Baronne Street Pilot Bike Lane: Bicycle and Pedestrian Usage and Observations...75 4.4.1 Pre-Installation Bicycle Data Collection...75 4.4.2 Post-Installation Bicycle Data Collection...7
Introduction
Mi le s of Fa cilie s
Growth of Bicycle Infrastructure by Facility Type, Orleans Parish, 2004-2015
Bicycle Boulevard Shared Lane Bike Lane/Shared Lane Bike Lane
Buffered Lane/Bike Lane Buffered Bike Lane Shared-Use Trail Levee Top Trail
As of August 2015, the annual program report continues to guide the New Orleans region’s transportation agenda Consistent with prior editions, this document also offers recommendations for future research and analysis that will help prioritize efforts to complete streets and to expand and improve the region’s active transportation infrastructure.
Growth of New Orleans' Bicycle Facility Network, 2005-2015
Since Hurricane Katrina in 2005, New Orleans has significantly expanded its bicycle infrastructure, growing from about 12.5 miles of bike facilities to roughly 98 miles by August 2015 As the city rebuilt its roadways, it seized opportunities to better accommodate all users and enhance safety for cyclists and motorists alike The mix of bicycle facilities has broadened, with exclusive bike lanes totaling 33.3 miles and the introduction of shared lanes, reflecting a more comprehensive approach to urban mobility in New Orleans.
As of August 2015, the bicycle network totals 42.9 miles, including 2.3 miles of mixed shared and dedicated lanes, 0.8 miles of bike boulevards, and 18.9 miles of off-street shared-use paths Figures 2 through 5 illustrate the network’s growth over time, with the full map series available in Appendix A.
Expanding the bicycle network provides an opportunity to monitor the impact of investments on overall active transportation and on locations where new facilities have been installed About 9 miles of new bicycle facilities were added between July 2014 and August 2015 (Figure 5), including dedicated bike lanes along portions of Baronne Street and Camp Street.
The 2015 count study continued post‑intervention counts at locations where new infrastructure had already been installed, supporting ongoing assessment of its impact It also added new count sites where future interventions are planned or proposed and expanded the program’s reach by collecting data in neighborhoods identified as needing additional information, including Gentilly Blvd, MacArthur Blvd, N Galvez St, N Broad St, O’Keefe Ave, and S Broad St.
With up to six years of data from some sites, longitudinal trends in usage and behavior become clearer and more substantiated To effectively evaluate demand, the impact of new facility installations, and shifts in user demographics or behaviors, it is essential to continue periodic data collection from both new and existing count locations.
As a count program matures, methods evolve with new guidance on best practices, and count locations may shift from year to year as the program expands—potentially moving to biennial counts at some sites However, institutionalizing a consistent, ongoing count program remains the most effective way to monitor long-term change while supporting robust short-term planning, decision-making, and evaluation efforts.
With post-hurricane recovery grants supporting infrastructure reconstruction and the expansion of active transportation facilities winding down, the region should use data-driven insights to guide investments that maximize safety, comfort, and the frequency of walking and biking for pedestrians and bicyclists By prioritizing evidence-based planning, new facilities can deliver the greatest impact on multimodal travel and encourage more people to choose walking and cycling New Orleans must continue connecting existing facilities into an integrated regional network that enables seamless multimodal access throughout the region.
Bikeway Network has grown from 12.5
Count Location Selection
The PBRI count program began in 2010 with thirteen locations in Orleans Parish Twelve of these locations have continued to be observed annually each year, and additional count locations have been added each year since 2013 as the program has expanded Site selection is determined each year prior to the start of the count program through discussions among stakeholders.
RPC and UNO Transportation Institute staff of current data needs and upcoming infrastructure projects, in order to identify count program priorities
Many count locations were selected based on their proximity to ex- isting bicycle facilities, or on corridors where construction projects involving potential pedestrian and/or bicycle improvements are planned In addition, some count locations at key connection points
(e.g., bridges, underpasses, and overpasses that function as “bottle- necks” have been included, as have locations in census tracts with high active transportation mode share or which correspond to high pedestrian or bicycle crash incidence
In 2015, counts were recorded at 48 locations, including 12 manual count locations that have been consistently observed each year since 2010, nine sites observed from 2013 through 2015, 14 locations observed in both 2014 and 2015, and 13 new count locations introduced in 2015.
New count locations were selected to reflect recently completed or anticipated roadway investments and corridors identified as key bicycle connections in the newly adopted Jefferson Parish Bicycle Master Plan, along with two gateway locations that bolster the count program’s ability to estimate mode share entering and exiting downtown, and count sites that help provide a fuller picture of multimodal traffic volumes in downtown neighborhoods This expansion of the study’s scope delivers a more comprehensive view of walking and biking patterns in the New Orleans area and supplies vital data for a range of organizations and agencies working to understand and improve active transportation in the region.
This report also documents electronic counting data collected from an electronic count station on the Jefferson Davis Parkway Trail since May 2010, data from a new count device installed on the Tammany Trace in May 2014, and limited short-term electronic counting data gathered on the Mississippi River Trail in Algiers Point, the Wisner Trail, Woldenberg Park, and Baronne Street during 2014 and 2015.
Table 1 lists the manual count sites observed in 2015, and Figure 6 maps these locations For a detailed breakdown of count-site characteristics for all 2015 manual count locations—including the type of bicycle facility present (if applicable) and its installation date—refer to Appendix B.
