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

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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.

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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

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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.”

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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.

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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

Walking Parade Saturday

January 27, 2016 by Charlie London

fsj-bayou-websiteKarin Barbee and her “bayou babies” will meet at Desmare Playground (3456 Esplanade) at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday January 30 for a walking parade.

Stop by Desmare Playground to visit and have a pastry. Bring a noise making device and parade with the whole family! Participants will make a simple loop. The parade will cross the Magnolia bridge then proceed along Bayou St. John then cross the Orleans Avenue bridge then back to Desmare Playground to play.

Dean Burridge walked many miles each day throughout the neighborhood with his dog Benny. He often walked along Bayou St. John. This parade might be a good way to remember Dean and the circle of life.

Filed Under: Featured, HISTORY Tagged With: bayou babies, bayou st john, best neighborhood in New Orleans, best neighborhood website, dean burridge, faubourg st john, karin barbee, remember, walk

HIKE THE LAFITTE GREENWAY MARCH 5

January 19, 2016 by Charlie London

photos by Charlie London


Sophie Harris, Executive Director of Friends of Lafitte Greenway, was very happy that over 1,000 people hike the Lafitte Greenway on March 5, 2016
Sophie Harris, Executive Director of Friends of Lafitte Greenway, was very happy that over 1,000 people hike the Lafitte Greenway on March 5, 2016

Peter Hickman leads group 21 of happy walkers on the Lafitte Greenway on March 5, 2016
Peter Hickman leads group 21 of happy walkers on the Lafitte Greenway on March 5, 2016

The Secondhand Street Band played for hours at Second Line Brewery at the after-party for the hike on the Lafitte Greenway March 5, 2016
The Secondhand Street Band played for hours at Second Line Brewery at the after-party for the hike on the Lafitte Greenway March 5, 2016

These 3 ladies dressed up to hike the Lafitte Greenway March 5, 2016
These 3 ladies dressed up to hike the Lafitte Greenway March 5, 2016

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bannerhike1

The annual Hike is back! Let’s hit the trail.

Hike the Lafitte Greenway 2016

You’re invited to Hike the Lafitte Greenway 2016 on Saturday, March 5th, 10:00am-2:00pm. RSVP for the 10th annual Hike and first year on the completed Greenway at lafittegreenway.org/hike2016.

10:00 Gather and Register
Congo Square / 700 N Rampart (Free parking at Mahalia Jackson Theater. Better yet, bike!)
Free, Fun for the Family! Music by Congo Square Preservation Society Drummers.

10:15 – 12:00 3-Mile Guided Hike
Hike the Greenway Congo Square to Second Line Brewing
Explore the Greenway’s history and stormwater management features. Enjoy live performance en route by the Zulu Tramps, Capoeira New Orleans, Crescent Lotus Belly Dancers, and Hey Now Hooping!

12:00 – 2:00 Base Camp Block Party
Second Line Brewing / 433 N. Bernadotte
Live music by Secondhand Street Band, Food Trucks, Environmental Sustainability & Stormwater Management Activities. $1 from every beer donated to Friends of Lafitte Greenway – 12-3 PM

Free shuttle back to Basin Street
Rain or Shine!

PRESENTED BY
Entergy

GENEROUSLY SPONSORED BY
IATSE Local 478
Mid-City Market
Whole Foods Market
Second Line Brewing
Parkway Bakery and Tavern

GET INVOLVED!

RSVP at lafittegreenway.org/hike2016

Apply to become a Lafitte Greenway Ambassador at http://www.lafittegreenway.org/ambassadors. Are you a community member interested in helping to lead the Hike and to engage your community in Lafitte Greenway programming and stewardship? Apply by February 12th. Know someone that would make a great Ambassador that isn’t online? Call 504.702.6778.

Email [email protected] if your organization is interested in setting up a table at the Base Camp Block Party.

