‘Moving New Orleans Bikes‘ is a city-wide vision for creating more than 600 miles of “low-stress” bikeway networks connecting every neighborhood across New Orleans, and is the leading Complete Streets initiative in Mayor Cantrell’s overall transportation plan, Moving New Orleans.
Beginning in 2020, the first 75 miles of new protected bikeways, bike/walk boulevards, high-visibility crosswalks, bus stops and bus islands, and new and refurbished sidewalks are being built in neighborhoods in and adjacent to downtown New Orleans, before expanding to other areas of the city.
As of Summer 2021, construction is underway in neighborhoods in & adjacent to downtown New Orleans, beginning with the Tremé and 7th Ward, to be followed by improvements in Gentilly and Mid-City.
Click any of the following to learn more:
View our map of 'Moving New Orleans' low-stress bikeways to be built this year:
3 features make New Orleans’ new bikeway network “low stress”:
Protected bike lanes contain vertical elements to create separation between people biking and people driving, with clear expectations for where travelers should be in the roadway, increasing safety.
Walking improvements include high visibility crosswalks, new walking paths and repaired sidewalks along new bikeway corridors.
Bike / Walk Boulevards are low-speed, low-traffic streets with added safety features to ensure awareness of people biking and walking.
Moving New Orleans Bikes – Downtown planned improvements:
Completed
MNOB Complete Streets Renovations – New striping and vertical flex posts to create parking protected bikeways and remove one lane vehicular traffic in each direction, as well as installing marked crosswalks, improving access to bus stops, and improving intersection geometry and sight distances at driveways between N. Peters Street and St. Claude Avenue.
Download Elysian Fields Avenue Worksheet from the City of New Orleans – Dept of Public Works.
Previous – Three lanes of vehicular traffic with on-street parking in each parking in each direction from N. Peters Street to St. Claude Avenue.
Elysian Fields Avenue prior to improvements
MNOB Complete Streets Renovation – Repaving the roadway, designating the street as a bicycle boulevard
through signage and pavement markings, installing marked crosswalks, and improving intersection geometry and sight distances between N. Peters Street and St. Claude Avenue.
Download Franklin Avenue Worksheet from the City of New Orleans – Dept of Public Works.
Previous – One lane of vehicular traffic and on-street parking in each direction.
Franklin Avenue prior to MNOB renovation
MNOB Complete Streets Renovations – New striping and vertical flex posts to create parking protected bikeways and remove one lane of vehicular traffic, as well as, installing marked crosswalks, improving transit stops, and improving intersection geometry and sight distances between Decatur Street and Elysian Fields Avenue.
Download N. Peters Street Worksheet from the City of New Orleans – Dept of Public Works.
Previous – Two lanes of vehicular traffic with on-street parking on both sides of the street.
N. Peters Street prior to MNOB renovation
MNOB Complete Streets Renovations – Repaving the roadway, designating the street as a bicycle boulevard through signage and pavement markings, installing marked crosswalks, and improving intersection geometry and sight distances between Franklin Avenue and Esplanade Avenue.
Download Royal Street Worksheet from the City of New Orleans – Dept of Public Works.
Previous – One lane of vehicular traffic and on-street parking in each direction.
Royal Street prior to MNOB renovation
Later this year
MNOB Complete Streets Renovations – New striping and vertical flex posts will create a one-way parking protected bikeway with the configuration of the right-side parking lane and bike lane reversed. High-visibility crosswalks, improved intersection geometry and sight distances adjacent to driveways.
Improvements to be installed between Canal Avenue and Howard Avenue.
Download Baronne Street fact sheet from the City of New Orleans – Dept of Public Works
Previous Configuration – On-street parking on both sides of Baronne along curb, with a buffered unprotected bike lane on right side.
Read our breakdown of the MNOB improvements coming to Baronne Street.
Baronne Street prior to Moving New Orleans Bikes renovation
MNOB Complete Streets Renovation – Improvements include adding stormwater management infrastructure, adding protected bike lanes, installing marked crosswalks, improving intersection geometry and sight distances at driveways. Between Howard Avenue and Common Street, the roadway will be reconfigured as a protected bike lane, a parking lane, two general travel lanes, a and parking lane. Between Common Street and Canal Street, the roadway will be configured as a protected bike lane, a parking plane, general travel lane, and a parking lane. The proposed improvements are designed to address pavement quality issues, improve overall safety, connect to existing bikeways, and make O’Keefe Avenue a more comfortable place to walk, bike, drive and use transit.
Download the O’Keefe Avenue factsheet from the City of New Orleans – Dept of Public Works
Previous – From Howard Avenue to Common Street, two lanes of vehicular traffic, an unprotected bike lane, and parking on both sides. From Common Street to Canal Street, two lanes of vehicular traffic and parking on both sides.
Click here to read our in-depth discussion on the O’Keefe Avenue improvements.
O’Keefe Avenue prior to MNOB renovation
MNOB Complete Streets Renovation – New striping and vertical flex posts to create parking protected bikeways and one lane of vehicular travel lane will be removed or reconfigured to exclusive turn lanes as needed, in both directions, between St. Charles Avenue and Loyola Avenue.
Download Howard Avenue factsheet from the City of New Orleans – Dept of Public Works
Previous – Two vehicular traffic lanes in each direction, with on-street parking on both sides.