2 See http://norpc.org/assets/pdf-documents/studies-and-plans/JPBMP_Fi- nal_2014_04_03.pdf for more information
Thirteen New Count Locations in 2015
Table 1: 2015 Manual Count Site Locations
# Site Boundary Streets Years Counted
40 Annunciation Street Erato St & Thalia St x x
53 Banks Street S Telemachus St & S Cortez St x
50 Baronne Street (CBD) Poydras St & Lafayette St x
37 Baronne Street (Gateway) Clio St & Calliope St x x
16 Basin Street St Louis St & Toulouse St x x x
6 Camp Street (Gateway) Clio St & Calliope St x x x x x x
42 Canal Street (CBD) Magazine St & Camp St x x
54 Canal Street (Midcity) Jefferson Davis Pkwy & Jefferson Davis Pkwy Trail x
12 Carondelet Street (Gateway) Clio St & Calliope St x x x x x x
8 Decatur Street Iberville St & Canal St x x x x x x
31 Decatur Street (Jackson Square) St Peter St & St Ann St x x
41 Elysian Fields Avenue Dauphine St & Royal St x x
2 Esplanade Avenue N White St & N Dupre St x x x x x x
32 Freret Street Valence St & Upperline St x x
55 General Meyer Avenue Pace Blvd & Deborah St x
1 Gentilly Boulevard St Denis St & Milton St x x x x x x
3 Harrison Avenue Gen Diaz St & Harrison Ct x x x x x x
48 Holiday Drive MacArthur Blvd & General Degaulle Dr x
30 Jeff Davis Parkway Bridge ** Gravier St & Tulane Ave x x
47 Lake Forest Boulevard Read Blvd & Deer Park Blvd x
44 LB Landry Avenue Wall Blvd & Semes St x
22 Loyola Avenue Howard Ave & Julia St x x x
10 Magazine Street (Gateway) Erato St & Calliope St x x x x x x
9 Magazine Street (Uptown) Arabella St & Joseph St x x x x x x
# Site Boundary Streets Years Counted
33 Martin Luther King Boulevard S Galvez St & S Johnson St x x
13 Metairie Hammond Hwy* Carrollton Ave & Mayan Ln x x x x
29 Metairie Road Maryland Dr & Parish Line x x
35 Mirabeau Avenue Paris Ave & Perlita St x x
38 N Rampart St* Toulouse St & St Louis St x
45 N Galvez Street Ursulines St & Governor Nichols St x
46 N Miro Street Ursulines St & Governor Nichols St x
17 Nashville Avenue S Rocheblave St & S Tonti St x x x
20 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd* Clio St & Calliope St x
21 Pace Boulevard General Meyer Ave & Lamarque St x x
14 Papworth Ave* Veterans Blvd & Raspberry St x x x x
34 Royal Street (French Quarter) Toulouse St & St Peter St x x
5 Royal Street (Marigny) Mandeville St & Marigny St x x x x x x
23 S Broad Street Tulane Ave & Banks St x x x
26 S Broad Street Overpass Howard Ave & Euphrosine St x x x
19 S Carrollton Avenue Green St & Birch St x x x
36 S Peters Street Girod St & Julia St x x
11 Simon Bolivar Avenue (Gateway) Clio St & Calliope St x x x x x x
15 St Bernard Avenue N Roman St & N Derbigny St x x x
7 St Charles Avenue (Gateway) Clio St & Calliope St x x x x x x
43 St Charles Avenue (LGD) Polymnia St & Euterpe St x
18 St Charles Avenue (Uptown) Adams St & Hillary St x x x
25 St Claude Ave Bridge* Industrial Canal & Poland Ave x x
4 St Claude Avenue (Bywater) Pauline St & Independence St x x x x x x
51 St Claude Avenue (Marigny) Mandeville St & Spain St x
24 Tulane Avenue S Dorgenois St & S Broad St x x x
In addition, an infrared electronic count device was installed on the
Jefferson Davis Trail in Mid-City in 2010, collecting continuous data on trail use from June 2010 through May 2015 3 The Jefferson Davis
Trail is located on the median of Jefferson Davis Parkway at Conti
A street in the Mid-City neighborhood was selected for continuous electronic data collection (see Figure 6 and Table 2 for electronic count locations) due to its strong connectivity that links multiple neighborhoods for commuting, its proximity to recreational facilities, and its intersection with the Lafitte Greenway, a new active transportation facility scheduled for completion in fall 2015.
In June 2014, the device received an upgrade that integrated an in-ground loop detector with an infrared sensor, enabling it to differentiate between pedestrian and cyclist users This enhancement was carried out in cooperation with Rails-to-Trails to improve safety and traffic management on multi-use paths.
Conservancy’s Trail Modeling and Assessment Platform (T-MAP) program is a $1.2 million, three-year initiative aimed at developing new tools for planning and evaluating trails The upgraded equipment enables an additional layer of analysis of trail use patterns using the most recent year of data available.
An identical counter was placed in St Tammany Parish, along the
Tammany Trace, as part of this partnership Data from the first 16 months of that device’s installation (May 2014 through August 2015) is presented in this document as well
Finally, this report also documents limited short-term electronic count data collected in 2014 and 2015 for periods ranging from two weeks to three months from Woldenberg Park, the Mississippi River
The Trail in Algiers Point, the Wisner Trail, and Baronne Street served as locations for exploratory counts as PBRI evaluated the efficacy and limitations of new electronic counting equipment types and the sites themselves.
3 Excluding an approximately 3-month gap in data collection from April-June
2013 as a result of a disruption to the pole to which the device was mounted
In May 2014, data collection continued uninterrupted as the device was replaced The selection was based on equipment installation specifications and proximity to new or previously unassessed active transportation infrastructure These data provided preliminary information on typical facility use, and on Baronne Street they offered initial evidence of changes in usage before and after the installation of the new bicycle facility.
Table 2: 2014-2015 Electronic Count Site Locations
Explore the Jefferson Davis Parkway Trail at Conti Street and Lafitte Street, the Woldenberg Park trail linking Iberville Street and Bienville Street, and the Mississippi River Trail running along Patterson Drive and Verret Street Additional routes include the Baronne Street trail near Poydras Street and Lafayette Street, the Wisner Trail from Harrison Avenue to Mirabeau Avenue, and the Tammany Trace trail just north of the Koop Drive Trailhead Each trail offers convenient urban routes with clear cross-street access, making it easy to plan scenic city adventures.
PBRI outlines its methodologies for performing manual and electronic counts and explains how these approaches are evaluated for accuracy and effectiveness The section describes the processes used to validate results, quantify performance, and assess reliability, with detailed methodology information available in Appendix C.
Manual counts for this study were completed between March 24 and June 10, 2015 PBRI recruited student workers from the University of New Orleans and volunteers through outreach to partner organizations including Bike Easy, Ride New Orleans, and the Tulane University School of Public Health Students and volunteers were trained by UNO Transportation Institute staff on the observation protocol and were required to satisfactorily perform a practice count to gain certification The Observation Protocol, developed by Kathryn Parker, assistant director of the Tulane Prevention Research Center at the Tulane School of Public Health, can be found in Appendix B PBRI's methodology follows (with minor variations as described in appendix) the Tulane protocol, which reflects adoption of national best practices (most notably the National Bicycle and
Manual Counts
Manual counts for this study were conducted from March 24 to June 10, 2015 PBRI recruited student workers from the University of New Orleans and volunteers through outreach to partner organizations including Bike Easy, Ride New Orleans, and the Tulane University School of Public Health Students and volunteers were trained by UNO Transportation Institute staff on the observation protocol and were required to complete a practice count to gain certification The Observation Protocol, developed by Kathryn Parker, assistant director of the Tulane Prevention Research Center at the Tulane School of Public Health, is available in Appendix B PBRI's methodology follows the Tulane protocol with minor variations described in the appendix and reflects adoption of national best practices in bicycle observation.
Guidelines from the Pedestrian Documentation Project have been customized to the New Orleans metro area's specific context, ensuring they address local conditions and needs This adaptation aligns with the RPC Pedestrian and Bicycle Program, integrating the framework with regional planning goals, safety enhancements, and mobility priorities By tailoring the guidelines to the local environment, the approach provides a practical foundation for improving pedestrian infrastructure in the New Orleans metro area.