PRESENTED BY:
Entergy Louisiana

GENEROUSLY SPONSORED BY:
I.A.T.S.E Local 478
Stirling Properties’ Mid-City Market
Whole Foods Market New Orleans
Second Line Brewing

hike the lafitte greenway

Saturday, March 05, 2016 at 10:00 AM

Filed Under: Featured, HISTORY Tagged With: best neighborhood website, friends, hike, join, lafitte greenway, walk

Green Up

January 14, 2016 by Charlie London

Photos courtesy Friends of Lafitte Greenway

mlkcleanup2016jan18a
mlkcleanup2016jan18bgreenupjan18

WHEN
January 18, 2016 at 9am – 11am
WHERE
Patio at Mid City Market | 401 N Carrollton Ave | New Orleans
Google map and directions

CONTACT
Nellie Catzen · [email protected] · 504-702-6778

Friends of Lafitte Greenway and the LSU School of Public Health will be out to Green Up! Mid-City on MLK Day, and TrashMOB is joining the fun.

TrashMOB will bring trashbags, gloves, and trash grabbers. We have orange vests to wear near the bigger streets. Please wear close-toed shoes. Long sleeves and pants are suggested, along with sunscreen. (Keep up with TrashMOB or Friends of Lafitte on Facebook and Twitter if there’s a question on the weather.)

Many hands make light work!
We’ll be out for two hours, and you won’t believe how much we can get done working together!

Please RSVP at the FOLG Link: http://www.lafittegreenway.org/mlk2016

MLK_Green_Up.jpg

Turn your day off this MLK day into a “day on”! Join Friends of Lafitte Greenway and students and faculty of LSU School of Public Health in celebrating and commemorating the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. with this MLK Day Green-Up.

Filed Under: CRIME, Featured, HISTORY Tagged With: best neighborhood website, enjoy, hike, lafite greenway, life, New Orleans, walk

Bike and Bash December 12

December 6, 2015 by Charlie London

A Bike and Bash event will be held on Saturday, December 12th from 3pm-6:30pm.   The event will start in Lemann Park (628 N. Claiborne Ave) with arts & crafts and a safety talk.  Then everyone will walk or bike to Parkway Bakery for a party.   The Friends of Lafitte Greenway hope to host monthly events for health and wellness.

greenwaybash

Celebrate the opening of the Lafitte Greenway with a free community ride and party!

3:00 Gather at Lemann Playground
628 N Claiborne Ave / Greenway at Claiborne Riverside
Live Music by James Andrews, Bike Decoration Station, Hula Hooping, Fun for the Family!
Bring your bike or walking shoes.

3:30
Community Bike
1.5 Mile Ride & Walk to Parkway Bakery

4:00 Bash at Parkway Bakery and Tavern
538 Hagan Ave
Musical Entertainment by James Andrews, DJ Hunter King, $5 Po’Boys; Specialty Food Items, Refreshments, Bike Easy Bike Valet

HOSTED BY FRIENDS OF LAFITTE GREENWAY
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
New Orleans City Councilmembers Jared Brossett, Latoya Cantrell, Susan Guidry, Nadine Ramsey
NORDC
Parks and Parkways
Bike Easy
New Orleans Regional Traffic Safety Coalition
Hey Now Hooping

GENEROUSLY SPONSORED BY
Parkway Bakery and Tavern
IATSE Local 478
Mid-City Market
Whole Foods Market
People for Bikes
Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
New Belgium Brewing
Coca-Cola Foundation

WHEN:
December 12, 2015 at 3pm – 6:30pm

WHERE:
Lemann Playground to Parkway Bakery
628 N Claiborne Ave
New Orleans

Google map and directions

Filed Under: Featured, HISTORY Tagged With: bike, corridor, december 12, event, fun, greenway, health, inner city, lafitte greenway, New Orleans, nola, rails to trails, ride, run, trail, walk, wellness

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

5K in May

April 13, 2015 by Charlie London

5k-May-16

Saturday, May 16th

7:30 a.m.: Registration and packet pick up opens

8:30 a.m.:  Start of 5K Run & Walk

9:30 a.m.:  Start of 1/2 mile Run & Walk

Join the 2015 Zulu-OPSO 5K & 1/2 Mile Run Walk held in conjunction with the Mid City Bayou Boogaloo Festival. The 5K starts at the intersection of Broad and Poydras and finishes at the Festival. The 1/2 mile will start and finish at the festival.

