Click here to read about our 2021 Complete Streets Activation Mini Grant Awardees! In total, we awarded a total of $7500 to 10 local organizations, leaders and businesses to build awareness of the benefits of Complete Streets in New Orleans.
The Complete Streets Activation Mini Grant funds civic groups, community leaders, and individuals to develop an event or project that builds grassroots support for safe and accessible streets and highlights the benefits of the City’s expanded low-stress bikeway network. Our hope is to empower residents to engage their peers and celebrate the complete streets improvements currently under construction as part of Mayor Cantrell’s ‘Moving New Orleans Bikes’ initiative.
We will be offering a total of $15,000 through our mini grants. In our first round, we granted 10 organizations an average of $750 for their events and projects, and are currently supporting their implementation. You can find more information about first round recipients below.
1st Round Recipients
Learn more about our Mini Grant recipients and their projects by clicking on their logos.
SOUL-Tree Planting Along Complete Streets
SOUL (Sustaining Our Urban Landscape) is driving a resilient and environmentally equitable New Orleans by reforesting our urban landscape. As a Mini Grant recipient, Soul planted 105 trees along Newton Street in Old Algiers. These trees will prevent flooding, provide shade, and beautify one of New Orleans’ newest Complete Streets.
Additionally, SOUL set up signs to educate the community on the benefits of planting more trees in our community. We’re proud to support this effort to bring more green infrastructure to New Orleans’ streets. You can sign up to plant more trees with SOUL by visiting their website here.
Positice Impact & UpLift NOLA - Algiers Peace Ride
We’re proud to support Uplift NOLA and Positive Impact NOLA to host the Algiers Peace Ride, an opportunity to practice mindful riding and connect with the surrounding environment, including some of New Orleans’ newest bike lanes in Algiers.
Sprout NOLA Farmer's Market
Sprout NOLA is a weekly farmer’s market that happens every Monday from 4-7pm at 2606 St. Louis Street.
With the support of a Complete Streets Activation Mini Grant, Sprout NOLA is offering a discount to folks who walk, bike, or take public transit to the farmer’s market. We’re proud to not only support amazing local farmer’s and food, but also encouraging folks to use all kinds of transportation to get their groceries.
Heart n' Hands - 'Heart Health on the Bayou'
In partnership with New Orleans Complete Streets Coalition, Heart N Hands
is hosting “Heart Health on the Bayou”, a series featuring heart health education and
wellness activities on Bayou St. John. The series launched on Saturday, August 29th and held a 5k bike/walk/run in late October.
Complete streets give our community more opportunities to get outside and get some exercise. We’re proud to support this initiative to improve the heart health of our community.
Photos from events
BAWSE Bike Collective
We are supporting BAWSE (Bad Ass Women Shred Everything) Bike Collective in giving away free bike lights and bells. With the influx of newer/returning riders due to COVID-19, BAWSE is ensuring that everyone who bikes has bike lights and bells to ride safely.
BAWSE Bike Collective’s last bike lights and bells giveaway was on Saturday, September 5th and they will have another giveaway soon.
Aurora West Civic Association
Aurora West Civic Association held a neighborhood family bike ride in Algiers to bring attention to safer streets for pedestrians, cyclists, bikers and car drivers.
The group got to experience some of the newest complete streets built in New Orleans and was joined by Councilmember Kristin Palmer.
NOLA to Angola Bike Ride
We’re proud to support this year’s Nola to Angola annual bicycle ride to Angola Prison to support and fund the Cornerstone Builders Bus Project, which connects families to their incarcerated loved ones.
This year, the NOLA to Angola ride will be self-paced, which means you don’t have to be in New Orleans to participate! Riders will have 4 weeks to complete their 170 mile journeys.
Why 170 miles? Because that’s the distance from New Orleans to Angola prison. The largest prison in the USA. A prison with over 6,000 incarcerated folks and no direct public transportation for visitors. Each rider will be asked to raise $170 for Cornerstone, $1 for every mile you ride.
NOLA to Angola working hard on putting together a ride that’s safe during this pandemic. Registration will open on September 1 and the ride will take place from October 1-31. On November 1, we will have a short, in-person, socially distanced ride (with masks) to Orleans Parish Prison where we will hear Minister Leo and other community leaders speak.This year will be different but we are excited that ANYONE can participate from ANYWHERE in the world. Join us!
Old Algiers Main Street's Complete Streets Open House
Old Algiers Main Street Corporation hosted an open house to explain the changes to parking and bike paths along the upper blocks of Newton Street, in Algiers. They were joined by Councilmember Kristin Palmer, School Board Member Leslie Ellison, and the New Orleans Complete Street Coalition.
These leaders and representatives helped residents and businesses understand how the new bike lanes and crosswalks are designed to benefit the community. It’s these initiatives that engage the community on street improvements coming to their neighborhood that our mini-grant program was designed to support.
