Boulevard issue 18

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Cakes • Pies • Confections • Savories

Tracie L. Washington, GoodieBaker

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This publication is produced with the help of the OC Haley Merchants Asso., The Mainstreet Partners, Local Churches, Businesses and Residence.

For Advertising rates and ad placement, Contact: Lawrence A. Martin, Publisher 1332 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd, New Orleans, LA 70113 • 504-416-9699 www.nola.tv or email at lmartin@nola.tv

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IN THE

BY - SHÄNA HARTMANN

Arzelus Payton, Sr. has been riding a bike around New Orleans for more than fifty years.

He grew up in Central City on Terpsichore Street, and from the age of seven, biking was a way to relieve stress, clear his mind, and see the city. “That was me time, riding the bike.”

Michelle Nixon Stanton says she didn’t own a bicycle before Hurricane Katrina. But now she rides for health and to do small errands, meet up with friends, and attend festivals. “I’m on my bike least three or four times a week.”

Both Mr. Payton and Ms. Stanton can regularly be found on the city’s new bikeways. These paths and lanes are result of the New Orleans Metropolitan Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan developed in 2005 by the Regional Planning Commission. This visionary document is a blueprint for the development of the city’s bicycle infrastructure, promoting bike paths, dedicated bike lanes, bike routes on shared roads, bike racks, and the ability to put bikes on buses.

According to the city’s Department of Public Works, New Orleans now boasts a network of more than 100 miles of on- and off-street bikeways. Since 2010, $38 million in funding has been committed to making New Orleans bicycle and pedestrian friendly. This includes projects like the Lafitte Greenway, which connects neighborhoods from the French Quarter to City Park, as well as the current streetscape updates on Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard.

Thousands of people now bike for their health, for fun, and to get to work in New Orleans.

According to the Census Bureau, the city is number five in the country and number one in the South for percentage of bike riders. The Regional Planning Commission estimated that there were 7,560 daily riders in 2014.

Keith Holt, the Community Education Manager at Bike Easy, a bike education and advocacy organization, believes that our festival culture is one of the key reasons New Orleans has such a high percentage of bicyclists despite a relative lack of biking

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infrastructure. “People are introduced to biking by getting to festivals and Mardi Gras.

The city is basically locked down during Mardi Gras, but if you’re on a bike, you can still get around.”

Mr. Holt, who worked (and biked) in Chicago and Milwaukee before arriving in New Orleans, has been impressed with the number of African Americans biking in the city.

Because biking is often seen as an activity for white men, “Other places are challenged to get people of color to ride, but New Orleans is different.”

In addition to a festival culture that encourages people to ride, he cites the facts that New Orleans is an old city of European design with narrow roads that make driving and parking

complicated, and that for many years postKatrina the city had a transit system that did not meet the needs of commuters. “Put all those things together and you have a bike culture that is unique to New Orleans.”

Between 2010 and 2014, bicycling increased by 56% in New Orleans, with strong growth in areas with a dedicated lane or path. A 2014 report by the League of American Bicyclists shows 3.5% of commuters in New Orleans ride bikes to work. But as more cyclists have taken to the road, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) reports that Louisiana has the

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third highest rate of cyclist deaths in the U.S. The white “ghost bikes” seen around the city at the sites of accidents or hit-and-runs are memorials to cycling fatalities.

Many riders in New Orleans will tell you that the problem is the drivers who refuse to treat bicycles as regular traffic, or don’t pay attention to them. On the other hand, many drivers and pedestrians will tell you that bicyclists who don’t follow traffic laws are a regular frustration.

Cyclists riding against traffic signals, in and out of lanes of traffic without signaling, on sidewalks, or against traffic are common complaints.

As a frequent driver, Sinnindra Taylor of Infinity Educational Advantage, a firm that organizes community bike rides,

understands these complaints. But as an educator, she knows that getting riders to change bad habits can be hard. “People in New Orleans have traditionally been very lassiez-faire, even about bike riding. Just telling them there are laws and that they have to follow them doesn’t necessarily work.”

One of the reasons Ms. Taylor organizes community bike rides is because it is a positive way to introduce riders to the rules, as well as to lead by example. “People are going to have to make a conscious decision for themselves to be safe.”

Bike education is also at the core of the Bike Easy mission. Their events include inschool instruction for approximately 1000 K-8 students regionally, community bicycle workshops, and Ambassador Programs in which teens and adults learn both the rules of the road and how to advocate for improved transportation in New Orleans. Mr. Holt says,

“Our goal is to grow New Orleans bike culture and make biking easier.”

As with everything else, bike culture in New Orleans is in part a social phenomenon.

