The New Orleans Complete Street Coalition is excited to announce the winners of 2021 Complete Streets Activation Mini-Grants! This round of grants, totaling $7500, were awarded to local organizations and community leaders to develop an event or project that builds grassroots support for safe, accessible, and sustainable streets, with a special emphasis in highlighting New Orleans’ new Moving New Orleans low-stress bikeway network.
The New Orleans Complete Streets Coalition includes over 30 local organizations working together to remake New Orleans streets so they better serve all who use them. We’re doing so to enhance community health, racial equity, future sustainability, economic prosperity, and the quality-of-life of all local residents. These mini-grants are meant to empower local residents to activate their community in celebration of improvements to their neighborhood streets.
We’re pleased to partner and work with various civic and community leaders, artists/creatives, business leaders, and individuals based in New Orleans to lead the selected projects that will help inform their community about the benefits of Complete Streets and the Moving New Orleans low-stress bikeway network.
Grants range from $500 – $1000. The Coalition aimed to award around 10 proposals at this time, varying in size and scope. Our goal was to empower local leaders and residents to engage in this work and we are pleased to welcome the following projects:
New Orleans Regional Black Chamber of Commerce awarded $1000 – NORBCC is activating a bike rack initiative throughout New Orleans focused on businesses in high traffic areas as they believe encouraging alternative modes of transportation in dense areas promotes healthy living and will pique interest in stopping by at local stores and restaurants. Just to name a few locations to look out for the new “Bike Racks” check out P.J. Coffee in New Orleans East and Half Shell on Bayou Road.
yaMammannem’ Cycling Club awarded $1000 – This predominantly African-American cycling club of local firefighters and friends will host a 20-mile exhibition bike ride and 5k run/walk including virtual participation to highlight newly proposed protected bikeways throughout the CBD and 7th Ward. Cultural and civic partnerships include the Brass-A Holics, Black Association of New Orleans Fire Fighters, and local cycling/running clubs. In addition, collaborating partner, Crescent City Community Land Trust will bring awareness of equitable transit-oriented developments, social and creative placemaking elements will be highlighted through route markers of historical landmarks including Congo Square and The Pythian Market. All partners will come together focusing on the importance of keeping our streets safe and alive with culture. “Our streets are our stages!”
Sistahs on Wheels awarded $1000 – to host Bike Awareness and Fellowship Sundays visiting Black Historic churches throughout Central City bringing awareness about the Bike network, Complete Streets, and the importance of staying healthy by moving. The event will highlight New Orleans Complete Streets and Low Stress Bike Network during the church services. Also, encouraging the Pastors to ride after service “Bike Awareness and Fellowship Sundays” will build awareness and promote education around Complete Streets and the Bike Network. As bikers, they depend on the safety of the roadways. They will serve ambassadors to the faith community who may not readily have access to this information.
Full Faith Baptist Church awarded $750 – The church will host a bike ride and 5k walk within their church community near the corner of Paris Ave and Gentilly Blvd. They will also continue to inform and educate their congregants, visitors, and friends of the Complete Streets initiative during services and posting information on their website.
Edgewood Park Neighborhood Association awarded $750 – This Gentilly neighborhood association to help artists create their best artistic representation of what a bike boulevard would mean to them using illegally dumped tires. As plans are in place to designate People’s Avenue as a bike boulevard, this project serves to beautify the space ahead of planned improvements and aid in battling a long-standing litter problem through supporting artists throughout the community. Also, they will host a community bike ride to enjoy viewing the temporary art installation and “The community’s imagination and hope for what it would be like to have that bike easy space.”
The Ohm Well Yoga Studio awarded $750 – The Ohm Well will host “Freedom to Move: A Walk, Run, Bike and Yoga Virtual + In-person experience”. The event is a socially distanced, masked-up scavenger hunt starting on St. Anthony St. near Dillard University and continuing further down the corridor with health stations managed by community partners will be positioned along the corridor to share health tips/clues, and culminating with Zumba, dance, and yoga flows!
Ride New Orleans awarded $750 – Local transit advocacy organization RIDE New Orleans will hold an interactive “walking tour” of downtown New Orleans to discuss key Complete Streets treatments that could improve transit service and make New Orleans streets safer and more welcoming for all users. The walking tour will be heavily conducted in association with RIDE’s rider-led Coalition for Quality Transit.
South Broad Businesses awarded $750 – A consortium along South Broad Street will host a “Broad Business Bike Tour” which will encompass two primary components: a self-guided, choose your own adventure style tour featuring businesses and organizations in the corridor and the cleanup and beautification of the South Broad/Washington intersection where the tour will initially begin. Community members participating in the tour will receive a map (either virtual or physical) that leads them along with the bikeway networks within the corridor and highlights participating businesses along the way.
Healthy Community Services / Water Wise Gulf South awarded $750 – With partner organziation GroundWork New Orleans these groups will host “NOLA Green Bike Ride” bringing awareness to 7th Ward Residents and bikers of the St Bernard Ave, N Galvez Street, and N. Broad Ave connectivity of bike lanes. This activation will demonstrate the importance of community-driven efforts by residents and serve to make bikers aware of green infrastructure interventions utilized to manage stormwater during urban flooding events and other environmental factors affecting biker’s safety and health during adverse weather events.
The Living School awarded $500 – Located in New Orleans East, the Living School will highlight non-existent sidewalk area along 6003 Bullard creating a welcoming space for pedestrians. They believe their Food and Medicinal Forest to be a place of unity and harmony, where folks can take a moment to relax and be in the presence of nature. Creating spaces like Living School’s Food and Medicinal Forest serves to engage New Orleans East residents’ walking and biking community.
“Cut & Ride” initiative by Calvin Johnson awarded $500 – Calvin and Lace Xclusive Barbershop & Salon are getting the word out about Complete Streets and educating clients through the offer of free barbering services to people walking, biking, or riding transit to their appointments. This creative concept will provide 25 free hair cuts to new clients and help to build awareness of the Complete Streets Program and Moving New Orleans low-stress bikeway network.
We’re honored and gratified to have the opportunity to collaborate with these great local organizations in service of making our streets safer, more accessible, more equitable, and healthier for all the people of New Orleans.