Win a ride on the world famous Zulu Parade on Mardi Gras Day.  

Post race food and refreshments inside festival grounds for race participants. Custom hand crafted Zulu style awards. Lot’s of award divisions 

Register today, click here for race details.

Filed Under: More Great Posts! Tagged With: 5K, bayou boogaloo, bayou st john, faubourg st john, fun, New Orleans, race, run, walk, zulu

Dig That Funky Beat

November 28, 2014 by Charlie London

cake-walk-tulane-2014nov13a

Image courtesy X-Istence Photography

If you’ve ever wandered around the 3200 block of Grand Route Saint John, you may have heard the tunes of the Faubourg St. John neighbors who make up Cake Walk. Cake Walk is an up and coming band born from close friendships and the desire to keep the good times grooving. Their music combines elements of funk, soul, rock, and whatever makes the party pop. You can email the band at [email protected] or give ’em a call at (978) 430-5956 You can catch the band on Twitter too at: https://twitter.com/cakewalkfunk

Cake Walk, a New Orleans-based funk band comprised of Tulane students and graduates Kyle Oblinger, Jenna Winston, Piper Browne, David Schloss, Cody Greenstein, Rob Kellner, Graves Lee, Leo Skovron and Mack Major, has headlined locally with bands such as Naughty Professor, Sexual Thunder and The Big Excuse. They also recently headlined with Smash Mouth at Tulane’s 2014 Homecoming. More in the link… http://www.tulanehullabaloo.com/arcade/article_d6a6e56a-6acd-11e4-b4ca-3b380f10c7d3.html

Check out the music of CAKE WALK below
:

Kyle Oblinger-VOCALS | David Schloss-GUITAR | Cody Greenstein-GUITAR
Leo Skovron-BASS | Mack Major-DRUMS | Chase Hamilton-KEYS/VOCALS
Graves Lee-TENOR SAX | Jenna Winston-VOCALS | Piper Brown-VOCALS

cake-walk

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: bayou st john, cake, cake walk, faubourg st john, funk, local band, New Orleans, pop, soul, walk

Walk for a Better Neighborhood

October 28, 2014 by Charlie London

SHOES

The Latin custom of an evening walk is good for your health and for the vitality of your neighborhood

WE ALL KNOW THAT WALKING IS GOOD FOR US. It sheds calories, tones muscles, and clears our minds.

But taking a regular walk is also beneficial for your neighborhood
. This basic human instinct—to get out of the house to see what’s going on—is the glue that holds most great communities together. The classic example are the Latin lands where an after-dinner stroll—the passegiata in Italy, the paseo in Spain and Latin America, the volta in Greece—is as much a part of the culture as sunshine or siestas. In towns and even large cities, people amble around the same set of streets each evening. The shops are usually closed so the purpose is not shopping and errands but to connect with their neighbors and enjoy their surroundings.

WRITER ADAM GOODHEART described this scene near the main square of the Italian hill town of Eboli. “I realized that I kept seeing the same people, but in different combinations. Here came a blond woman pushing a stroller. Next lap, she was arm in arm with a younger woman and the stroller was nowhere to be seen. Later, they’d been joined by an old lady who was pushing the stroller. Next, they were surrounded by men, jackets draped over their shoulders…”.

The words passegiata and paseo translate into English as promenade—and the idea translates too, according to Christopher Alexander, a former Berkeley Architecture professor who has devoted his life to scientifically studying what makes places work. In his classic book A Pattern Language, he asks, “ Is the promenade in fact a purely Latin institution? Our experiments suggest that it is not?…It seems that people, of all cultures, may have a general need for this kind of human mixing which the promenade makes possible.”

ALEXANDER LAYS OUT TWO GUIDELINES that enhance the experience and sociability of a promenade:

— The route should be approximately 1500 feet, which can easily be walked in ten minutes at a leisurely pace. People may opt for many times around—especially teenagers on the lookout for excitement or romance—but you don’t want to make the course too long for kids or elderly people.