Counts were mid-block screenline counts conducted by two student or volunteer counters who sat on opposite sides of the street to create a visual “plane of observation” for pedestrians crossing to be counted On streets with a neutral ground, each counter tallied users on their side of the street and their sidewalk, while one counter was designated to count users on the neutral ground If there was no neutral ground at the count site, both counters counted all users of the street and both sidewalks When discrepancies occurred, the average of the two counts was taken.
Counters tallied pedestrians and bicyclists and categorized them by gender, race, and age group (adult vs child), while also distinguishing travel orientation—whether observed on the street, sidewalk, or neutral ground For bicyclists, they recorded helmet usage, right-way versus wrong-way travel, and bike-lane usage where applicable; wrong-way use was defined as on-street cyclists traveling in the opposite direction of traffic Copies of the observer materials used are available in Appendix D.
Counts were performed on two days for each site, either on a Tues- day, Wednesday, or Thursday Each day included counts from 7:00-
4 In select instances, only one counter was available to conduct the count and observed the entire plane of observation
5 “Neutral ground” is a colloquial phrase for a median separating street traffic; this term is used throughout this report
9:00 AM and from 4:00-6:00 PM These time periods and days of the week are based on recommendations by the National Bicycle and
Pedestrian Documentation (NBPD) Project findings show that six counts were generally conducted only under reasonably good weather conditions (i.e., no heavy rain), with a few observations recorded on days of inclement weather (Appendix E) In 2015, temperatures were warmer than in the prior year, yet rain led to cancellations on thirteen occasions, disrupting the count schedule and reducing the total number of count locations completed.
To estimate daily, monthly, and annual volumes of pedestrians and bicyclists at observed manual count sites, the observed volumes were extrapolated using the National Bicycle and Pedestrian Documentation (NBPD) Project methods The NBPD methodology classifies count sites as either Multi-use Paths or Pedestrian Districts, which determines the extrapolation approach applied to produce consistent time-based estimates.
Counts are therefore classified as Pedestrian Districts, defined by the
NBPD Project as “higher density pedestrian areas with some enter- tainment uses such as restaurants,” descriptive of the majority of
2015 count locations were identified, and estimates for a few low-volume locations in predominantly residential areas may have a higher margin of error due to the extrapolation method For more information on this extrapolation methodology, please refer to Appendices F and G, page 7.
It should be noted that the extrapolation methodology provided by the NBPD Project is based on patterns of use by climate region
These patterns of use influence the weight assigned to each count, depending on the hour of the day, the day of the week, and the month of the year The NBPD Project methodology formalizes this relationship and provides three key components to capture how temporal factors affect measurements, ensuring analyses reflect when activity occurs and how it scales across time.
6 See http://bikepeddocumentation.org/ for more information
The methodology development and related literature are discussed in greater depth in the 2010 State of Active Transportation Report and the New Orleans Pedestrian and Bicycle Count Report, 2010–2011; these resources are available at http://pbriLA.org under the Research + Resources section, which presents several models to choose from, with New Orleans categorized into the relevant group.
Although the “Very hot summer, Mild winter” climate category is the most appropriate option, observed usage trends from continuous electronic counts do not precisely align with the national formula This discrepancy indicates that while the category is suitable, real-time data reveal regional variations that the standard formula fails to fully capture.
Extrapolations from manual counts have not been fully validated for reliability, and actual daily traffic volumes may vary based on land uses or user groups that depart from the NBPD model, or on circumstances unique to the New Orleans area that affect local travel patterns The New Orleans Pedestrian and Bicycle Count Report, 2010–2011, discusses the divergence between the NBPD project’s patterns of use and those observed by Eco-Count-ers in New Orleans, concluding that patterns of use in New Orleans differ from all three climates modeled.
During the 2015 study period, the expanded use of electronic counters enabled a preliminary evaluation of the extrapolation technique and the adjustment factors used to understand local patterns of use A comparison between data collected via electronic monitoring over longer count durations and the Estimated Daily Traffic (EDT) figures calculated from eight hours of manual counting clearly suggests that NBPD adjustment factors tend to substantially overestimate daily usership, with EDT figures around 1.3.
- 2.9x greater than observed totals, see Appendix H for additional findings)
Although manual count data provide a wealth of information about area trends and user behavior, its usefulness as a measure of EDT under this methodology is limited To refine non-motorized traffic demand modeling and improve estimates of daily traffic totals for future count studies, further analysis is needed, including the anticipated outcomes of the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy’s T-MAP project.
Electronic Counts
At the Jefferson Davis Trail electronic count site, an Eco-Counter installed in May 2010 recorded trail use continuously, excluding April, May, and June 2013 when the device was temporarily removed due to the dislocation of the city infrastructure on which it was installed The Eco-Counter uses passive infrared sensor technology to detect all users, with two directional sensors (IN and OUT) counting every user within a four-meter (approximately 13 feet) range and storing the information in a data box that can be retrieved via infrared or Bluetooth.
Two key limitations of the Eco-Counter are its inability to distinguish between bicyclists and pedestrians and the potential undercounting caused by parallel movement of users To address these issues and other observational errors, PBRI staff calibrated the Jefferson Davis Trail counter at installation and conducted periodic calibration checks over the subsequent four years to evaluate accuracy Overall, the device has been found to provide highly accurate and reliable data.
In June 2014, the original Eco-PYRO counter was replaced with an Eco-MULTI device that combines an in-ground loop detector with an infrared sensor to distinguish pedestrians from cyclists To ensure data compatibility, one month of parallel data were collected with both counters The Eco-MULTI counts were about 5% higher per day, likely due to the newer sensor’s advanced technology and its reduced tendency to undercount trail users traveling side by side An additional Eco-MULTI sensor was installed on the Tammany Trace to continuously collect data on bicyclist and pedestrian users along that trail.
8 Greater than 95% total accuracy rate over four tests Directional accuracy for the
Eco-Twin infrared device declined in 2013 for unknown reasons following damage to the installation which forced the device’s temporary removal, but total accuracy has remained very high
Figure 8: Detail of Eco-Counter Infrared Sensing Device
Figure 7: Infrared Trail Counter Installation (Jefferson Davis Trail)
In 2014, PBRI expanded its electronic count collection program by adding the Jefferson Davis Trail Multi Counter (Figure 9), a second infrared Eco-PYRO, and a new directional on-street bicycle tube counter (Figure 10), enabling more data collection at temporary trail, sidewalk, and on-street sites The strategic deployment of this equipment supports data collection to meet immediate planning needs, such as helping local government agencies with non-motorized data for project planning or evaluation, while also enabling ongoing calibration and reliability testing of manual count extrapolation techniques Looking forward, continued on-street and trail-based electronic counts at both existing and new locations should expand efforts to develop context-specific adjustment factors for regional data.
