Letter: Bike-pedestrian pathways possible

In his recent letter to The Advocate, Lt. Col. John LeBlanc speculated as to the causes of recent increases in the number of motorcycle, pedestrian and bicycle deaths in the area. He offered possible explanations regarding the motorcyclist and pedestrian deaths, but seemed at a loss to explain the rise in bicycle-related fatalities. I would like to offer a possible explanation.

The number of people riding bicycles throughout the country has steadily increased in the last few years. This may be partly caused by higher gas prices, but a lot has to do with people just rediscovering the joy of riding. More cyclists on the road mean more chances for bicycle/car collisions. The chances of an accident also go up in areas such as Baton Rouge, where primitive planning fails to take into account other forms of transportation along the roadways. How many roads do you know of that actually have sidewalks for pedestrians or bike lanes for cyclists in Baton Rouge? If you’re not driving a car, you are quite literally in harm’s way on our roads. A couple of miles of bike paths mean nothing if they’re not connected to anything else.

My wife and I visited Colorado Springs last weekend. It is a city of similar size and cost of living to Baton Rouge. We were amazed at the difference in the city’s infrastructure. Parks and open spaces are everywhere in Colorado Springs. They, and for that matter the whole city, are connected by a network of bike lanes and bike/pedestrian pathways. The Pikes Peak Greenway runs north and south for 30-plus miles through the city, and numerous branch paths lead off from it all directions.

The other amazing thing we noticed is the number of people who actually use these paths and parks. I suppose that is one of the reasons Colorado consistently ranks among the healthier states in the country. You know where Louisiana ranks.

So why can Colorado Springs have such a user-friendly network of safe and well-maintained pathways, and Baton Rouge can’t? It all comes down to priorities. Colorado Springs embraced the concept of alternative transportation and healthier lifestyles years ago. Baton Rouge has yet to do so. It’s not about money. Bike lanes and pathways cost little compared to adding another lane to an existing road. It’s just about priorities. In Baton Rouge, the safety of cyclists and pedestrians obviously doesn’t rank very high on the list of our concerns.

Don Weinell

environmental scientist

Gonzales

Comments

1) Comment by don_w - 26/10/2012

Having lived in a number of other places throughout the country, I'm always amazed at how people around here think they're so over taxed. For the second year in a row now, Louisiana ranks fourth from the bottom in terms of overall tax burden. That means that people in 46 other states pay more than we do. This should not be a surprise; we have the schools, the roads, and the infrastructure to show for it. I've always said Louisiana's motto should be "We'd rather have nothing than pay for something". Oh, we're also a net receiver of federal money, meaning we get more money back than we send to Washington. We are relying on the kind people in other states to pay for what little we do have because we're to cheap to pay for it ourselves.

2) Comment by phil - 26/10/2012

I support change, especially having a little change left over in my pocket after being taxed to death for things that very few people use that will cost $millions to build, maintain and operate. By the time they add property taxes and TIF areas for everything everyone wants, BR will become a city of only the very rich and the very poor, and all middle-class folks will move to another parish.

3) Comment by don_w - 24/10/2012

Since I wrote the original letter, I guess I'm entitled to add a bit more here. I won't point any fingers, but I will say that the range of comments received so far demonstrate how fractured this city is in terms of support for change. One of the problems with the residents of Baton Rouge is that they don't think of the city as a single entity, but rather as a collection of smaller, disconnected neighborhoods. So many people worry that one neighborhood will get something that another neighborhood won't. When I spoke about a network of bike/pedestrian pathways, I meant a system that would connect all corners of the city/parish to each other. I also meant something that would be used not just for recreation, but would offer true alternatives to driving a car, whether that be commuting to work or school, shopping, or whatever. Baton Rouge will never have such a system so long as so many people refuse to see the bigger picture. It's really sad. The difference between a great city and a mediocre community is the ability of not just its leaders, but also its citizens to plan for the future, rather than just live in the past.

4) Comment by phil - 24/10/2012

8.3 - Very funny comment and NO I do not collect ANY government funds and NEVER have. But some day I hope to collect Social Security since I have paid into it for over 30 years. I suppose I am only a leach when I draw out the money I paid in, but not a leach when I am actually paying those SS taxes - right?