Informal biking clubs and local organizations such as NOLA Social Ride and Get Up And Ride host regular community events. The Thursday evening rides through the Marigny have seen up to eight hundred cyclists showing off costumes and bikes decorated with LED lights. Bike Easy’s Bicycle Second Lines in the spring and fall also attract hundreds of riders while bringing attention to biking in a way that encourages others to join.

Likewise, Ms. Taylor’s upcoming Gear Up NOLA events in the Lower Nine and on the Westbank are family-friendly rides that not only help teach the rules of the road, but give participants the opportunity to have fun as they get exercise, tour neighborhoods, learn about new bikeways, and express concerns about safety and other biking issues.

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The social aspect of New Orleans’ bike culture might be growing, but as Mr. Payton will tell you, it’s nothing new. His grandfather, George Hankton, Sr., was one of the founders of the Jolly Bunch Social Aid and Pleasure Club, so much of his childhood was spent biking along with the second lines, something he still does today. Mr. Payton has even started a riding group in his neighborhood, the 504 Bike Club.

From an early age, he’s understood that riding a bike lets you see the city in a different way. “It opened up avenues for people to communicate as bike riders, all walks of life.

We were seeing other kids just being kids and not colors.”

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Biking culture has spread beyond riding.

Rubarb in the Upper 9th Ward is an allvolunteer community bike shop that gives neighborhood kids the chance to earn a bike by learning basic bike building and maintenance skills. At the Youth Empowerment Project’s Trafigura Work and Learn Center bike shop in Central City, teens learn bike repair, customer service, and other skills meant to help them find and keep jobs.

As more people in New Orleans opt to bike, both drivers and bicyclists are adapting to the changing transportation landscape. Driver Jessica Jenkins admits that she didn’t initially welcome the addition of bike lanes in the city.

“At first they were annoying, because they narrowed the streets and you had to get use to new rules.” But now she appreciates that bikes and cars have their own space.

sense. It’s more economical, and New Orleans is a small city. A lot of the places you go to are close to home anyway.”Ms. Stanton agrees. “I still don’t like to ride on busy streets without bike lanes.”

“I see a lot more people using the bike lanes, and it does seem safer. And biking does make

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She suggested a public service campaign to help drivers and cyclists better understand the more intricate rules, like what happens when a bike lane also becomes a right-hand turn lane. “Sometimes biking on the streets looks crazy.”

Mr. Payton also tends to take the new bike paths and dedicated lanes, as well as narrower streets with fewer cars rather than shared roads. “Backstreets are safer. And they give you a chance to see and talk people. You can really observe.”

Still, he’s seeing a definite improvement in the ability to cross the city on a bike. “The lights and paths make people pay attention. It makes a big difference...

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Bike Easy – www.bikeeasy.org Nola Social Ride – www.nolasocialride.org Gear Up Nola – www.gearupnola.eventbrite.com Rubarb – www.rubarbike.com The Youth Empowerment Project – www.youthempowermentproject.org The City of New Orleans updated bike network map – http://www.nola.gov/dpw/documents/bikeways-as-of-dec-1-2015/ The New Orleans Metropolitan Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan – http://www.nola.gov/dpw/documents/rpc_metro_bike_ped/ Law Library of Louisiana Bicycling Guide: http://lasc.libguides.com/bicycle-laws-in-louisiana

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LIVES

STEM NOLA PRESENTS

3rd ANNUAL STEM FEST

FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC Saturday, December 10, 2016 at Joe Brown Recreation Center located at 5601 Read Blvd from 9 am to 12:30 pm.

Innovate.

Create.

Make.

“STEM Saturday with Dr. Mackie” on November 12th! Wind Energy: Harnessing the Power of the Wind!

Come out and Design, Build, Test and Evaluate your own Wind Mill and harness the power of the wind!

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Circuits, Hydrodynamics, Chemistry, Robotics, alternative energy, rockets, boats solar and wind power, construction, structures, cars, motors, food science, math games and more.

Stem services provided by Dr. Calvin Mackie of STEM NOLA, call 504.391.0730 or register online @ stemnola.com

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CCEOC CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF SERVICE.

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PRESIDENT

BARACK OBAMA A LEGACY Obama’s greatest accomplishments – so far.

This year’s election is both discouraging and extremely important. We are essentially voting to support the legacy of Barack Obama, or to turn back the clock.

With President Barack Obama, we elected the most progressive US president in history. Think

back to 2008 and the country he inherited – America’s international standing was in tatters, we were experiencing a housing collapse and the most serious economic depression since the 1930s, and because of two ill-advised wars, our national debt was at an all-time high.

Despite the overwhelming

challenges, which include a Republicanled Congress that for the past six years has obstructed him on some the very issues Americans care about most, such as infrastructure and immigration, President Obama will leave behind an enormously positive legacy.