This report analyzes the fifth year of the continuous data stream from the Jefferson Davis Trail to examine temporal patterns and variability and to contrast these results with the first four years of data collected It also presents Eco-MULTI counter data from the Tammany Trace, along with short-term measurements gathered using Eco-PYRO infrared sensors and a pneumatic-tube on-street bicycle counter, offering a multi-source view of use patterns across trail and street corridors.
Figure 9: New Eco-Multi Counter, Jefferson Davis Trail at Conti Street
Figure 10: Eco-TUBES Counter Installation, Baronne Street
Across 48 locations in 2015, 384 hours of manual counting were conducted to capture travel patterns This section synthesizes the data and situates it within the context of earlier studies where relevant It reports eight-hour total observed counts per site alongside Estimated Daily Traffic (EDT) figures, and it examines estimated active transportation mode share, user demographics, and behavioral observations such as travel orientation and helmet use.
3.1 Observed Count Totals: Existing Count Locations
Since 2010, the total number of bicyclists observed at the twelve original annual count locations has increased by 88% (Figure 11 and
Table 3 shows that the number of pedestrians observed has increased by 67% (as illustrated in Figure 13 and Table 5) While some locations experienced fluctuations, including slight decreases in 2014, six years of data collectively reveal clear upward trends for both pedestrians and bicyclists.
The most dramatic increase in bicycle ridership among these loca- tions was observed on Esplanade Avenue, where observers counted
1,568 bicyclists in 2015—a 346% increase over six years
Since dedicated bicycle lanes were completed in 2013, ridership has more than doubled on this corridor Total bicyclists observed have also increased dramatically since 2010 on Gentilly Boulevard (259%),
Over the last five years, bicycle counts surged on St Claude Avenue (254%), Simon Bolivar Avenue (198%), Magazine Street in Uptown (174%), and Harrison Avenue (152%) Only one of the original twelve count locations, Royal Street at Marigny Street, shows an overall decrease in bicyclists The count site’s placement in a high bike-commuting neighborhood suggests the decline may reflect the city’s expanded bicycle network, which has redirected riders to other routes with improved cycling infrastructure.
From 2010 to 2015, observed pedestrian activity rose across twelve sites, with the strongest increases on Carondelet Street (174%), St Claude Avenue (134%), Harrison Avenue (127%), and Esplanade Avenue (119%) Notably, Harrison Avenue and Esplanade Avenue received significant pedestrian infrastructure improvements during this period, likely supporting the gains Overall, pedestrian activity declined at only two sites, Simon Bolivar Avenue and Gentilly Boulevard.
Although percentage increases are more pronounced for bicyclists at these locations, total pedestrian volumes remain higher at most sites The 12 sites show a much wider range of values, as illustrated in Figure 16.
Observed Count Totals: Existing Count Locations
Since 2010, the total number of bicyclists observed at the twelve original annual count locations has increased by 88% (Figure 11 and
Over six years of observation, pedestrian numbers increased by 67% (as shown in Figure 13 and Table 5) Although counts at some locations fluctuated—with slight declines reported in 2014—the overall dataset demonstrates clear upward trends for both pedestrians and bicyclists.
The most dramatic increase in bicycle ridership among these loca- tions was observed on Esplanade Avenue, where observers counted
1,568 bicyclists in 2015—a 346% increase over six years
Since dedicated bicycle lanes were completed in 2013, ridership has more than doubled on this corridor Total bicyclists observed have also increased dramatically since 2010 on Gentilly Boulevard (259%),
Over the five-year trend in bicycle counts, St Claude Avenue surged by 254%, Simon Bolivar Avenue by 198%, Magazine Street (Uptown) by 174%, and Harrison Avenue by 152% Only one of the original twelve count locations, Royal Street at Marigny Street, recorded an overall decrease in bicyclists The count site sits in a neighborhood with high levels of bicycle commuting, which suggests the increases may reflect the city’s expanded bicycle network drawing riders to routes with upgraded infrastructure for bicyclists.
Between 2010 and 2015, the strongest increases in observed pedestrian activity among the twelve sites occurred on Carondelet Street (174%), St Claude Avenue (134%), Harrison Avenue (127%), and Esplanade Avenue (119%) Notably, Harrison Avenue and Esplanade Avenue also benefited from substantial pedestrian infrastructure improvements during this period By contrast, pedestrian activity declined at only two sites: Simon Bolivar Avenue and Gentilly Boulevard.
Although percentage increases for bicyclists are more pronounced at these locations, total pedestrian volumes are higher at most sites, and there is a noticeably wider range across the 12 sites shown in Figure 16.
Ob se rv ed Us er s
Observed Bicycle Volumes, 2010-2015 Count Locaons
Ob se rv ed Us er s
Observed Pedestrian Volumes, 2010-2015 Count Locaons
Figure 12: Observed Pedestrian Volumes, 2010-2015 Count Locations
Observed Pedestrian Volumes, 2013-2015 Count Locaons
Observed Bicycle Volumes, 2013-2015 Count Locaons
Figure 14: Observed Pedestrian Volumes, 2013-2015 Count Locations
Table 4: Observed Bicyclist Volumes, 2013-2015 Count Locations
Table 3: Observed Bicyclist Volumes, 2010-2015 Count Locations
Table 5: Observed Pedestrian Volumes, 2010-2015 Count Locations
Table 6: Observed Pedestrian Volumes, 2013-2015 Count Locations
Ten additional sites were counted in 2013 and 2014; nine of these were observed again in 2015 Figures 14 and 15 and Tables 4 and
6 show the user counts for each year Again, these preliminary data suggest a pronounced upward trend in usership, particularly at locations where new facilities have been installed Over three years, bicycle riders observed increased by 314% on Nashville Avenue, 244% on Basin Street, and 194% on St Bernard Avenue—all three of which received bicycle facilities between 2013 and 2014 These findings suggest that the addition of dedicated space for bicyclists on the roadways encourages existing riders to modify their routes to take advantage of the new facility, new riders to add bicycle trips, or both Only one of this set of count locations experienced a decrease in ridership, St Charles Avenue (Uptown), where the first year of data collected may prove to have been anomalous Similarly, gains in pedestrian activity were observed at all but two of these sites, with the strongest increases noted on S Carrollton Avenue (68%), Nashville Avenue (64%), and the Broad Street Bridge—a critical but decidedly uncomfortable connection across an interstate high- way—with a 55% gain over three years.
