that of the engineer, not to mention a catastrophic derailment. As with all North American railroads, trains can run on INRD at any time, any day, and we must be vigilant to protect our employees, asset and the public.

Shuffle Creek Trestle is 982 feet long and stands 80 feet over the swampy shallows of Lake Lemon.  Photo by Chris Thompson
Shuffle Creek Trestle is 982 feet long and stands 80 feet over the swampy shallows of Lake Lemon. Photo by Chris Thompson
Protecting our employees is exactly why INRD chose to release the video. In this case, thankfully, an engineer did not kill two trespassers, and does not have to forever live with the memory of fatalities that were out of his control.

Such incidents are why railroad employees are encouraged to report trespassers, why railroads encourage law enforcement to prosecute trespassers, and why we partner with law enforcement and Operation Lifesaver to encourage trespass avoidance and grade-crossing safety.

Click here for the rest of the story in Indiana Railroad’s Milepost newsletter

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: bridge, people, railroad, safety, tracks, train, two women running on bridge, two women running on tracks

Safety is a Train of Thought

April 30, 2014 by Charlie London

For more than 20 years, CN employees at all levels of the company, as well as retirees, have been promoting rail safety at highway crossings and discouraging trespassing on or near railroad property. Help us put an end to accidents. Learn the safety rules. Click on any graphic in this post for more information.

cnsafety504
cnsafetykidsweb
PrintTake the time to stop-look-listen and use caution at all railroad crossings.

Be prepared to stop and obey the signals at railroad crossings. crossbuckwebiconLook for the crossbuck sign, lights or gates at crossings.

Listen for warning bells and whistles.

Wait for the crossing gate to be fully raised before crossing the railway tracks and then look both ways before crossing the tracks.

Only cross tracks at designated areas. Never take short cuts across tracks or through railway property – don’t let a shortcut cut your life short.

Walking, playing or running on or beside railroad tracks is dangerous (and illegal): any time is train time.

Please remember that tracks and recreation do not mix. No pedestrians, bicycle or car is a match for a train.

Learn more about CN’s ALL ABOARD FOR SAFETY program at www.cn.ca/safety

10 TIPS TO SAVE YOUR LIFE

crossbuckwebicon Never walk or play on train tracks. It’s dangerous and illegal.

crossbuckwebiconBe prepared to stop at crossings.

crossbuckwebiconCross train tracks at designated highway/railroad crossings.

crossbuckwebiconLook for the crossbuck sign, lights or gates at crossings.

crossbuckwebiconListen for warning bells and whistles.

crossbuckwebiconObey the signals.

crossbuckwebiconWAIT for the train to pass through the crossing, then wait again, to be sure a second train is not approaching on any track in any direction.

crossbuckwebiconObey the directions of a police officer or member of a train crew directing traffic at a crossing.

crossbuckwebiconCross the tracks in low gear; do not change gears while crossing.

crossbuckwebiconStalled vehicle? Get out quickly and move far away from the vehicle and tracks.

Safety is a train of thought!

 

 

 

Stay focused around railroad tracks.

 

 

Train_pic_(2)

It’s important to THINK TRAIN
even in New Orleans City Park!

 


About City Park:
City Park is distinguished by its large menu of sports and recreational activities, attractions for children, and its natural beauty. City Park holds a special place in the hearts of generations of New Orleanians and is a must-see for visitors to the city. As a popular place to picnic, play a favorite sport, wander through its gardens or take a boat ride, the Park receives millions of visit each year. It is located in the heart of the city and is the largest recreation area in the entire metropolitan area.

Attractions include: New Orleans Botanical Garden, City Putt, Storyland fairytale playground, the Carousel Gardens Amusement Park, and numerous athletic venues. The 1,300 acres of parkland provide enjoyment for young children playing on our playgrounds and walkers, joggers, and bicyclists navigating the winding paths through the Park’s streets and trails.