— It’s important that there are things to see and do along the route, with no empty or dead zones of more than 150 feet. While the primary purpose of these strolls is social, people also like to have some destination: a sidewalk café, playground, bookstore, bars, the library, ice cream shop etc.

Think about what blocks in your neighborhood show promise for strolling and what improvements could be made to get people out to meet their neighbors. Walking up and down Main Street or any lively commercial district is probably the most common North American version of the promenade, although a route along a waterfront or interesting residential blocks could work just as well. Public art, welcoming businesses, benches, flowerbeds, even a vending cart could all help solidify this area as the place where people go to after dinner to see and be seen in your community.

Resources: A Pattern Language by Christopher Alexander

Filed Under: Featured, Living Well Tagged With: association, bayou st john, best neighborhood in New Orleans, faubourg st john, improvement, neighborhood, New Orleans, walk

New Orleans Shore Walk

May 24, 2014 by Charlie London

by Charlie London

The video above consists of photos taken from a “shore walk” around the lagoons in New Orleans’ City Park

The music is by Roger Hodgson and the group Supertramp. No claim is made to it.

Please be patient, the video takes a minute to load and is over 4 minutes long.

Photos and video by Charlie London. May 24, 2014.

***

shorewalkersClick on the graphic for more

New Orleans is surrounded by water.
The Mississippi River runs through it.
Lake Ponchartrain looms large north of the city.
Bayou St. John saunters majestically into the middle of New Orleans.

We have many running events that blaze through New Orleans. What about an event that highlights the natural beauty that surrounds us?

I was inspired by an event that happens in Manhattan every year and thought “why not here?” The Lafitte Corridor is the site of an annual 3 mile walk through the middle of the city. But, what about an event that highlights New Orleans’ largest asset?… water.

We wouldn’t need to re-invent the wheel to do it… the event could be modeled after an already successful event… visit the links for more information –> http://shorewalkers.org/the-great-saunter-2014

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/19/nyregion/19circ.html?_r=1&

California TV station KCET did a story on the Shore Walkers. You can view it in the link:
http://www.kcet.org/shows/citywalk/full-episodes/episode-5.html

Who thinks New Orleans Shore Walk could become an event in New Orleans? Who has ideas to make it happen? Who will walk with me?

Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen.
~Michael Jordan

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: bayou st john, faubourg st john, healthy, make it happen, New Orleans, new orleans shore walkers, saunter, shore, shore walk, shore walkers, walk, walkers

WILL TODAY’s KIDS HAVE SHORTER LIVES?

May 24, 2014 by Charlie London

The diseases of sedentary living are taking major tolls on the health and lifestyle of our country.

Experts explore the idea of simply getting up and moving to improve our health and adding more physical activity in our daily lives to help in the long run.


City Walk is a unique series that reveals the way walking is transforming cities across America, and in the process, re-connecting us to our bodies, our civic values and public space.

As the show explores the walkability of these communities, viewers will learn about American history by exploring culturally rich neighborhoods, stunning architecture, monuments and beautiful parks that have helped define the character of each city.

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: bayou st john, faubourg st john, get up, live, move, New Orleans, walk

Friends of Lafitte Corridor

May 1, 2014 by Charlie London

greenwaygazettenewBanner (2) 2

FOLCAFFAIR

A NIGHT AT THE HEAD OF THE GREENWAY

Looking over the Greenway’s trailhead from the 4th story windows and balcony of Basin Street Station, long-time friends and new Greenway supporters came together to celebrate this groundbreaking year and envision the path that will soon stitch the city together. This month, Friends of Lafitte Corridor held its annual spring evening event, A FOLC Affair.

With a sell-out crowd and a terrific group of local sponsors, FOLC raised over $15,000! Over 90 people attended the Patron Party, showing their support by becoming FOLC members.

Councilmember Susan Guidry and former board member Edgar Chase spoke to the crowd of what the Greenway means to them. Dana Brown, Lafitte Greenway Project landscape architect, presented the Greenway’s green infrastructure plan, a beautiful design capable of treating water from a 10-year storm on-site.  We want to thank our members, supporters, and sponsors for making this event a major success!