5) Comment by Being_Stupid - 24/10/2012

If Kip Holden gets a second term, he will appoint a Special Blue Ribbon Commission that will gerrymander a Non-Municipal Taxing District dedicated to stealing property via mandatory dues to pay for dedicated bike paths. Don't worry folks, the business owners will pay for this tax, not you. Once the Non-Property Owners, Renters, and Homestead Exempt will vote for it. You can count on them to always outvote those property owners that will be stuck paying the bill. Perhaps Larry and DMJ can serve on this new Blue Ribbon Commission.

6) Comment by larry2661 - 24/10/2012

Please, Mr. foldgers, pass in the left lane! As I wrote last week, our streets are NOT wide enough for a car and a bicycle side- by- side. That bicyclist riding in the middle of the lane fears that you don't understand that.

7) Comment by nimby? - 23/10/2012

or the cyclist can pull off the road to allow the twenty or more cars stacked up behind them on thru ...

8) Comment by DMJ - 23/10/2012

By "way" I meant "route." I take it, you don't have a better route? Simply being on a bike is not dangerous. The cars and, particularly, their entitled, discourteous, impatient drivers are what makes Highland and Perkins road dangerous. Clearly, a change of attitude is needed, as evidenced by your "fruity spandex" remark. Your big idea for making biking safe is to use a car instead? Brilliant. Oh, and by the way, if you're passing and you cross over a double yellow (like on Highland), you're the one breaking the law and acting dangerous, not the cyclist you're passing. If you find yourself behind a bike and can't pass safely...just wait. I promise, you're not so important that you can't be delayed a minute or two. "These roads need bike lanes..." Only smart thing you wrote today.

9) Comment by jacksizeit - 23/10/2012

DMJ, yeah I do... in a vehicle with near-equal mass like a car or truck. The ones I've seen going down Perkins, and especially Highland, obviously have enough money to purchase a $500 bicycle and $200 worth of fruity spandex so why not a wiser choice in transportation. And on Highland Rd, these cyclists not only are endangering their own lives but the lives of those trying to pass them going up hill and blindly into the other lane inside a curve. These roads need bike lanes because people can't drive and cyclists put too much trust into strangers.

10) Comment by DMJ - 23/10/2012

Jacksizeit, why would someone ride down Perkins or Highland? You got a better way to go East in Baton Rouge? Folgers, didn't mean to hurt your feelings. Sorry. Sounds like we're mostly on the same page, but I disagree that cyclists disproportionately break traffic laws compared to motorists. In my experience as both a cyclist and a motorist, the opposite is true. When people I know ask me about taking up cycling, I always tell them: assume every driver is 1. not paying attention 2. Stupid 3. A Jerk 4 Completely indifferent to you or anyone else. Many times....especially in Baton Rouge, it's all of the above. Oh, and this may cheer you up.. I saw an LSU cop give some kid a ticket for running a red light on his bike the other day. It's rare (too rare, in my opinion) but it does happen. I believe that the lack of biking infrastructure creates a cavalier attitude in cyclists. They take what they can get. Also, the hostile attitude that motorists have towards cyclists is not helping anything.

11) Comment by Whatchange - 23/10/2012

@foldgers: wasn't talking about parks but, considering that BREC was taking our tax money and spending it all around BR, it took Zachary threatening to pull out of the Park System to get BREC to build nice parks around Zachary, you do realize Kip has nothing to do with BREC right, with exception to appointing one of the nine board members, just saying. Now I do agree with you on bike riders attitudes and not obeying traffic rules, but disagree on a license. I do believe Baton Rouge has some of the rudest drivers and the most lax traffic laws around and if the police would start doing their job and start ticketing offenders both vehicle drivers and bicyclist I do believe things would get better. Baton Rouge is way behind times in a lot of areas, it was and will not anytime soon be pedestrian/bicyclist/family friendly. They are trying, but they are meeting a lot of brick walls, mainly due to poor planning and just a complete and utter waste of money in the past, and lord knows CATS lasted blunder isn't helping. Any new street built should be wide enough to include bike and walking paths, any existing street with exception to major roadways should be widen to include bike and walking paths and this should be anywhere within EBRP not just South BR or Kips favorite the City of BR where he like to spend all the money, he collects taxes parish wide he should spend parish wide, then I wouldn't have a problem with him. I do believe our DOTD is filled with complete idiot's who couldn't plan their way out of a wet paper bag with a hole cut in the bottom and therein lays a lot of our problems.