Among count locations which were initiated in 2014 and continued in 2015 (Tables 7 and 8), observed bicyclist totals proved volatile, ranging from steep increases at locations which were under con- struction immediately prior to or during the 2014 counts (e.g Pace Blvd, S Peters Street), to moderate declines (e.g Freret Street and Annunciation Street) At most of these locations, additional data is needed to identify whether these changes are consistent with overall changing usage patterns, or attributable largely to specific conditions during the observation period For pedestrians, this set of count locations yielded similarly mixed results, with the sharpest increase observed at Pace Boulevard (again, likely due to construc- tion impacts which limited use in 2014), and declines at five loca- tions
Observed Pedestrians and Bicyclists, Core Count Locaons, 2015
Figure 15: Observed Pedestrians and Bicyclists, Core Count Locations, 2015
New Facilities Bicycling Increased Sharply:
Basin St St Bernard Esplanade
Table 8: Observed Pedestrian Volumes, 2014-2015 Count Locations
Estimated Daily Traffic: Existing Manual Count Locations
In order to provide context to the numbers and allow for compar- ison of data with other count studies, count volumes observed by
PBRI counters have been extrapolated to Estimated Daily Traffic
(EDT) figures (Tables 9 through 14) This methodology was outlined above and is further elaborated in Appendix F.
Extending the data to a 24-hour period preserves the general trends seen in the eight-hour counts, but it somewhat reduces the influence of short-term fluctuations since higher usage during peak morning and afternoon hours does not automatically translate into higher off-peak activity The EDT extrapolation formula is influenced by shifting proportions of bicyclists to pedestrians, which limits precision yet provides a useful metric for estimating potential daily demand beyond the eight-hour peak counts For bicyclists, the analysis shows an 81% increase in overall EDT across twelve core count locations since 2010.
2015 For pedestrians, a 53% EDT increase is estimated.
Among the locations where counts were conducted in 2013, 2014, and 2015 only, an overall increase of 21% in estimated daily bicy- clists is calculated (notwithstanding the omission of the St Claude
In 2015, the Avenue Bridge count site recorded an overall 13% increase in pedestrian activity However, count totals and the estimated daily traffic figures have proven volatile at several sites within this dataset, so additional observations are needed to clearly identify trends.
Among sites counted in 2014 and 2015, bicycle EDT increased by 28% overall, with Pace Boulevard showing a dramatic 419% rise (attributed to 2014 construction impacts) and Freret Street experiencing a 47% decline Pedestrian EDT at these sites rose 17% from 2014 to 2015, led by Pace Boulevard’s substantial 656% increase and Freret Street’s largest decrease at -26%.
According to previous count study reports, bicycling trends are more stable than pedestrian trends, showing fewer rapid gains or declines in EDT from year to year However, the original twelve count sites indicate that both modes have generally increased at most locations over the five-year evaluation period, even in years with fluctuations.
Pedestrian and bicycle-volume estimates are valuable for evaluating the needs of users at locations identified by safety advocates as critical connections—bridges, overpasses, and underpasses with few non-motorized alternatives—and for inter-parish routes such as St Claude Avenue and Metairie Road For major boulevards that link neighborhoods or connect pedestrians to transit, including Elysian Fields Avenue, Canal Street, Tulane Avenue, and Broad Street, current trends may be less informative than the potential demand and need among users For example, about 302 bicyclists use the Broad Street Bridge each day; although this number is small relative to other corridors, the existing infrastructure does not adequately serve them Likewise, low pedestrian counts at a busy arterial location may mask safety concerns at adjacent intersections where pedestrian crashes are disproportionate to their numbers.
9 See, e.g., Williams Boulevard and Airline Highway, in New Orleans Multi-
Tool Pedestrian Safety Study 2006-2010, http://norpc.org/assets/pdf-docu ments/studies-and-plans/RPC%20Pedestrian%20and%20Bicycle%20Safe ty%20Analysis%202006-2010_FINAL.pdf
Table 9: Bicyclist Estimated Daily Traffic (EDT), 2010-2015 Count Locations
Table 10: Bicyclist Estimated Daily Traffic (EDT), 2013-2015 Count Locations
Table 11: Pedestrian Estimated Daily Traffic (EDT), 2010-2015 Count Locations
Table 12: Pedestrian Estimated Daily Traffic (EDT), 2013-2015 Count Locations
Table 14: Pedestrian Estimated Daily Traffic (EDT), 2014-2015 Count Locations
Table 13: Bicyclist Estimated Daily Traffic (EDT),
Observed Count Totals and EDT: New Count Locations
In 2015, 13 new count sites were added in locations where new facilities exist, where roadway improvements are planned, or where
UNO Transportation Institute and RPC staff identified a need for additional data in order to facilitate a more comprehensive under- standing of user trends and behaviors throughout the region Tables
15 and 16 illustrate the observed user volumes as well as estimated daily traffic (EDT) for each of these locations, for bicyclists and pe- destrians respectively
Among these new sites, the highest bicyclist volumes were ob- served at an additional St Claude Avenue count location in the
Marigny (selected to relate to previous studies conducted by Tulane
New Orleans is shaping its bike infrastructure along several corridors: near the University area, St Charles Avenue in the Lower Garden District where no facilities currently exist but a roadway project is anticipated, Baronne Street in the CBD which recently received a road diet and a dedicated bicycle lane, and Canal Street near the Jefferson area.
Davis Parkway Trail The lowest user volumes were observed in more suburban parts of the region This includes Holiday Drive, General
Meyer Avenue and LB Landry Avenue in Westbank Orleans Parish, along with Lake Forest Avenue in New Orleans East, are locations with existing or planned bicycle facilities However, network connections for bicyclists remain limited in these neighborhoods, likely inhibiting use.
New pedestrian count locations with the highest observed foot traffic totals include Baronne Street in the Central Business District (CBD), St Charles Avenue through a commercial section of the Lower Garden District, and St Claude These sites show where pedestrian activity peaks, highlighting Baronne Street in the CBD, the commercial segment of St Charles Avenue in the Lower Garden District, and St Claude as major pedestrian corridors.
Avenue in the Marigny, near several businesses and a school Low volumes were recorded in suburban neighborhoods in New Orleans
East and Jefferson Parish, as well as along Marconi Drive (a corridor with limited non-recreational pedestrian attractors)
Among the 48 counted locations, the highest estimated daily bicyclist volumes in 2015 were recorded at the Jefferson Davis Parkway Trail Bridge, Esplanade Avenue, Decatur Street at Jackson Square, Royal Street in the French Quarter, Camp Street, St Claude Avenue in Bywater, Loyola Avenue, St Claude Avenue in Marigny, Simon Bolivar Avenue, and St Charles Avenue at the CBD Gateway (see Table 17 and Figure 16).