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: accidents, canadian national, cn, illinois central, New Orleans, rail, safety, safety is a train of thought, tracks, train

Have Fun Be Safe

February 18, 2014 by Charlie London

mardi-gras-logoMardi Gras Safety Tips from the New Orleans Police Department Crime Prevention Unit

Before going to the parade:

  • First secure your home by locking up and keeping a light on. Get a timer or two and connect it to a lamp, television set or radio to make it appear as if someone is moving around in the home turning lights and electronics on and off.
  • Notify a responsible neighbor to monitor your house while you are away.
  • Prepare children for the parade by making them use the restroom.
  • Put your name, address and phone number on a piece of paper and put it in your child’s sock.
  • Teach your child how to identify the police if lost.

Parking

  • Do not block a resident’s driveway.
  • Do not double park.
  • Do not park on the neutral ground.
  • Do not block an intersection.
  • Pay attention to signage on the parade route.

 

Attending the Parade

  • Do not jump over the police barricades. Ask an Officer for permission to cross from one side of the street to the other. The barricades are there for protection.
  • Do not bring a big purse to the parade. Put your personal items in your front pockets. Men should carry their wallets in their front pockets.
  • Stand a distance from the floats.
  • Do not run alongside of the floats.
  • Do not follow the bands.
  • Do not throw beads at the riders on the float.
  • Do not put someone on your shoulders if you or that person is intoxicated. Stay away from the street or curb.
  • Ladders should be as far back from the curb as they are tall. Secure the ladder to the ground. Do not place ladders in the intersection.

 

Lost children

  • If you get separated from your child, notify the police immediately. There will be several “lost children sites” on the parade route. Provide the Police Officer with the child’s name and a good physical description.

Medical Problems

  • You should carry with you any pertinent medical information regarding your health. This will help the paramedics tremendously in analyzing your medical condition should you get sick on the parade route.

French Quarter Rules

  • Do not urinate in public.
  • Do not flash your breast in public.
  • Do not drop your pants in public.
  • Do not drink from an open glass or metal container in public.

Important phone numbers

New Orleans Police Department Non-emergency number – (504) 821-2222

New Orleans Police Department Emergency number – 911

Orleans Parish Sheriff Office Automated Interactive Voice Response Inquiry System – (504) 827-6777

Parking Division-Auto Pound Address: 400 N Claiborne Ave. Phone: (504) 565-7450

  

ENJOY  YOUR  2014  MARDI GRAS !

Thank you,

Sergeant L. J. Smith

New Orleans Police Department

Commander, Crime Prevention Unit

715 S. Broad Avenue, Office # A- 412

New Orleans, LA 70119

(504) 658-5590 – Office Phone

[email protected] – Email

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: crime, mardi gras, New Orleans, parade, safe, safety

City Removes Tree

July 16, 2013 by Charlie London

tree-removed-2013july16

A neighbor in the 3200 block of Grand Route Saint John called the City of New Orleans about a dead tree in front of their home.

The tree was dead and full of bees. The City came out and determined that the tree needed to be removed. The Parks and Parkways Department will help with trees on City property. This tree was between the sidewalk and the street. The area between the sidewalk and the street belongs to the City of New Orleans.

The Department of Parks and Parkways encourages tree planting by citizens, but requires citizens to get a free Tree Planting Permit to plant a tree between the sidewalk and curb. Citizens also need to submit plans for the trees and/or shrubs they intend to plant on public property.

For full information and a permit application, see the Tree Planting Permit page from the City of New Orleans Permit & Licenses department. Depending on the location planting location, citizens may also need a Sidewalk Cut Permit.

If you need to contact the City of New Orleans please visit the link below:
https://fsjna.org/contact/federal-government-links/

stump1-3200grsj-2013july16stump-3200grsj-2013july16

Many thanks to the City workers
who did a great job!


entergy-3200grsj-2013july16

Entergy came out after the tree was removed
to make sure all the utilities were safe.


tree-removed-2013july16

City workers left the area clean.

Filed Under: Zoning Issues Tagged With: bayou, bayou st john, best neighborhood in New Orleans, city, city of new orleans, eclectic, environment, environmental, faubourg st john, neighborhood, new orleans best neighborhood, parks and parkways, safety, tree, tree removal, trees, trucks

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