In a quick ten minutes of research, I've found out a few interesting things about cycling in the Big Easy:
- Bikes can be rented for $25 a day at Laid Back Tours for out of towners like me.
- Laid Back Tours can also offer guided and self-guided tours of New Orleans at a great price
- It doesn't appear there are any bike lanes, though I think there may be some exercise trails, though the Louisiana Depart of Transportation does offer this bike map
- New Orleans is second to Portland, Oregon in residents who routinely travel by bike (reference)
- The only "hills" in the city are the levees used to keep the water out of the city
3 comments:
We have a bike lane on St. Claude, paths along the Mississippi River, some great roads that aren't used by cars much in City Park, an exercise path in Audubon Park, shared lanes on Chartes and Robert E. Lee, and a brand new shared-use path on Wisner. There is more to come soon!
"The long-awaited Wisner bike path officially opens today, one of three projects completed this year that double the miles of cycling trails in New Orleans.
And there's more to come.
"The 4.7-mile hybrid path -- which stretches from Lafitte Street at North Jefferson Davis Parkway, along the Bayou St. John side of City Park, to Beauregard Avenue and Lakeshore Drive -- will be followed by three other bike projects.
By November of next year, bike lanes, such as those on St. Claude Avenue, will probably likely be completed on Harrison Avenue, from Marconi Drive to Wisner Boulevard; on Robert E. Lee Boulevard, from St. Bernard Avenue to Paris Avenue; and on Louisiana Avenue, from St. Charles Avenue to Magazine Street, said Robert Mendoza, the city's director of public works." http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2008/10/wisner_bike_path_opens_today.html
All the links for anything you'd want to know about cycling in New Orleans are on my site, www.nolacycle.com We don't have a good bike map yet, that's why I'm currently working on one.
Hope you have fun cycling in New Orleans!
About the street car lane, there are no laws I know saying one or the other. Everyone does it though, except me....I had a really bad spill trying to take a short cut in the neutral ground of Canal Street and got caught in the tracks. I wouldn't recommend anyone with a skinny-tire road bike to do it.
More or less, when you're in New Orleans, the only laws you have to worry about or those that keep you from hurting other people or property.
Hi Nolacycle:
Thanks for the comments. I enjoyed my short stay in your fine city. I've love to come back and do a guided cycling tour some day.
Now I'm back to Omaha riding in our 25 degree weather. Brrr.
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