Untitled

STRETCH YOUR SUPPORT ON GIVE NOLA DAY

On May 6th our community will come together for GiveNOLA Day, and we need you to join us! It’s 24 hours of unprecedented giving, and it’s your chance to make a real difference, right here in our community.

If you love the Lafitte Greenway then you love Friends of Lafitte Corridor and the Urban Conservancy. By showing your love through GiveNOLA Day, you can help sustain our work, which gives so much to our community.

Please show your support on May 6th by donating online to the Urban Conservancy at http://www.givenola.org/#npo/urban-conservancy and to FOLC at http://givenola.org/#npo/friends-of-lafitte-corridor. Thank you for your generosity. Please help us spread the word!

Carondelet Walk
Photo by Jeff Schwartz

HISTORIC COBBLES UNEARTHED

Towering mounds of dirt are piling up on the Greenway near North Claiborne, as environmental remediation is well underway. Turning dirt in this historic corridor, stones have been unearthed just inches below ground. The Department of Public Works assures us the contractor is salvaging all granite curbs and cobblestone, and delivering the material to DPW for future use.

2014-03-28 BASIN FINAL

BASIN PROGRAM WRAPS UP AT CRAIG ELEMENTARY

The heavy downpour and street flooding on March 28 provided the perfect backdrop to the final presentations by Mrs. Narcisse’s 5th graders at Craig Elementary who participated in BASIN (Building Active Stewardship in New Orleans). Learning how to live with, manage, and enjoy our watery environment were the big lessons for Craig Elementary students who participated in the 17-week environmental stewardship program piloted by Urban Conservancy in partnership with The Mission Continues, a fellowship program which engages post-9/11 veterans in service projects in their communities. Urban Conservancy’s Keely Hill and Mission Continues fellow Kendric Perkins (pictured here with students before the final program) developed and co-taught the program.

Urban Conservancy is exploring opportunities to expand the program to offer it to schools within the Lafitte Corridor. For more information, contact Dana Eness at [email protected] or 504-232-7821.

Carver
Photo by Providence Community Housing

THE HISTORIC CARVER THEATER REOPENS

The Historic Carver Theater held its grand re-opening today with free live music spilling out into the streets one block from the Lafitte Greenway! This fully renovated 16,000 square foot live performance venue will focus on jazz, big band ensembles, chamber music, operetta, musical, stage plays, and dance recitals. Welcome back Carver!

 

LGWeek4

LAFITTE GREENWAY WEEK AT SOJOURNER TRUTH
by Karl Tear, FOLC Safe Routes to School Corrdinator, MURP Candidate at UNO

Friends of Lafitte Corridor partnered with Providence Community Housing and the after school program at Sojourner Truth Neighborhood Center to host Lafitte Greenway Week. Centered on the Greenway’s official groundbreaking, students attending the after school program participated in activities inspired by the well-anticipated park amenity. During the week of March 17th, 2014, students learned concepts of environmental stewardship, bicycle and pedestrian safety, and respect and responsibility for the surrounding community.  Read more…

OneDayOnEarth

ONE DAY ON EARTH: YOUR DAY. YOUR CITY. YOUR FUTURE.

85 percent of people across the U.S. live in our largest metro areas. One Day On Earth. Your Day. Your City. Your Future selected New Orleans as one of 11 cities across the country to highlight this fact through their documentary film event. The producers asked us and hundreds of other organizations around the country to pick up a camera on Saturday, April 26th and answer the questions: how is your city changing, and are you happy with the change? This video will be added to a geo-tagged video archive on yourdayyourcity.org and used in a TV Series. We will share the latest on the project as it progresses. Watch the trailer here.


Keep in touch with the Urban Conservancy via
Facebook: UrbanConservancy
Twitter:  @UrbanConserv
Web:  urbanconservancy.org
Keep in touch with FOLC via

Facebook:  folc.nola
Twitter:  @folcnola
Web:  folc-nola.org
Email:  [email protected]  


Friends of Lafitte Corridor | P.O. Box 791727 | New Orleans, LA 70179

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: play, rails to trails, run, walk

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