Loyola University Police Bike Auction October 1st - this Thursday!

Ever wonder what happens to all those bikes left behind at the end of each quarter? They end up being auctioned off by the university police department a couple times a year. This is a great opportunity to get a cheap "fixer-upper" that might have been abandoned because of a broken wheel or stolen seat.

Here's the official 411:

University Police will hold a bike auction on Thursday, October 1, 2009 beginning at 5:00 p.m. on the 4th floor of the Freret Street garage. Viewing of the bicycles will take place from 4:30p.m. until auction time. Bid opening will range between $20.00 and $50.00 depending on the condition of the bicycle. All bikes will be sold in an AS IS CONDITION and ALL SALES ARE FINAL. Checks will only be accepted from Loyola University community members. All other must pay CASH. Bikes must be removed immediately upon purchase.

N.O. Bike Polo Open

Check out New Orleans Hardcourt Bike Polo for more information as the date nears.

Mark your calendars - the first annual NOLA Bike Bash will be held November 20-22

The Metro Bike Coalition and N.O. Polo are planning the first annual NOLA Bike Bash for November 20-22. Events will be held around the city, including a polo tournament, group rides, repair clinics, film screenings, a BBQ, and a NolaCycle mapping event. More info to come soon!

NolaCycle Update, aka "What the heck have you been up to, Lauren?"

It's been a crazy and fast summer for me. As you probably gathered, I graduated from college and now I'm living in New Orleans permanently. I'm also working full-time for a non-profit organization. Add all that on top of a personal life, and things get pretty busy!

A quick run down of what's on the table for NolaCycle right now:
1 - Digitizing the NolaCycle data. We have a database! A database that needs information added to it... John DeFraites put together a database file we can add information to segment by segment. I'll be dividing up raw data maps this week and giving those to volunteers to start adding that info into the Excel file. Once everything is added, that can be turned into GIS shapefiles and KML shapefiles (for use with internet-based programs like Google Maps). If you're interested in helping with adding data, let me know. I have a list of about 10 or so people, but the more we have, the less time it will take.
2 - Fall mapping events. Soon we will be holding NolaCycle mapping meet-ups again! Gentilly, Lakeview, Algiers, and other areas of Orleans Parish that we're mapped last year will be mapped this fall and winter. That includes all areas of the East Bank north of I-610/Florida Ave (We mapped all of the southern half of the East Bank already). We did Algiers Point, but would like to continue the map further south. If some brave souls want to map Eastern New Orleans, that would be wonderful. Since I'm working full-time, I won't be able to head up as many mapping meet-ups as I used to. NolaCycle is going to need volunteers to help with this because Dan, Tom, and I cannot do it alone right now. If you want to help organize events in your neighborhood, e-mail Lauren (at) nolacycle.com and I'll help you get started. ***If you're in Jefferson or St. Bernard Parish, we'd really like for you to get involved and organize mapping events!***

Okay....that's it for now. I'll update more later.

St. Charles Ave and Harrison Ave getting new bike lanes

New Submerged Roads projects are starting every month or so at this point and 2 of the projects currently underway have received a fair amount of attention, St. Charles Avenue and Harrison Avenue. In addition to the resurfacing of these roads, both will have bike lanes as part of the final lane configuration.

The St. Charles Ave bike lanes will go for 1.4 miles between Carrollton and Nashville Avenues and will should see heavy use as St. Charles is already a popular route for cyclists. The Harrison Ave bike lanes will go for about 1 mile from West End Blvd to the Orleans Ave Canal. There will also be new bike lanes along Harrison through City Park between Marconi and Wisner Boulevards.

There are some quotes from Robert Mendoza in the article that are hopefully a positive sign that future road projects will continue to address bicycle and pedestrian needs.

For more details on the projects, read the Nola.com articles on St. Charles Ave and Harrison Ave.

Promote safe biking, walking

Check out today's Metro section of the Times Pic, for a letter to the editor from John Renne, President of the Metro Bicycle Coalition, regarding there recent passage of the Colin Goodier Bicycle Protection Act. This is in response to Monday's Times Pic story about the governor signing the bill into law.

Re: "Jindal signs bills for expanded seat belt use, bicycle safety," Page A2, June 29.

