NolaCycle is now part of the Streetsblog.net National Blog Network!

We're moving on up in the world, kids! Check out the Steetblogs.net National Blog Network for transportation-related blogs from around the nation. There is now a little dot over New Orleans on their map :)

Beach Alley Cat? Um....yes please! Thank you Pensacola Alley for giving me a reason to go on vacation!

Anything I might have been planning to organize with NolaCycle for the weekend of the 10th will be delayed. I'm going on vacation! Thank you, Pensacola, for giving me a totally awesome way to spend the weekend before I start work.

There will probably be a good group of New Orleans people going to Pensacola that weekend. Usually a handful of the N.O. Bike Polo folks go to these events and I have a 3-bike truck rack, so I'm sure you can figure out a way to get there if you don't have a car. The New Orleans Bike Forum is a good way to keep up with what's going on regionally (Memphis, Baton Rouge, Pensacola, etc.), but make sure to put in your name and location and such when you join because they've been getting a lot of spambots making profiles. The moderators had to start requiring approval of members to cut down on this.

See you on the beach!

Keep an eye out for the June 7th edition of the Gambit Weekly

Not this coming week's Gambit, but the following week's edition is going to have a special section on cycling in New Orleans, so make sure to grab one early! I'll post the links to the stories when they come out so you can check them out online too.

Also, we're one hit away from being viewed on 5300 computers (the counter goes by IP addresses, not hits). That's pretty awesome when you think that NolaCycle only started a little less than a year ago and the maps aren't even completed yet. Thanks everyone who's checked us out on here!

I'm really excited about getting back in town (just a little more than 3 weeks away!) so NolaCycle can get the ball rolling on digital outputs for the data and finish up the PDF map. If you want to get on the "digitizing and graphics" team, shoot me an e-mail and I'll put you on that mailing list. Tom and I will be organizing meetings at the end of June or early July, so get on the list so we can work with you to set up meeting times that fit your schedule.

Also, there are lots of updates about the project and all types of kinda interesting research (if you're into planning and public policy you'll find it interesting) I did for my capstone that I'll be posting online after June 9th (only 10 more days until I present the project to my professors....kinda scary). I won't be posting the entire document until later in June though because I'll likely make some more edits after I get feedback from my adviser.

Photo Essay: 20 of the Freakiest Custom Bikes on the Road

I thought this was pretty awesome. Eira sent this my way so she could convince me we really need to build this shopping cart bike (or something similar, since who knows what we'll find in the scrap pile at Plan B).

Photo Essay: 20 of the Freakiest Custom Bikes on the Road



Posted using ShareThis

Bike Commuting video - one of the many fun things that show up in my google e-mail alerts

Joey Brooks has put together some videos of cycling in New Orleans. I really like this one because it reminds me how much I love high-speed bike rides through the French Quarter and Downtown. I'm getting new cranksets for both of my bikes (hopefully really soon) so I'm looking forward to the insanity of riding on Decatur and Canal during the holidays zooming around cars and confused tourists. Oh, opps, did I say I weave around cars? I meant I love traveling at the same speed as everyone else and following every single traffic law.



Anyway, who the heck is Joey following in this video? I can't figure it out and it's really irritating me because it's probably someone I know and I thought I could recognize almost all of the fixie kids by their bikes and back of their heads.

Also, if you haven't watched the NO Bike Race Alley Cat videos, these are awesome too. They feature almost all of my favorite New Orleans cyclists, so that's an extra bonus when I'm feeling homesick because I'm stuck in Ohio writing a freakin' 80 page paper about biking in New Orleans.

Louisiana Bicycle Festival - June 20th in Abita Springs

Shoot, this is happening the day I'm supposed to leave Ohio (4eva!!!). Maybe I should talk my brother into driving down to Louisiana with me a day earlier.

Anyway....June 20th is the Louisiana Bicycle Festival in Abita Springs (Northshore). I didn't go last year for some reason I can't remember, but I've heard its a good time. The festival includes a parade and bicycle show (see "competition" below). There will be a lot of vintage bikes for sale as well, so bring your cash money. It runs from 10am to 4pm. And since you're in Abita Springs already, you can use that opportunity to visit the Abita Brew Pub - one of my favorite places on the Northshore. That still gives you time to go to my # 1 favorite Northshore location - Fontainbleau State Park. Man, maybe I really should come back to Louisiana early....

Here's what you need to know about the Louisiana Bicycle Festival

Competition: Bring some bikes and your may win a prize. Prizes may be awarded in a variety of categories: Original Pre 1940; Original 1940 - 1960; Original Post 1960; Restored Pre 1940; Restored 1940 - 1960; Restored Post 1960; Custom; Decorated; Novelty; Art from Bikes or Bike Parts; and Best in Show - judging is very unorthodox - judges may be bribed (this is Louisiana) and categories may be created and deleted as the judges mingle with participants.

Past prizes have included new bikes: a new 3G bicycle, a Huffy, a Schwin, bicycle books, posters, tee shirts, bike memorabilia, certificates suitable for framing, and fantastic bragging rights!

Schedule: 10:00am - The festival officially starts at 10am. Most bicycle enthusiasts arrive on the festival grounds hours before. Many "deals" are made before 10am.
12:30pm - The parade takes shape
2:00pm - The ballots are collected and counted
2:30pm - The awards and prizes are announced.
4:00pm - The festival is officially over, however some participants who came from out of state may have already left to return home, and some participants will stay a few more hours, enjoying the fellowship with the remaining bikes and local beverages

Website:
http://www.labicyclefestival.com/

Need more information? Contact John Preble of the UCM Museum, http://ucmmuseum.com or john@seelouisiana.com

"The New Orleans Bicycle Book" - Only took me like 9 months to find this...