12) Comment by foldgers - 23/10/2012

DMJ, why must you attack me for everything I say? I never said that motorists are all safe, nice and defensive drivers, ESPECIALLY in Baton Rouge. But, it does seem that police NEVER ticket bike riders or heck, even jay walkers. They know that they will most likely never get tickets for it, so they keep on doing it. I do not notice only the things that make me angry, I notice people BREAKING THE LAW! These laws are for everyone's safety. Bike riders constantly ride across crosswalks, VERY dangerous for their health and illegal. They contantly run stop signs and red lights, also very dangerous to their health, not because of bad drivers, but because drivers are not expecting someone to be flying across a crosswalk, flying through a stop sign, flying through a red light. To be on your side here, I do NOT agree with honking or cursing at bike riders who choose to share the road, that is idiotic. The only times I do not like driving behind a bike rider is when it is on a busy street and they choose to ride in the middle of the lane giving me barely the 3 feet needed to pass them and also at the same time choosing to ride as slow as they can, at least they could make an effort to go 10-15 miles per hour... not that hard on a bike. That is my only complaint. As far as breaking the laws, I say that for their SAFETY as only about 20% of drivers here are defensive enough to look out for these laws that a lot of bikers choose to ignore or do not know exist.

13) Comment by jacksizeit - 23/10/2012

How many of you bicyclists out there trust each and every stranger in a motor vehicle out there with your lives? Probably none of you huh?? Well then why on earth would you drive a bicycle down Perkins Rd. or Highland Rd. knowing full well there will always be drivers out there who will never obey the law or pay attention enough to not plow over you at 55mph?

14) Comment by DMJ - 23/10/2012

Whatchange, for what it's worth, I would vote to increase funding for sidewalks and bike lanes in Zachary, even though I never go out there and would most likely never use them. I'm in favor of bike lanes and sidewalks on all streets. If it were up to me, any road (save highways and interestates) in Louisiana cities - new roads or roads being repaired - would have to meet Complete Street standards: sidewalks and bike lanes. There should be a safe cycling route that would bring people to any destination in town. .

15) Comment by DMJ - 23/10/2012

Yeah, folgers...because all motorists are polite, courteous, attentive, cautious and obey the traffic laws all the time, right? Please. I'm guessing you only notice things that make you angry and validate what you already think when it comes to whether or not cyclists obey the laws. The squeaky wheel gets the grease, right? You don't notice those who are obeying the law; you only notice those who annoy you personally. That being said, you're kind of right... a lot of people (motorists and cyclists) are not safe while on the road. Obviously, this should change. And you don't need a license to operate something without a motor in it. You want little kids to go to the DMV and perform a bike riding test?? Get real.

16) Comment by foldgers - 23/10/2012

@Whatchange: You guys did recently get one of the nicest Disc Golf courses I have ever been on and paid for with taxpayer money. Just saying. As far as this article, I have said it MANY times when it comes to bike riding, if a person chooses to ride a bike on a "major" road, just for their own safety at least, they should be required to have a bike rider license, where they have to take a test to know all the rules of driving a car ALSO apply to bike riding. I have no problem with people riding bikes wherever they want, but I still, even just yesterday, witnessed a bike rider flying across a cross walk at Perkins and Acadian... ILLEGAL! A car could slam into them and there is no way the car will be at fault, unless they were drunk. Bike riders rarely use hand signals to turn... 99% of the time NEVER stop at stop signs, run through red lights and so on. Yes, there are the FEW riders who obey the laws, but VERY FEW! Police need to start ticketing bike riders when they break the law. Not to get them off the street, but for their own safety! But, I still do not like driving on a road, like Lee drive, behind a bike rider going truly as slow as they possibly can without falling over, that is not cool. Just my opinion.

17) Comment by gofigger - 23/10/2012

@jmayuk - Great post! Signed, sealed and delivered!