Our legislators and governor should be commended for supporting safety on our streets. The recent passage of the Colin Goodier Protection Act, which will require motorists to maintain a safe distance of at least 3 feet from bicyclists while passing, is sure to reduce crashes and save lives. The measure also protects bicycles from harassment by motorists and acknowledges our right to share the road.

While it is great to see our politicians supporting bicycling this year in the Legislature, we still have a long way to go toward making it safer on the streets of New Orleans. The Metro Bicycle Coalition has been working for safer streets, including more bike lanes, bike parking and overall awareness.

We envision a European-like city that will continue to attract families and young professionals. The next mayor should take cues from Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York to make walking and biking a centerpiece of their strategy to revitalize this great city.

John Renne
President
Metro Bicycle Coalition
New Orleans

Governor Jindal signs 3 foot passing law

Governor Jindal signed the Colin Goodier Bicycle Protection Bill this afternoon. The law requires motorists to provide 3 feet of clearance when passing a cyclist on Louisiana's roadways as well as outlawing the harassment of cyclists. The law goes into effect on August 15, 2009. If you're interested in reading the exact language, check out this link or search for HB 725 at the Louisiana Legislature's website (www.legis.state.la.us).

Graphics & Digitizing Meeting July 1st

If you're interested in helping with the graphics, design, data entry, and digital outputs (GIS, GPS, iPhone apps, interactive online maps, etc., etc.), then come to the graphics/digitizing meeting Wednesday July 1st at 7pm. Please e-mail lauren@nolacycle.com for details about the meeting and where it will be held.

Goodier Bike Protection Bill Passes Senate

Shortly before 12:30 today, the Louisiana Senate voted unanimously to pass the Colin Goodier Bike Protection Bill (HB 725). According to the Louisiana Legislature's website, the bill has returned to the House without amendments from the Senate.

We'll update you all later today on the the final steps before the bill heads to Governor Jindal for his signature. Also check back for an update on the Complete Streets Study Resolution (SCR 110).

The NolaCycle Project wins the Director's Choice Award for DAAPworks!

The NolaCycle Bike Map Project won the Director's Choice Award for urban planning at DAAPworks this year!

It really blows me away how blown away people at school have been by the project.

Honestly, what is NolaCycle?

NolaCycle is just taking an idea and running with it. It is networking, coordinating, and data collecting. It is not anything so complicated that a dedicated group of advocates couldn't replicate.

NolaCycle is looking at an urban issue in reverse. Instead of planning and then acting, NolaCycle is acting then planning, using what was learned to formulate goals and strategies for the future.

Learning by doing - that is what NolaCycle is.

So what is so special about?

NolaCycle lets us discover our city. It uncovers hidden assets (good roads in the mix of potholes) and devises ways to use those assets.

NolaCycle is building community, or rather uniting community, through data collection. It doesn't sound sexy, but it works. By making data collection a social event, NolaCycle is making something technical into something social. We are connecting by building our understanding of under-used resources and hidden assets. We are connecting by developing plans to use those resources and assets.

And, finally, NolaCycle is building a model that can be used for other urban issues. It is a mindset, a framework, and a strategy for building community and building knowledge.


"Out of all the undergraduate senior problem projects, from all the different cities and towns around America, yours is the only one that really makes me want to live there."

Loyola University Police Bike Auction June 10th

LOYOLA'S UNIVERSITY POLICE BIKE AUCTION

University Police will hold a bike auction on Wednesday, June 10,
2009 beginning at 5:00 p.m. on the 4th floor of the Freret Street
garage. Viewing of the bicycles will take place from 4:30p.m. until
auction time. Bid opening will range between $20.00 and $50.00
depending on the condition of the bicycle. All bikes will be sold in an
AS IS CONDITION and ALL SALES ARE FINAL. Checks will only be accepted
from Loyola University community members. All other must pay CASH.
Bikes must be removed immediately upon purchase.

NolaCycle featured in this week's Gambit Weekly - go pick one up!

NolaCycle has been featured in the Gambit Weekly as the COVER STORY!!!!!!! (see image above - that's the cover of the Gambit this week!)

