Signing bicycle routes in Baton Rouge
Back in August 2008, we posted an item on the "Latest News" page about a
Breakthrough on Bike Routes in Baton Rouge! B.R.A.S.S. representatives attended a meeting at the Capitol Region Planning Commission to re-examine a prioritized list of projects, bring it up to date, and reassign priorities to the projects.
Since then, a number of advances have been made. One may be read about through this link: Department of Public Works to sign bicycle routes! 
This plan, announced 2009 May 13, the Honorable Melvin "Kip Holden, Mayor-President of East Baton Rouge City-Parish, announced that over the next 12 months the city-parish will triple the mileage
of bike facilities - from 22 miles to 67 miles. These new miles
won't be the unconnected, sporadically placed bits and pieces that have
developed over the years in Baton Rouge; those bits and pieces are more traffic calming devices than
transportation corridors. Instead, for the first time in Baton Rouge history, the city is looking at bicycle facilities as a necessary, desired, transportation alternative and we are most thankful that this change has come to pass.
Phase 1 of the Mayor's Bicycle Plan involves largely inexpensive - read "paint" - projects. Phase Two includes a number of more extensive dirt-and-shovel projects that will take more money and more time to accomplish. Before blindly starting out on this 2nd phase, the Mayor's office held a Public Input Session that included a questionnaire. The Phase 2, Mayor's Bike Program Public Input Questionnaire Report was created from the data gathered by the questionnaire.
Projects
- Bike BR - we will establish BRASS nodes in Baton Rouge neighborhoods that will organize bicycle outings within the local area and between neighborhoods. These rides will demonstrate how to get to area grocery stores, coffee shops, dry cleaners, and other useful businesses as well as enjoying fun rides in the area. To learn more, please contact us at info@brsafestreets.org
- Brightside Lane - one of the city-parish Green Light Plan projects, Brightside Lane runs from River Road to Nicholson Drive where it changes names to Lee Drive. Brightside Lane had a bicycle lane that connected to the Nicholson Drive bicycle lane running from Brightside/Lee to Skip Bertman/South Stadium. With the completion of the Levee Path, Brightside served as the middle of a three bicycle path chain linking downtown to the LSU campus. This three-link chain serves a fairly large population. Under the initial project plans, the Brightside bicycle path was to be removed and not replaced. BRASS spearheaded an effort to include a bicycle lane on both sides of the road from River Road to Nicholson. Click here to see the current plan drawings for Bightside Lane, with sidewalks and bicycle lanes!
- Levee Bike Path - BRASS participated in the dedication of the 1st Phase of the Levee Multiuse Trail and has played an active role advising the city-parish on trailheads and other design features. One key role has been emphasizing the need for a trailhead at the intersection of Brightside and River Road, an area already seeing heavy use even though the levee is not paved at this point yet. The Farr
Park trailhead engineering
design is in review by Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (LaDOTD). This
project, matched by “SAFETEA-LU” funds, must be let by LaDOTD. As of February 2010, the second phase of the levee path construction is expected to go to bid by May 2010.
- Dalrymple Drive - the city-parish Department of Public Works (DPW) is well along the way to redesigning the Dalrymple Drive multiuse path. Plans call for shifting the existing path a bit away from the road and adding a path on the opposite (west or river) side of the road that will go past State Street onto campus.
- Downtown Development District "greenbelt" project - The Downtown Development District has proposed a 2.7-mile
trail system tying Memorial Stadium, north and east of the Governor's Mansion, to City Park. Parts of the trail would utilize land under the elevated portion of Interstate 110. The project could
cost $2 million to $3 million or as much as $20 million, depending on
public and private funding, enthusiasm for the project, and amenities
chosen, according to Davis Rhorer, DDD executive director. This project is still in the "vapor" state with only drawings in hand. Nonetheless, the DDD is serious about this route and will undoubtedly continue to pull for its implementation.
- Bicycle Parking Initiative - still in the "vapor" state as well, BRASS is considering creating a partnership with local and state governmental agencies and local business entities to create a "so you think we need bicycle parking where?" program. At this stage, BRASS is working on a simple survey form asking the riding public to suggest locations needing bicycle parking. We understand that the entire city needs bicycle parking but that need must be focused in order to put paring facilities on the ground.
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