So I finally found the name of that infamous "awesome book about biking in New Orleans that was written in the 70s or 80s." All the people I've talked to about NolaCycle who are over 40 kept telling me "you should really find that book. I can't remember the name or the author though..." Well, I ordered a copy of it today for $8.50 off ebay from some book seller out of Missouri (good things do come out of the Mid-West sometimes). I'm super pumped to get this book in the mail. You can few a little bit of the content online, but only a few pages work. I'm also trying to contact the author, Louis Alvarez (the e-mail address on there doesn't work). If you know how I can get a hold of him, help me out!

Once I get this book, feel free "borrow it" aka, come over to my house and read it. For how rare it is, I don't think I want to risk loosing.

Cyclist killed last night in New Orleans East in a hit and run

From nola.com:

"Ruben J. Soria, 56, died immediately after a motorist struck him as he pedaled a bike in the 12000 block of Chef Menteur Highway near Paris Road, coroner's chief investigator John Gagliano said Tuesday.

The car didn't stop after striking Soria, police said, and authorities are still looking for the motorist that killed him."

Bicyclist killed in hit and run in eastern New Orleans

This is really terrible, and not the only only hit-and-run that has happened lately. RIP, Ruben Soria. My condolences go out to his family and friends. Hopefully the police are able to figure out who is responsible and bring him or her to justice.

The rest of the details of this incident have not been released yet as the investigation is on-going. If you have any information on this murder, please call Crimestoppers at 504.822.1111 or toll-free at 1.877.903.7867.

If you haven't been out to New Orleans East, it is by far one of the least bike-friendly parts of the city. The roads there are much more suburban in character and route choices to get from one part of the East to the other are extremely limited. Despite how unfavorable it is for cycling, if he was coming or going from Village de L'Est or NASA, Chef Menteur might have been his only option for a route. New Orleans needs to make bicycle improvements a priority throughout the city, including areas outside the core such as the East. The lives of people who live and work in those communities depend upon it.

NolaCycle now has a Flickr photostream

Pictures from mapping events, local rides, and also examples of road conditions around the city.

Feel free to use the photos for your website, school report, or presentation - just make sure to give credit to the photographers. And don't make money off of them unless you're giving that money back to us - we could use it.

Check out Andy Menking's Local Food Map with bike routes!

Mapping volunteer Andy Menking has used the NolaCycle date to create a bike route map in GIS connecting local food sources (farmers markets, community gardens, and a couple produce stores) to one-another (because sometimes you have to go Hollygrove and Crescent City to find all the ingredients for your weekend feast) and to the East Bank neighborhoods.

I'm really excited that our data set has been put into use even before our map is done!

NolaCycle will be working with Andy's help to build off this map to create a "Bike to the Market" map for the Crescent City Farmers market this summer. Keep posted and look for it around later July or August!

Cheap bicycle rentals has finally come to New Orleans

Zac from NolaBikes (mobile bike repairs) is expanding his business and is now offering bikes for rent for only $10 a day. So now all of you can stop e-mailing me about where to rent a bike really cheap because you can just call Zac now instead! Problem solved!

Also, all of you who don't have a bike for the Bicycle Second Line this Saturday can rent one from Zac and still come out for the fun!

From Zac:

Tired of walking? Only $10 a day.

Come by the place right off broadway to select the right bike for your or call and have one dropped off to you anywhere- free deliveries to Audubon Park.

Use your credit card to avoid a cash deposit.

Absolutely the simplest and most convenient way to rent a bike.

If interested please call,

Thanks,

Zac
917.517.6291
www.nolabikes.com
^^

specializing in mobile repairs for the uptown/campus area.

Annnual Bike Removal at Tulane happening May 19-20 - DON'T LEAVE YOUR BIKE ON CAMPUS THOSE NIGHTS

Get your bike off campus after commencement, unless you want the TUPD to take it off your hands. I'm not sure if UNO, Loyola, Dillard, or Xavier do anything similar, but you might want to check just to be sure.

From Tulane (via a friend's e-mail):

Annually, following Commencement, police officers on the uptown campus remove bicycles locked to fixed objects (bicycle racks, handrails, trees, etc.). Abandoned bicycles take up valuable space on campus bicycle racks, and they tend to attract an unsavory element to campus. This year, bicycle removal will occur over a two-night period, May 19-20. Removal is accomplished between the hours of 8 p.m. and 6 a.m.

Faculty, staff and students commuting to campus by bicycle should not allow their bicycle to remain on campus during the dates and times designated for removal. Students residing in uptown residence halls will be allowed to secure their bicycles in their residence hall rooms during the dates and times noted for removal.

Tulane University Police Department

Bicycle Second Line

The Metro Bicycle Coalition will be hosting New Orleans' Inaugural Bicycle Second Line on Saturday, May 9. The event will start at 10:30am from Washington Square Park (Frenchmen & Royal).

Stops along the way include:

• Global Green, to see sustainable affordable housing in Holy Cross
• Lafitte Corridor to hear about the progress of the Greenway, and
• City Park for an after party

For more info got to www.mbcnola.org