Go to your local coffee shop, locally-owned business, bookstore - where ever the Gambit can be found - and check out the story on NolaCycle, plus the other cycling-related stories.

Here are the links to this week's cycling features:

Chain Gang: A citywide bicycle map nears completion after a year in the making

Share the Road: Being discourteous to cyclists is a form of bullying

Spin Doctors: Bike co-ops get cyclists in touch with their inner mechanic

Wish you had a 36"x48" poster of the NolaCycle project for your wall? Dream no more - the poster is DONE!!!

One part of the "things I need to do before U.C. will let me go" is COMPLETE and will be printing off tomorrow afternoon.

My poster for NolaCycle can be seen in full-size and full-color on the 5000 level of DAAP (College of Design, Art, Architecture, and Planning) on the "wooden floor" (by the fancy glassed-in gallery, across the way from the library and college office) all next week. The opening reception for DAAPworks (our college-wide senior show) is Tuesday evening from 5 to 9pm. You can check out not just the world-changing, super exciting planning projects, but also paintings, photographs, sculptures, models, clothing, and posters from all the other programs.

I hear there will be free food...maybe booze? I bet the School of Design will have booze in their gallery. I'll meet you there! Its always better to tell people all about New Orleans when you're buzzed.

In you're not living in exile in Ohio like I am, you can download a small PDF of the poster. It sums up the project in about 2000 words and has pretty pictures - you might even be in one of my pretty pictures! Jade, Andy, Liz, Amanda and Tom are, along with a handful of others. The poster is much more enjoyable to read than my almost 100 page capstone paper. Who knew you could write damn near 70 pages about cycling in New Orleans? (I filled those other 30 pages with maps, pictures, and newspaper clippings - which is NOT cheating because formatting graphics is hard work).


NolaCycle Bike Map Project by Lauren Rae Sullivan is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 United States License.

One step close to the Colin Goodier Protection Act (aka Louisiana 3ft Law) becoming law!

The Senate Transportation Committee approved the Colin Goodier Protection Act!!!! It will now be sent to the floor to be debated and voted on.

....as always, ignore all the ignorant "public" comments that have been posted about the article.

From Nola.com - "Senate committee approves bill to make roads safer for bicyclists"

BATON ROUGE-- A Senate committee stood up for bicyclists Thursday, giving unanimous approval to a bill that would enhance their safety on the road and make it a misdemeanor offense for occupants of cars or truck to throw objects at the cyclists.

The Senate Committee on Transportation, Highways and Public Works approved House Bill 725 by Rep. Michael Jackson, I-Baton Rouge, sending it to its final legislative stop on the Senate floor.

If the bill becomes law, it will be known as "Colin Goodier Protection Act," after a New Orleans native and avid cyclist who was a fourth-year resident surgeon at Our Lady of the Lake Hospital. He died last summer in Iberville Parish while training for a triathlon when his bike was struck from behind by a truck on River Road.

Jackson's bill says that a vehicle must leave a "safe distance" of at least three feet when passing a bicycle on the road, and must maintain the distance until the vehicle safely passes.

The bill also directs the Office of Motor Vehicles to include a summary of the new law in driving manuals and other "instructional publications" for drivers, and requires the state Department of Transportation and Development to "place signs in areas frequently used by bicyclists. . .to make motorists aware of the need to share the road." It also directs the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission to engage in a public awareness campaign."

Violations carry a fine of not more than $250, but for motorists who are occupants of vehicles and "harass, taunt or maliciously throw objects at or in the direction of any person riding a bicycle," Jackson's bill says the fine is a minimum of $200 or imprisonment for not more than 30 days."

"Hopefully, we will save somebody's life," Jackson said.

Goodier's mother, Nicette Goodier, testified that since the House passed the bill two weeks ago, one cyclist has been seriously injured by a vehicle and another killed. The accidents happened in the New Orleans and Baton Rouge areas, she said.

Goodier said that 14 states already have laws that set up safe zones for cyclists and at least five others besides Louisiana are debating ones this year.

"Let's legislate awareness now," she said, struggling to keep her composure. She said Louisiana ranks third per capita in bike fatalities.

-Ed Anderson, The Times-Picayune