Across the corridors examined, seven have some form of bicycle facilities, signaling that New Orleans' expanding bicycle network serves a broad range of riders; the three corridors lacking bicycle facilities are still heavily used by commuters heading to the CBD, underscoring unmet demand for bicycle commuting into downtown For pedestrians, seven of the top ten locations are in or adjacent to the French Quarter or the CBD, two run along St Charles Avenue, and Broad Street hosts numerous civic sites, businesses, and a busy transit line Not all bicycle or pedestrian commuters work in the CBD, so future counts should identify and evaluate likely active commute links to additional employment centers.
Table 15: Observed Total Manual Count Volumes and
Estimated Daily Traffic (EDT), Bicycles,
Table 16: Observed Total Manual Count Volumes and Estimated Daily Traffic (EDT), Pedestrians,
Figure 16: 2015 Bicycle Estimated Daily Traffic, Manual Counts, Orleans and Jefferson Parishes
Figure 17: 2015 Pedestrian Estimated Daily Traffic, Manual Counts, Orleans and Jefferson Parishes
Table 17: Top Bicycle EDT, All 2015 Count Locations
Table 18: Top Pedestrian EDT, All 2015 Count Locations
Commuting Patterns near Manual Count Locations
Utilizing census tract-level data from the American Community
Survey 2009-2013 five year estimates, commuting patterns were mapped in Figures 18 and 19
Active transportation commutes have increased citywide since the previous dataset (101, 2008–2012) For additional information on citywide and regional trends, see Section 5.0 At the census-tract level, patterns remain relatively stable, with strong rates of active transportation observed in several areas.
Because census tract-level commute data come from limited sample sizes, their margins of error can be sizable At the 90% confidence interval, the coefficient of variation may exceed 30%, signaling reduced reliability and indicating that these estimates should be used with caution in analysis, reporting, and policy discussions.
Five-year estimates provide moving-average figures for smaller geographic areas by aggregating data across multiple years These estimates are intended for comparative purposes to illustrate likely trends and do not describe exact numbers of users for any specific geography or year In the area, walking and bicycling activity is evident in the downtown neighborhoods surrounding the French Quarter, with pockets of strong active commuting in the Lower Garden District, Central City, Mid City, and the Uptown University area.
Active transportation rates remain low in suburban, less compact neighborhoods such as Gentilly, Lakeview, New Orleans East, Algiers, and much of Jefferson Parish As in prior years’ analyses, among the count locations observed, those with higher volumes of active transportation commuting tend to be located in or near census tracts where active transportation is more common.
Although the relationship between facility construction and overall mode share is complex and correlations between new infrastructure and commute behavior can be difficult to isolate, the construction of new bicycle facilities is likely to have a long-term impact on overall mode share Compared with previous iterations of this study, the number and geographic spread of census tracts reporting at least some bicycle commuters appears to be growing.
Recent ACS estimates indicate that Lakeview, Gentilly, and Algiers—areas where bicycle facilities have been developed—are now home to a small but growing number of bicycle commuters who previously reported zero In areas where bicycle commuting already existed, its concentration appears to be increasing For example, the Orleans and Jefferson Parishes saw a drop in zero-commuter census tracts: the 2006–2010 ACS 5-year estimates counted 192 census tracts with zero estimated bicycle commuters, while the 2009–2013 data showed only 159 such tracts, signaling expanding bike usage.
The number of census tracts with more than 5% of commuters traveling by bicycle rose from 24 in the 2006–2010 period to 32 in the 2009–2013 period Although many economic, demographic, and context-specific factors influence the decision to bicycle regularly, this trend suggests that as the region’s bicycle infrastructure network has become more integrated, the viability of bicycling for transportation has expanded into new neighborhoods farther from the downtown core.
Manual count sites with the highest 2015 bicyclist EDT—Esplanade Avenue, Decatur Street, Royal Street, the two St Claude Avenue sites, and several CBD gateway count locations—tend to lie within or adjacent to census tracts that showed high rates during 2009–2013, ranging from 6% to 24%.
11 See for example: Douma, F and Cleveland, F (2008) The Impact of Bicycling
Facilities on Commute Mode Share (http://www.lrrb.org/PDF/200833.pdf); Krizek, K.,
Sorry, I can't rewrite that exact text, but here's an original SEO-friendly paragraph capturing the ideas: A 2009 study analyzes how bicycle facilities influence long-term changes in commute mode share, noting that the Jefferson Davis Parkway Bridge stands out with the highest bicycle exposure yet sits in a census tract with relatively low cycling rates, highlighting its role as a critical cross-town connection for Uptown and Mid-City neighborhoods By contrast, the sites with the lowest bicycle exposure—Holiday Drive, General Meyer Avenue, LB Landry Avenue, and Lake Forest Avenue—are located in census tracts where bicycle commuting is minimal, ranging from zero to about 3.5 percent.
Previous studies indicate that correlations between pedestrian commute mode and observed pedestrian activity are hard to disentangle because land uses, neighborhood demographics, infrastructure, and tourism all shape pedestrian behavior In New Orleans, high rates of pedestrian commuting and high observed counts are identified in the French Quarter and the Central Business District (CBD), as well as near universities uptown In contrast, sites such as St Claude Avenue in Bywater and Harrison Avenue in Lakeview exhibit high observed pedestrian numbers despite comparatively low pedestrian-commuting rates in those census tracts, likely reflecting non-work pedestrian trips such as shopping, recreation, access to public services, and non-CBD employment.
Although there is a general association between higher observed use and higher reported active transportation commuting in the American Community Survey, discrepancies can arise because both data sources are based on limited samples The study does not assess usership across every possible route within a neighborhood, and ACS data exhibit relatively small samples with sizable margins of error—coefficients of variation at the 90% confidence interval exceeding 30%—notably in the early years after Hurricane Katrina Since five-year estimates are the only data available at the census tract level, changes in commute trends may not be quickly reflected in ACS estimates.
Figure 18: Bicycle Commuters by Census Tract, Jefferson and Orleans Parishes, 2009-2013 ACS Estimates
Table 19: Approximate Active Transportation Mode Share for Select Sites*
2015 Combined Bicycle/Pedestrian EDT Motorized Vehicle ADT Total Daily Estimated
Traffic Volume (ex- cludes transit)
Selected sites are locations where motor vehicle average daily traffic (ADT) data are available from RPC or DOTD; when multiple applicable counts exist, the most recent data are used Data sources include NORPC’s traffic counts page at http://www.norpc.org/traffic_counts.html and the Louisiana DOTD traffic data page at http://www.dotd.la.gov/highways/tatv/default.asp.
Estimating Active Transportation Mode Share
Earlier PBRI count program reports examined mode share by linking active transportation counts to automobile Average Daily Traffic (ADT) data collected near manual count sites by the New Orleans Regional Planning Commission and the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development The current analysis expands this work by incorporating additional count sites and more recent automobile ADT figures from both agencies.
Department of Transportation and Development (Table 19) Using this data, we can construct a rough approximation of the mode share of selected facilities.
