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Links to Related Web sites: Organizations and Louisiana Laws

Enforcement for Pedestrian & Bicycle Safety Training Program

In October 2007, the Greater New Orleans Pedestrian & Bicycle Program debuted the inaugural “Enforcement for Pedestrian & Bicycle Safety” training program for area law enforcement officers.  In junction with this training, a three-week radio campaign was run to help educate motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians on some basic behaviors to improve the safety of our roads.

Radio ad for the Greater New Orleans Pedestrian & Bicycle Program (an mp3 file)

Following the law enforcement training program, participating officers from Covington, Gretna, Kenner and New Orleans engaged in a targeted enforcement period to address pedestrian and bicycle safety concerns. This enforcement was jointed sponsored by the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission and the Regional Planning Commission.

Additional training for law enforcement officers, radio ads and targeted enforcement will return in March 2008, so do your part in keeping our roads safe for pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists.

2005 New Orleans Metropolitan Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan September 2006 Full Plan (a PDF file, 8 MB)

This plan was viewed and/or downloaded 6,266 times from January 1 through         November of 2007.

The Regional Planning Commission wishes to acknowledge the importance of bicycle and pedestrian concerns in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Now, perhaps more than ever in the history of New Orleans, we have an opportunity to institutionalize the framework for accommodating cyclists and pedestrians at the state and local levels and to implement real projects and programs within every jurisdiction in the metropolitan New Orleans area.

After a lot of hard work by many dedicated individuals, the 2005 New Orleans Metropolitan Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan is complete. It represents a long journey towards discovering the problems and solutions for bicycle and pedestrian safety in the New Orleans region.

Work on the document was wrapped up in the months preceding the devastating events of August 29, 2005. It does not attempt to incorporate post-Katrina changes to the environment for bicycle and pedestrians. However, the volume of research reported here still stands. Overall, policy recommendations and route identification continue to be valid and applicable. In our post-Katrina world the opportunities to implement change are abundant at every level of government and in individual and corporate behaviors.

2005 New Orleans Metropolitan Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan (a PDF file, 8 MB)

Karen Parsons (kparsons@norpc.org)
Senior Transportation Planner
Regional Planning Commission
1340 Poydras St., Suite 2100
New Orleans , LA 70112

Higher Education:
Bicycle Safety for Colleges and Universities

A Bicycle Safety Toolkit targeted for any college or university has been developed by Tulane University under the auspices of the Regional Planning Commission with a grant from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. This document will help any campus understand how to approach a bicycle safety program to educate cyclists and motorists and to do it in a fun and creative way. Full report (a PDF file, 1.2 MB))

From the report: NEW ORLEANS METROPOLITAN BICYCLE SAFETY PARTNERSHIP PILOT PROGRAM College campuses represent organized, mature communities integrated within the metropolitan fabric that are easily approached and whose administration is familiar with building partnerships. A college or university bicycle safety program may be a good place to begin bicycle safety program in your community if you do not already have one. It will support and complement many public sector safety goals and many lessons learned may be replicated in other institutional venues. This toolkit is one resource that MPOs and other public agencies can offer universities and other institutions as they seek to build partnerships to enhance bicycle safety in their community.  Full report (a PDF file)

Links to Related Web Sites

	Metro Bicycle Coalition http://www.metrobicyclecoalition.org/ The local advocacy group working to improve the cycling environment in New Orleans and surrounding areas.
	Mississippi River Trail http://www.mississippirivertrail.org National organization working towards completion of the 3,000 mile Mississippi River Trail from Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico.  The RPC and MRT have entered into a strategic partnership to advance the MRT both in New Orleans and along the entire river. As part of this partnership, New Orleans was named the first MRT “Pearl Project” in the country.
New Orleans	National Safety Council, South Louisiana Chapter  http://www.metrosafety.org/ Local chapter of a national safety advocacy organization. They have partnered with us on the Bicycle Safety Kits.
	Louisiana Safe Routes to School Program http://www.dotd.louisiana.gov/planning/highway_safety/safe_routes/ This federally funded program provides for engineering and education programs to make it easier and safer for school children to walk to bike to school.

Louisiana Law: Sharing the Road with Bicycles, and, Bicycle Safety

State of Louisiana Driver's Guide: This guide covers the most important points of safe driving and Louisiana's traffic laws. It has been prepared in easy-to-read language.

The section on Sharing the Road with Bicycles begins on page 52; Bicycle Safety is on page 54.

http://www.dps.state.la.us/omv/Guide_DandE.pdf