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its consumers in all states, no matter whether they signed up through the federal or state-based exchange.

We encourage you to visit the PCTC website (pleasecutthecrap.com).

They’ve compiled a list of the top 400 things President Obama was able to do for our county despite the enormous difficulties he faced every day. As they note: “If we want to win elections – and in a democracy, that has to be our main goal – we have to make people want to vote for us.

That means accentuating the positive, and talking about how great we are, especially compared to the alternative.”

And while we can’t print that entire PCC list here, we will give you the president’s top ten accomplishments – according to him.

10. THE ECONOMY Businesses, according to the president, have “added 13.7 million new jobs over a 69-month streak of job growth.” Mr. Obama also cited the latest unemployment rate figures -- in October, it fell to 5 percent and has remained at that level since -- as proof of a strong economy.

9. “MORE AMERICANS GETTING health insurance coverage” Supreme Court upholds Obamacare subsidies in 6-3 ruling Despite numerous Republican threats and challenges to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the president’s landmark health bill survived 2015. In June, the Supreme Court even upheld a major part of the Obamacare legislation, ruling in a 6-3 decision that the federal government can give out subsidies to

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“The rate of the uninsured in America dropped below 10 percent for the first time ever,” Mr. Obama said in his video. “In all, 17.6 million people and climbing have gained coverage as the Affordable Care Act has taken effect.”

Just this month, the White House extended the deadline to sign up for health insurance under the ACA by two days because of “unprecedented demand.”

8. “AMERICA’S GLOBAL LEADERSHIP ON CLIMATE CHANGE” For the past year, the president has heavily championed a climate change agenda. And just last week, the world came together at the Paris COP21 climate talks to reach a historic deal with ambitious goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Of the Paris accord, the president said, “it was only possible because America led with clean energy here at home and strong diplomacy around the world.”

7. U.S.-CUBA RELATIONS In August, the U.S. reopened its embassy in Cuba, the first symbolic step to normalizing relations between the two countries and the first time the American flag has flown in Havana in 54 years.

Since the momentous occasion, the administration has taken further steps to make it easier to travel to and do business in Cuba.

“We turned the page on an outdated, half-century-old policy by reestablishing diplomatic relations with Cuba and reopening embassies in both our countries, allowing us to build greater ties between Americans and Cubans,” Mr. Obama said.

6. IRAN NUCLEAR DEAL In July, six world powers, including the United States, struck a landmark nuclear deal with Iran. And in the months after, despite staunch Republican objection, the deal survived a vote in Congress.

The president touted the accord in his Saturday video, saying “We succeeded in forging a strong deal to stop Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.”

“In fact,” he added, “Iran has already dismantled thousands of centrifuges that enrich uranium.”

5. “STANDING STRONG AGAINST TERRORISM” Over the past week, the president has urged Americans to stay united in the face of terror threats, after the recent shooting in San Bernardino left the nation wary of future strikes.

“Even as we continue to grieve over the attack in San Bernardino, we’re leading a global coalition

and hitting ISIL harder than ever,” Mr. Obama said, using a different acronym for the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS. “In Syria and Iraq, ISIL is losing territory, and we’re not going to stop until we destroy this terrorist organization.”

4. THE TRANS-PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP Obama: Trade deal critics are just “accepting a status quo” In October, Mr. Obama’s legacy-defining trade deal involving 12 Pacific Rim countries was sealed, with provisions to cut trade barriers, protect labor and environmental interests and ensure intellectual property rights. In his Saturday video, the president called the Trans-Pacific Partnership the “strongest, most pro-worker, proenvironment trade agreement in our history.”

3. BIPARTISAN BUDGET AND EDUCATION DEALS In an era where partisan bickering in Washington has reached a fever

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pitch, the president chose to highlight two bipartisan legislative achievements.

He pointed to a sweeping education overhaul of No Child Left Behind and a budget deal that avoided the threat of a government shutdown, calling them “a pair of Christmas miracles in Washington.”

2. THE LEGALIZATION OF SAME-SEX MARRIAGE “Love won,” the president said, referring to the Supreme Court’s landmark 5-4 decision that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry. “No matter who you are, here in America, you’re free to marry the person you love because the freedom to marry is now the law in all 50 states.”

1. “THE AMERICAN PEOPLE” “All of this progress is because of you -- because of workers rolling up their sleeves and getting the job done and entrepreneurs starting new businesses,” Mr. Obama said Saturday.

“Because of teachers and health workers and parents -- all of us taking care of each other. Because of our incredible men and women in uniform, serving to protect us all. Because, when we’re united as Americans, there’s nothing that we cannot do.”

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Source http://www.cbsnews.com/news/obamastop-10-accomplishments-according-to-obama/

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