Howard Avenue prior to renovations
MNOB Complete Streets Renovations – Improvements include adding protected bike lanes, installing marked crosswalks, improving intersection geometry and sight distances at driveways. Between Carondelet Street and S. Rampart Street, the roadway will be reconfigured as a two-way protected bike lane, parking lane, general travel lane, and parking lane. Between S. Rampart Street and Loyola Avenue, the roadway will be configured as a two-way protected bike lane, two general travel lanes, and a parking lane. The proposed improvements are designed to address pavement quality issues, improve overall safety, connect to existing bikeways, and make Julia Street a more comfortable place to walk, bike, drive and use transit.
Download the Julia Street fact sheet from the City of New Orleans – Dept of Public Works
Previous – Two vehicular traffic lanes in one direction, with on-street parking in each side and an unprotected bike lane.
Julia Street prior to MNOB renovation
The City of New Orleans’ Office of Transportation has not released an official factsheet for planned connection between the foot of the Lafitte Greenway and the French Quarter.
Below are protected bikeway installations modeled during the joint Coalition and City-lead demonstration, Connect the Crescent (more info further down the page).
Greenway Connector elements during 3-month Connect the Crescent demonstration –
- Protected lane on Basin to Toulouse St
Contraflow bike lane on St Louis St to Rampart St
Left-turn at island converted to protected contraflow lane
Green bike crossings in both directions – Basin @ St. Louis
Lafitte Greenway Connector along Basin Street during ‘Connect the Crescent’ protected bikeway demonstration in 2018
The City of New Orleans’ Office of Transportation has not released an official factsheet for planned construction of a 2-way protected bikeway running along the lakeside of the street across from the historic French Quarter.
The proposed facility is featured within the City’s Digital Bikeway Blueprint (see below) as a prioritized corridor to serve as a key connection between low-stress facilities in the Central Business District, the Lafitte Greenway, 7th Ward bikeways, and the French Quarter.
North Rampart Street before MNOB improvements
MNOB Complete Streets Renovation – New traditional striped bike lane along left-side of Decatur, with improved intersection geometry and sight distances between Esplanade Avenue and Dumaine Street.
Download Decatur Streets fact sheet from the City of New Orleans – Dept of Public Works.
Previous – One lane of vehicular traffic with one lane of parking.
Decatur Street prior to improvements
Downtown Organizations and Businesses Supporting 'Moving New Orleans Bikes'
By the end of the year, via new Moving New Orleans Bikes downtown bikeways, you’ll be able to enjoy safe, low-stress bike rides from –
– Lafayette Square to Crescent Park
– The French Quarter to the Fairgrounds
– The Ogden Museum to Dillard University
– The Algiers Ferry to Rosa Keller Library
Because of Moving New Orleans Bikes, residents of every age and skill level will have new low-stress bike commuting options from home to a job Downtown or in the French Quarter, all on protected bikeways and bike/walk-friendly boulevards.
Tell local leaders and Mayor Cantrell you support safe, accessible mobility improvements coming to your neighborhood via Moving New Orleans Bikes. Share how low-stress biking, walking, and calmer speeds will benefit you and your community.
If your your organization is supportive of Moving New Orleans Bikes and Complete Streets, click here for more information about joining as a member organization in the New Orleans Complete Streets Coalition.
Maurice Rucker supports Moving New Orleans Bikes – Downtown
I moved to New Orleans six years ago and have worked in the CBD ever since. My journeys take me to the CBD through the Garden District, which highlights the joys and frustrations of biking in New Orleans.I and roughly 40% of my co-workers bike to work...The need for safer and accessible streets is needed now more than ever. Safer streets make our city better, more enjoyable, and combat climate change.
Read Maurice’s letter to the editor advocating to make biking safer downtown in the Times-Picayune/Nola.com by clicking here.
Latest updates: Moving New Orleans Bikes - Downtown
The Neighborhood Resource Page for Moving New Orleans Bikes – Downtown
We’re going downtown! The New Orleans downtown area, comprised of the Central Business District, French Quarter, and Marigny, is our major job center, arts & cultural center, and regional transportation hub. That’s why we’re…
Our open letter to Mayor Cantrell showing support for protected bikeways in downtown New Orleans
Dear Mayor Cantrell, We see you and thank you for continuing to work for safe & accessible streets for everyone in New Orleans, despite the many challenges brought to bear…
More info from the City of New Orleans:
All publicly available plans, designs, and construction information can be found on the City of New Orleans website – Nola.gov/movingneworleans
View the City of New Orleans’ Digital Bikeway Blueprint, an interactive map of the full city-wide vision of the Moving New Orleans Low-Stress Bikeway Network.
Download the Downtown Conceptual Design presentation and/or the City’s Pre-Construction presentation prepared by the Office of Transportation and Department of Public Works for MNOB in the Central Business District.
Beginning in 2019, the City of New Orleans held a series of public meetings to gather input for the formation of a city-wide Moving New Orleans ‘low-stress’ bikeway network. Following the presentation of a city-wide plan, community design meetings have been held ahead of planned construction areas around New Orleans.
See here for a full timeline of City-hosted public meetings for Moving New Orleans Bikes