New MUP in New Orleans City Park - failure for cyclists. (VIDEO)
 

I have been anxiously awaiting the addition of a beautiful new MUP/fitness path in New Orleans City Park. Been watching the construction for nearly a year. It was completed in February this year, and from the very first day, I knew it was a failure for most cyclists.

Speed limit on the path is 10MPH, so it is not a workout area for bikes. It does create a "relaxing" shortcut for me as a connecting route between two other bike path and allows me to avoid the more heavily trafficked (and parking car mayhem) at the museum area. However, wanting to strangle (figure of speech) a dozen people every time I use it defeats the purpose. I have given up. I had also hoped to skate this loop trail. Not gonna happen.

I created this "tribute" to the new bike path as a way to vent. Sent a link to City Park Administration too.

http://vimeo.com/67365268

Good vid Joey, as all yours are, seems to be some Ped-Ed needed, could understand if this was the first week, but they definitely need it if this is still happening after almost 4 month.

Another outstanding video! Since I routinely ride the Lake Front Path in Chicago, this MUP seems rather calm and well organized! At least everyones traveling in the same direction.

I understand the frustration with people not following the markings, but really, it doesn't look any worse than the mups winding through parks around here. I would recommend a simple two-way markings scheme (travel to the right of center), with faster traffic passing on the left in incoming traffic.

In looking at the peds in video, figuring that walking is 3mph and jogging at 6mph, Joey, ya need to back down on the speed a little more and really make it a "relaxing" short cut. Felt like you were dealt lemons Joey?, awesome slalom skill course is what I saw, and I didn't see any dog walkers with 20 ft retractable leashes, or 6 wide baby stroller caravans.

It would be better if it was set up as a traditional path. The fact some of the users are literate only makes the situation worse by having people walking on both sides.

I think Joey is going adequately slow on that path, probably only 18kph.

I never did understand the concept of having the separated bike/ped path on a MUP. It always seems to work out like the video portrays. Around here many of those old markings have been painted over and now it’s slower traffic stay right, faster passes on left with the provision that bikes yield to peds.

Not for operating around peds who are already oblivious to the separated pathway.

I figure his speed at 15mph(24kph) + in some spots

Speed was 10 - 12 mph 95% of the time.

Pretty much encompasses my experience on MUPs, lacking only the stroller brigades and the middle age tri wannabes who practice time trialling. Oh yea, then there's the bike club group ride complete with drafting........

There is an MUP at Audubon Park 20 minites away. Markings are the same PLUS a walking symbol on the ped side. Been around for decades and works great. Walkers venturing onto the bike side will be scolded by other path users instantly.

I kinda figured this identical setup would be a no-brainer. Ha.

Great video Joey. The Blue Danube was the perfect music for your slalom demo. :roflmao2:

I'd have to say the first award for "cluelessness" goes to whomever chose to put cyclists on the right, thus violating the first rule of "slow traffic on the right."

Second award goes to peds that aren't even close to following some form of order.

Last, this is a park path, plain and simple; it sure ain't no "bike highway."

Nice vid Joey. Maybe the city can at least switch lanes. What is with the one way only?

MAN!

your videos sure have gotten boring now that new orleans is making your city a nicer place to bike.

the pedestrians on the MUP presented that much of an issue? wow, man- such danger and trepidation you now face.

That's life in a city. Lots of pedestrians and they don't pay any attention to their surroundings. Summer is here, and today was the 2nd day in a row someone's unwatched child bolted into the bike lane in front of me, forcing me to brake hard. Luckily I didn't hit either of them, but it was close the 2nd time. It sucks, but I don't know what to do about it.

MUPs are not really MUPs, they're walking paths that are impractical for bicycle use for all the reasons depicted in the OP video. Add in people-walking-5-abreast-blocking-entire-width-of-path and numerous dog walkers with mutt on end of 20' flex-leash to complete my experience with MUPs. People will walk when/how they please, pretty much the same way they drive.

It's nice so many people were actually walking on the new path in OP - at least it was getting some use, not a complete waste of public funds.

Joey, I like your music choices, Strauss was perfect. I had not heard "A little less conversation" until a few days ago, and thought I knew most of Elvis' songs. I was surprised to discover I actually had the song but somehow never listened to it.

BTW...City Park is actually self-supporting and not a city owned thing. Taxes do not support the park. Golf, tennis, fishing, concessions, museum, gardens, etc., all cost $ and support it.

Ha, ha! I feel your pain.

I refer to these as "vehicular pedestrians". We give them their own lane and they still insist on taking ours. :rolleyes:

Great video and I loved the "soundtrack."

That's pretty much what MUPs look like in my neck of the woods. I quickly got rid of my road bike when I realized it just wasn't safe to go that fast on the MUPs. OTOH, I'd rather weave thru foot traffic on the MUPs than dodge these tools while they're on the roads in their SUVs applying make-up, texting, eating, etc.

Thanks for the laugh.

I believe Audobon Park works better because it's a small loop with more density of cyclists and the road markings are spaced properly (closer together).

There are long stretches where it looks like a roadway and it must feel natural to walk on the right of the line- like traffic.
The video seems to indicate that they need more road markings, closer together. Markings that clearly state "bike only". I think that would help a lot.

City Park also has some seperate bike lanes on the roadway. I did a lot of laps there, and it was basically uninterrupted riding at any speed I wanted.

1. They need to get rid of the line. Most people will walk to the right of a line instinctively; however there will be those that obey the markings (against their instincts) and walk to the left. so you get exactly what you have demonstrated. Most of the MUPs around here are without lines but with reminder signs saying such things as "overtake on left" and "announce when passing", those sorts of things. The result is that the MUP works much better, even when more highly populated. Everybody knows that they have to be aware and to move to the right when being passed. We have no speed limits; cyclists can be speedy but know to slow when peds are encountered. Oh yeah, we get a lot of horse traffic too.

2. It looks like your MUP is one-way for bikes. It is wide enough for two-way traffic (safe and sane) if they get rid of the line. It seems that most of the peds were going the same way too. Odd!

3. Rules, when non-intuitive and ambiguous, tend to confuse everybody. Without rules, folks will figure out what works best. Why don't the folks in charge understand this?

that's pretty sad that they don't even keep one direction on one side and the opposite direction on the other side, cuz that would have made a tiny bit of sense

Ped-Ed 101 for people with an IQ of 5

Wait until you say "on your left" and have them jump left.

Sigh...

I got lucky. Pathways here aren't designed like that.

Sorry to see these truly inconsequential issues causing such problems.

Such anarchistic use of public space, where is the order?

:twitchy: I bet they cross against the light too! :bike2:

Though I wouldn't put it that way, I must say that at least on the day the video was made, there was more than enough room for going quite fast - at least a good deal faster than shown in the video. Sure, MUPs are not exactly ideal for high speed cycling, because you'll inevitable have pedestrians all over the place (that's also the case in Copenhagen, where people really should know better) but this one seems all right - if pedestrian traffic isn't any denser.

This vid was shot on a Tuesday afternoon. Weekends are worse.

I am disappoint.

Plz do over @25mph to SLAYER!

Part of me wants to but my self preservation instinct is too strong.

Now you are showing some intelligence by understanding that the road with motorist is much safer to commute on than a MUP with pedestrians.