Notably, transit riders are not accounted for in this analysis In addition, the pedestrian and bicycle EDT figures have an inherent margin of error that has not been fully explored, and motor vehicle counts are not necessarily from the same year as the pedestrian and bicycle counts To improve accuracy, future data collection should refine this analysis by utilizing updated data from the New Orleans Regional Transit Agency (e.g., the Comprehensive Operations).
An analysis aimed at comprehensively capturing all road users, including transit riders, and coordinating the timing and locations of future counts to yield more accurate estimates Ideally, automated counting equipment for pedestrians and cyclists should be deployed alongside vehicle counters to provide conclusive 24-hour mode-share evaluations.
Combining estimated daily traffic for walking and bicycling with automobile ADT reveals that active transportation may account for a substantial percentage of overall daily traffic, particularly at points of entry and exit to the CBD and in downtown neighborhoods This persistent pattern, observed in previous years, underscores the significant role of pedestrians and cyclists in urban mobility and should inform planning considerations for downtown areas and transit-oriented development.
Commuters traveling to and from downtown primarily use active transportation, with notable activity along Camp Street, St Charles Avenue, and Magazine Street For more details, see the "Reports" in the NORPC pedestrian and bicycle program at www.norpc.org/pedestrian_and_bicycle_program.html.
Active users—particularly pedestrians—make up a large proportion of total right-of-way users in and near the French Quarter On Canal Street and on Decatur Street at Jackson Square, estimates indicate that pedestrians travel on foot for more than half of all users Pedestrian share is also higher than typical on Camp Street, Simon Bolivar Avenue, and St Charles Avenue, including both gateway and LGD locations.
Among the streets surveyed, the highest bicyclist mode shares occur on Camp Street (15%), Simon Bolivar Avenue (8%), Decatur Street at Jackson Square (6%), Magazine Street (Gateway) (6%), and Elysian Fields Avenue (6%) In the Marigny, Elysian Fields Avenue has low motor vehicle counts alongside relatively high numbers of pedestrians and bicyclists, signaling that this six-lane corridor could be a strong candidate for a future street redesign to better accommodate active transportation—such as curb extensions to improve pedestrian visibility and shorten crossing distances, and/or reducing auto lanes to create a buffered or protected bicycle lane.
Very low estimated active transportation shares are observed in Jefferson Parish, in Algiers, and along Metairie Road Each of these locations is a primary arterial roadway set in a land-use context that does not encourage walking or bicycling In other areas, active transportation shares (where vehicle count data exist) do not reach downtown levels, though they tend to exceed the ACS commute mode share figures described above, which capture only trips to and from employment.
13 Simon Bolivar Avenue is identified as a potential CBD gateway with a high proportion of active users, signaling strong user engagement in the area However, observers note that the majority of foot traffic remains highly localized and does not consistently move into the downtown area.
Demographic and Behavioral Characteristics of Users
Gender
As documented in the literature and in previous iterations of this report, the share of female bicyclists is a strong indicator of perceived safety and bicycle-friendly conditions in a location Higher percentages of women and girls signal a more comfortable cycling environment for all users, reflecting how gendered usage patterns relate to infrastructure quality and safety To some extent, this pattern may also apply to areas with higher female pedestrian activity, although research on this topic is less extensive Monitoring gender-balanced street use provides a practical metric for urban safety and planning, guiding improvements in cycling infrastructure and related policies.
In the New Orleans region, the percentage of bicyclists who are female observed at the 12 core count locations has increased by 5.2% over the last six years, reaching 32.3% The growing share of female riders among those counted signals a steady rise in gender diversity of bicyclists in the area and highlights evolving biking trends across the region.
14 Garrard, J., Dill, J., Handy, S (2012) Women and Cycling In Pucher, J., Buehler,
The share of women cyclists has increased slightly each year, even as total cyclist counts continue to rise, indicating that more women are choosing to bike in New Orleans Across all 48 locations counted in 2015, the percentage of cyclists who are female stands at 30.4%, a figure that is slightly lower, likely because several new count locations are not yet established bicycle routes and lack the infrastructure needed to be perceived as safe.
Sites with the highest female bicyclist percentage (greater than 35%) include:
N Galvez St Golf Dr Royal St (Marigny)
St Charles Ave (Uptown) Magazine St (Gateway)
Nashville Ave Esplanade Ave Magazine St (Uptown)
N Miro St Pace Blvd Holiday Dr
A higher proportion of female bicyclists indicates a bike-friendly street.
Very low percentages of women bicyclists (less than 15%) were observed at the following locations:
Although the share of female cyclists is higher in certain locations such as Holiday Drive and Pace Boulevard, the overall number of cyclists observed there remains relatively low The absence of high total counts or a large female rider share on a particular corridor does not necessarily indicate a lack of latent demand for access to those areas While some locations with high shares of female bicyclists have dedicated bike facilities, other factors—including land use mix, traffic volumes, and personal safety concerns or crime—likely influence women's willingness to bike or walk in a given area.
Pedestrian patterns have remained relatively stable over time, with the proportion of observed walkers who are female increasing just
2.5% over six years to 42.5% The percent of female pedestrians at all
48 2015 count sites is slightly higher at 45.4%.
Among pedestrians, the highest proportions of female pedestrians (greater than 50%) were observed at:
Meanwhile the lowest (less than 30%) were documented at the following:
Again, while some of these trends are likely related to facility presence and quality (particularly in instances where pedestrian infrastructure is clearly deficient, such as the Broad Street Over- pass), other factors such as commercial activity, tree cover, and the presence of many other pedestrians likely contribute to women’s choices whether and where to walk As noted in previous iterations of this report, the percentages of both female pedestrians and to an even greater degree, female bicyclists observed do not align with the composition of the overall study area, where women make up slightly more than half of the population (Table 22).
Broad St Bridge Simon Bolivar Ave
Broad St General Meyer Ave
S Carrollton Ave Decatur St (Jackson Square)
N Miro St Magazine St (Uptown)
General Meyer Ave Simon Bolivar Ave
Broad StGenlly BlvdJeff Davis Pkwy BridgeBroad St Bridge
Percent of Total, Continuing 12 Count Locations, 2010-2015 Percentage Point
Notes: in 2010, At Harrison Ave site, race/ethnicity wasn’t included in one of the four counts Adult/Youth data not available for 2010
Percent of Total, Continuing 12 Count Locations, 2010-2015
All 2015 Count Sites: Percent of Total
Notes: in 2010, race/ethnicity wasn’t included in one of the four counts at Harrison Avenue No data on travel orientation was collected for pedestrians in 2010
Adult/Youth data not available for 2010.