18) Comment by jmayuk - 23/10/2012

I can give you an even more obvious answer for all of these deaths - the standard of car driver in Louisiana is appalling! We don't have to just give out driver's licenses; we can actually test people and fail them if they are not up to scratch. Also, the law needs to be much much much clearer as to stating that everybody has an equal right to use the roads. Roads were not built for cars (I can't count the number of times I've heard people say that). They were built for people. Pedestrians, bicycles, motorcycles, horses and cars all have equal right to use the road. And all road users have an equal responsibility to avoid a collision. "Right of way" is a myth. If you have to slow down (or even stop) to wait for a safe spot to overtake then that is what you have to do.

19) Comment by 8.3 - 22/10/2012

phil, get a bike then you can save on gas, you are obviously poor. Bet you use medicare too, government dependent leach.

20) Comment by Whatchange - 22/10/2012

@DMJ, I live in Zachary, not the city limits but the area, my problem with Kip and many that I have talked to is he likes our tax money but doesn't like to spend it in the northern part of the parish. I believe we need public transportation and bike paths I have no trouble with parks and walking paths, heck, I believe we need a rail system. I also believe if you want, you need to give also, Kip doesn't do that. Heck the road I live on is narrow with no shoulders and deep ditches, he won't even do a money match to widen the road to make it safer, add side walks and street lights, he gives some money, but you would assume that since this road is in EBRP and not Zachary City Limits he would be concerned with its condition, but No, its in the Northern Part of the parish or as you say "Rural". He screams about the bridges and their condition and the schools buses that pass over them but he ignores the fact that school buses pass down MacHost Rd. twice a day loaded with kids and the bridge on it is a concrete road bed with wood support. Personally I don't care for him or Walker, neither one will help the northern part of the parish, but they will take our tax money. Anyway, that's my take on Kip, but you still have "some" good ideas.

21) Comment by Straight Shooter - 22/10/2012

Great letter that puts forth innovative thinking about traffic and quality of life over the status quo of continuing to rely on a broken system of relying solely on cars. If given alternatives, people will use them. We are so far behind on proper planning in this city. Frankly, I dsee it changing anytime soon. New road construction has failed toincorporate bike lanes and sidewalks. Its sad because it is a win win for users and taxpayers to add bike lanes that are cheaper when compared to adding more automobile lanes.

22) Comment by phil - 22/10/2012

DMJ - you hit on a good issue. Nobody uses the services so nobody wants to pay for those services. Seems very logical to me. What you are basically saying is that everyone in the parish has to pay a lot for services they will never use so a few bike riders can ride their bikes all over town/ In addition, poor people end up paying for services they do not use either. So what you end up with are the people you mentioned paying taxes for something they will never use, and the poor paying taxes for services they will hardly ever use. That sounds like a good formula to increase poverty in an area to me. Watch out for that redevelopment too. They are fixing to really help you out by diverting tax money away from those things you want and give it to rich developers. By the way, that CATS tax has really turned out well so far, right? Spend a lot of money for buses to run empty all over town. Thanks!

23) Comment by DMJ - 22/10/2012

It may have been a political swipe, but hey...if we're talking about the future of Baton Rouge vis a vis biking and walking, this mayoral election is important. Does anyone really think that Walker cares about bike lanes, greenways, complete streets or public transportation? You realize what kind of flack Walker would get from his core constituencies in Zachary, Central, Shenandoah, Sherwood Forest, Tiger Bend, Old Jefferson, Flannery...basically all the rural and eastern parts of the parish if he decided to start using taxpayer money to put in sidewalks and bike lanes? Or, god forbid, to spend money on public transit?? People in these areas don't use public transit; they don't walk or ride their bikes either... if they did, they wouldn't live where they live. Think about it. Am I wrong?

24) Comment by Whatchange - 22/10/2012

@Stephen, was in Portland also, great city, didn't spend as much time there as Vancouver but did notice for a big city they have it very well figured out. Must be quite a shock moving back here.

