JoeyBike

Esplanade Avenue in New Orleans is FINALLY, after a decade of meetings, planning, debate, delay, bulls**t, and more bulls**t, going on a "road diet" from a narrow, dangerous, rough, potholed 4-lane auto road to a wide 2-lane auto road with a striped bike lane. This is huge, not only for me (I have quit jobs because of the condition of this roadway) but for thousands of other cyclists and hundreds more "would be" cyclists to get from outlying areas of our city to the French Quarter and more importantly - the Downtown Central Business District. From "impossible" to "pleasurable" for many new commuting cyclists on an arrow-straight path. Even tourists and our bike tour guide business will benefit by having a safe and direct route from the French Quarter to City Park, New Orleans Museum of Art, and Lake Pontchartrain. God Save Us, they have just put out the orange cones!

So the video below will be the "before" picture. I start out near the river heading north(ish) on the smooth section so you can see how smooth and fast this run will be from end to end. At 02:24 when I pop out from under the Interstate 10 overpass hang on to your dentures. I ride the old section for a minute and 03:45 is the worst. Almost 2 miles looks just like that right now. A few months from now I shall post the "after" video.

BONUS: At 00:22 a jogger almost takes me out with a left hook.

https://vimeo.com/61395501
https://vimeo.com/61395501#at=0

Shimagnolo

Whoa!
I haven't seen a new JoeyBike video in *ages*!

JoeyBike

It is great to be loved. A good reason to stay OUT of A&S!

dynodonn 

Wow, only one red light being ran........ someone is becoming almost respectable.

no1mad 

I gotta ask... what light are you using in front? If that thing is lighting up the reflective paint like that on a cloudy day, it must be rather effective at night.

loneviking61

Dude, you don't need a new road, just get a bike with a full suspension! Problem solved!

It sure does feel good to be involved with bike projects in your city and finally see your efforts amount to something. Congrats and looking forward to seeing the 'after' video because that road sucks!

acidfast7

you need a bell.

JoeyBike

NightRider MiNewt - you can see it lower left in the vid.

I run it on steady after dark UNLESS I am riding amongst high school football game traffic or something unusually dangerous after dark. The flashing mode after dark makes a great tactical weapon for knucklheads except it is hard to activate it from the steady mode. Gotta hold the button for 5 whole seconds to get flashing. So when riding through sketchy hoods (thankfully my current commute is not so bad) I keep my hand over the flashing light and run Ninja style. If someone looks like they are setting up to take me down up ahead I either turn around and go around the block or if it is already too late....move my hand away from the light... ...

My favorite response was F*** YO LIGHT!

JoeyBike

I just need to ring the one I have. Or get louder tires.

acidfast7

Why not ring the bell? ... would've taking care of the joggers.

JoeyBike

Mentally, I was looking past them. A rare mistake I am lucky I didn't pay for.

JoeyBike

I wouldn't know. I apologize if I inferred activism which, in NOLA, up until very recently was, well...

Because I have made several New Orleans area bike maps that went to print for various non-profits (so I guess I played some part) the local powers to be invited me to the "New Orleans Bicycle 20 Year Master Plan" meeting in 1995. I actually showed up to TWO meetings - on inline skates (to prove a point about non car travel). There were traffic engineers, civil engineers, other local bike people, city council members etc. The first meeting went surprisingly well with everyone brainstorming needs. The second meeting, not so good for me. My FIRST priority - by a long shot - was to get Esplanade Avenue resurfaced, remove a lane, and stripe a bike lane. The traffic engineer told me point blank: "We are not interested in removing any traffic lanes - period!". I looked around the room for someone (other than bike people) to flinch. Nothing. So I grabbed my stuff, told them to call me when they get interested, and skated on out of there - forever. Never got that call. So I am more of a quitter than an activist (and impatient - you have seen how I ride)

You see, the section of Esplanade in my video has lane width already insufficient for two motor vehicles to ride side-by-side anyway. I explained that in the meeting. They would be losing nothing and gaining EVERYTHING BICYCLING for the city. They could even keep the on street parking. I (personally) don't give two rats rumps about paths through the park. I wanted REAL, MEANINGFUL transportation corridors and Esplanade is ten times more important than the next most important one.

So I can't take much credit, but I can get freaking EXCITED that others stuck to their guns and finally, almost 20 years later, the cones are on the street and the plan is to do the only sensible thing for that road regarding cyclists - remove a freakin' auto lane.

Hey engineer....."Told Ya So!'

acidfast7

You did seem to be moving at quite a clip in the video.

Timber_8

Where is the video

JoeyBike

Speed limit there is 20MPH I think. Probably doing 18 at the time. My main dangers on that stretch I traffic entering from the side streets and getting doored. So I am out of the door zone, joggers are far right so I am far left, look for cars at the intersction - all clear, AARRGGG!

Ringing the bell is free. Gotta do better with that.

JoeyBike

https://vimeo.com/61395501#at=0

Sorry. forgot to post a text based link for those devices that can't "see" the embedded vids.

spare_wheel

kind of looks like your commute takes less time by bike than it would in a cage. i approve.

Timber_8

thanks joe, I'm a fan of your video's