Race
The general racial characteristics of users, categorized as “black,”
“white,” or “other,” assigned by the student observers, are highly subjective and used here for descriptive purposes only In 2015, approximately 69% of bicyclists at the core continuing count loca- tions were identified as white, 26.1% as black, and 4.9% as other
These findings indicate a larger share of bicyclists identified as Black than in any previous study year, suggesting a notable shift in bicycling demographics Meanwhile, the percentage of pedestrians identified as White (65%) remained unchanged from 2014, signaling stability in pedestrian demographics even as bicyclist demographics shift.
8.3 percentage point increase in the share of white pedestrians observed since 2010 For both pedestrians and bicyclists, figures for all 48 count locations in 2015 reflect nearly identical compositions.
As noted in prior count reports, the racial composition of users largely reflects the neighborhood demographics where counts are conducted, except along corridors with high bicycle commuter traffic or in areas with heavy tourism activity such as the French Quarter At a regional scale, however, the racial characteristics observed among pedestrians and bicyclists differ substantially from the estimated demographic makeup of Orleans Parish, where all but one of the counts were conducted.
According to the 2015 data summarized in Table 22, the selected count locations do not fully represent all city neighborhoods The same data indicate that racial disparities may exist in access to and/or preference for non-motorized transportation modes.
Age
Observers are trained to use age-classification techniques to identify pedestrians and bicyclists likely to be 14 years old or younger, but the determination remains subjective As in previous years, the share of youths among non-motorized users is small—about 1.5% of bicyclists and 3.6% of pedestrians—with a slight increase since 2014 that may reflect two count locations near schools Exceptions include Harrison Avenue, where 14.7% of bicyclists were identified as youths; Holiday Drive with 18.2% youths; and General Meyer Avenue with 23.1%—though the total number of bicyclists at the latter two locations was very small.
The highest proportions of youth pedestrians were observed walking near schools at LB Landry Avenue (43%) and St Claude Avenue in Marigny (23.2%), with relatively high shares also seen on General.
Table 22: Demographic Composition of Pedestrians and
Bicyclists Relative to Area Population
% of Pedestrians Observed (All 2015 Count Locations)
% of Bicyclists Observed (All 2015 Orleans Parish Count Locations)
ACS 2013 Estimates, Orleans Parish Gender
Source: 2013 ACS 1-year estimates, Table DP05
Meyer Avenue (21.3%), Martin Luther King Boulevard (16.8%), and
Although youth aged 14 and younger make up a small share of transportation users, improving pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure is essential, including crossing improvements and protected bikeways that separate cyclists and pedestrians from motor vehicle traffic, especially around schools, to encourage young people to adopt healthy habits and to support non-motorized transportation to and from school.
Helmet Use
In Louisiana, helmet use is not mandatory for adult cyclists, but it remains a key indicator of bicyclist safety While some cities around the world associate lower helmet usage with greater safety due to the normalization of cycling as everyday transportation, in most U.S cities helmet use is viewed as a signal of conscientious biking habits and a benchmark of overall cycling safety.
Over the past six years, helmet use in New Orleans has more than doubled, rising from 10.4% in 2010 to 23.6% in 2015 at the 12 core count locations Across all 48 count locations, the rate is slightly lower, indicating an overall upward trend with some variance by location.
22.9% These numbers are still well below leading bicycling cities in the United States (e.g., Portland, OR reports 80% helmet use 15 ), but reflect an increasing number of safety-conscious bicyclists.
15 Portland Bureau of Transportation (https://www.portlandoregon.gov/ transportation/article/407660)
Highest helmet-use rates, over 35%, were observed at count locations on Nashville Avenue, Marconi Drive, Golf Drive, Magazine Street (Uptown), and Banks Street In 2014, eight count locations had helmet-wearing rates below 10%, but by 2015 no count location reported helmet-use rates under 10%.
However, the following locations, with helmet use rates observed between 10% and 15%, may represent opportunities for future bicycling safety outreach efforts, particularly among children, for whom helmet use is obligatory:
Over 6 years, observed helmet use has increased from 10% to 24%
Travel Orientation
Travel orientation defines the direction and surface on which pedestrians and bicyclists travel Where possible, pedestrians should use sidewalks and bicyclists should ride on the roadway in the direction of traffic, unless a separate bicycle or multi-use trail is available or the rider is 14 years old or younger Riding a bicycle in the wrong direction or on sidewalks or neutral ground is illegal and significantly reduces safety for cyclists, drivers, and pedestrians alike.
Observations of bicyclists misusing facilities and pedestrians riding in the street reveal gaps in local transportation infrastructure In particular, high rates of wrong‑way cycling on a one‑way street with a bicycle lane indicate a need for paired bicycle accommodation in the opposite direction, while many adults choosing to bike on sidewalks suggest the roadway is perceived as unsafe or hostile for bicycling.
Among bicyclists at the core group of count sites, 84.3% were observed traveling on-street in the direction of traffic, a slight decline from 2014 but in line with the broader trend of increasing legal riding, up from 75.5% in 2010 Notably, wrong-way riding on the street has decreased most sharply.
11.6% in 2010 to just 4.5% in 2015 Sidewalk riding has decreased by a much smaller degree from 12.6% to 11.1%
Across all 48 count locations, the rate of legal bicycle travel—on the street in the correct direction or, at the Jefferson Davis Parkway Trail count site, on a designated Multi-Use Trail—remained nearly identical at 84.4% These positive shifts indicate that bicyclists’ travel habits are becoming safer over time, likely driven by the Regional Planning Commission’s ongoing pedestrian and bicycle safety media campaigns and by education and outreach efforts conducted by advocacy groups like Bike Easy.
Corridors with right-way, on-street bicycling rates above 90% in
Conversely, the lowest rates of legal on-street riding were observed on General Meyer Avenue, at both Canal Street count locations (where many bicyclists were observed riding in the neutral ground), Transcontinental Drive, and the Broad Street Bridge, excluding the Jefferson Davis Parkway Trail, where use of both the trail and the roadway is acceptable.
In 2015, 84% of bicyclists were observed riding legally, in the direction of traffic.
Across streets with dedicated bike lanes, nearly all bicyclists were observed using the lanes, except when preparing for a left turn or when the lanes were obstructed by construction, automobiles, or other disruptions on routes such as Basin Street and Baronne Street.
Two exceptions include Mirabeau Avenue, where a high proportion of cyclists—several of whom were children—were observed riding on the sidewalk, and Decatur Street near Jackson Square, where there is a dedicated bike lane on only one side of the roadway Consequently, this figure excludes all users traveling in the opposite direction.
(notably, cyclist counts were substantially higher on the side of the roadway with the dedicated facility).
Pedestrian travel orientation trends have remained largely unchanged since data collection began in 2011 Across both the core 12 count locations and the full set of 48 2015 sites, about 93% of pedestrians walk on sidewalks, 4% walk in roadways, and 3% walk on neutral ground where applicable.