25) Comment by Whatchange - 22/10/2012

@DMJ, great comment, agree with everything with exception to that last political swipe. Just came back from a trip to Washington State, beautiful state, just beautiful. Very bike friendly, what I noticed the most though was the drivers of vehicles, they were so much more courteous than here and so much more concerned about their surrounding than here. Man it was so great to drive around without drivers on their cell phones, tailgating, running you over, cussing you out, man can this list go on, very laid back experience. We here in the south, we could learn a lot from Washington State. I stayed in Vancouver while there, which is bout the same size as Baton Rouge, I did notice that their buses were always full, always ran on time, with multiple buses at the bus stop at the same time, covered waiting areas, and they also ran on natural gas (at least the ones I seen), and yes, all races rode the bus at the same time. Bike riders were everywhere, they had wide bike lanes, where the road way went from four lanes to two lanes the entire right lane was converted into a bike lane, they were given their space and obeyed all the same laws as vehicles, they have laws to protect the bike rider also, the people I spoke to didn't mind the bike riders and said you didn't mess with them and they had as much right to the road as vehicles. They also rode their bikes rain or shine, cold or warm, they rode. If our Baton Rouge leaders or going to run all over the country on our dime, and if they haven't already, they need to visit Vancouver, Washington, maybe they will learn something about how to run a city. I haven't realized how angry and rude we in the south have become until I visited Washington State.

26) Comment by Stephen - 22/10/2012

I just moved back from living in Portland, Oregon. The city is much more comfortable to live in than Baton Rouge. Want to go to the airport? Jump on the Max (light rail) and it goes straight into the airport (for a little over $2). Want to go downtown (full of parks--one is 5000 acres, a world class library, vibrant entertainment options, residences, and even a beautiful stadium)? Jump on the Max, a bus (one feature of which is that one sees the passengers politely thanking the driver as they depart), a bike (which one can safely ride all the way in), walk, or ride a car (and find parking). The planning is deep. An urban growth boundary prevents urban sprawl, causes intense redevelopment eliminating any urban blight, has created a large number of pedestrian neighborhoods. Walk to your grocery or drug store, your doctor, your theater, or whatever. It is not really a money issue. It is a vision issue. Leaders and the public need to have vision. In Baton Rouge, one will find many people with little imagination in respect to how good things can be. It is sad really. Here, if one now proposed a 5000 acre park (by the way in Portland it includes their most attractive real estate), one would be run out of town. Yet, look at our Lakes around LSU and City Park. Leaders in those days could see the good that would flow from these public works. Where are those leaders today? The Mayor has proposed some big thinking, but a number of the council members wanted to stick to small thinking. Why? I suspect it was for no good reason other than living in (political) fear or a strong lack of imagination.

27) Comment by DMJ - 22/10/2012

Great letter, Don. I've been saying for years that making more lanes for cars is akin to a fat person buying larger pants. This approach enables and exacerbates the problem (too many cars) instead of alleviating it; plus, it's crazy expensive. The only real way to reduce traffic is to reduce driving. Public transportation is key. Loosened zoning restrictions are key. Bike lanes and sidewalks are key. It's not just a traffic issue either. It's a public health issue. It's an environmental issue. It's an economic issue - spending less on gas, vehicle maintenance, increased property values, etc. Here's the thing....people will ride more if they have a reasonable expection of being safe while doing so. I know this for a fact. Look at Capital Heights. They turned it into a one-way with bike lanes and everyone loves it. The Government Street project would be well-recieved as well (other than by codger-Americans). Putting signs that say Share the Road on Goodwood doesn't change the fact that there are no bike lanes and won't make motorists cautious, patient or considerate. Mayor Holden has been a great ally on this issue (a darn sight better than Walker will be, that's for sure) but much more work is needed.

28) Comment by phil - 22/10/2012

Also when there are enough people riding bikes instead of driving cars maybe we can use some of the existing auto lanes and convert them to bike use. That sounds good right? Well, that is somewhat of the plan for Government St. that would convert it to a 3-lane road. That will probably create a big traffic nightmare on Government St when those turn lanes get full and overflow into the regular lanes. Great planning?

29) Comment by phil - 22/10/2012

This is somewhat of a money issue. You can go visit your tax dollars when you go downtown and see the TIF motels and the new parks and the new Town Square. Then you can attend the Superfest and visit some of your money that helped pay for those tickets. Besides there is a path on the MS River levee (the path to nowhere?) that have recently been built and there are plans for some more paths along Wards creek that I think are a total waste of taxpayers funds because few people will use them. So if you want more bike paths etc go squeeze some money out of that government turnip. Then you can go visit Smiley Heights and see all of that land you will help pay for and "redevelop". We need new leadership in Baton Rouge

30) Comment by Bighug - 22/10/2012

People in Baton Rouge can always ride a CATS bus. I've never seen one with more than two or three passengers.