Connect the 9

Connect the Nine is a group of Lower 9th Ward neighbors and local organizations in the Lower 9th Ward in New Orleans, Louisiana, who have been working for over a year to identify problems, develop solutions, and advocate for implementation of the serious, life-threatening conditions on the St. Claude Avenue Bridge for bicyclists and pedestrians. 

We are planning a Connect the Nine Community Bike Ride and Festival on Saturday, March 9th, from 10:30-3pm!

The ride will raise awareness about conditions on the bridge, offer free bicycle safety education, and advocate for equitable and safe transportation options for bikers and walkers!

We are raising money to fund our March 9th event, and cover the costs of venue rental, healthy food and beverages, printing, and the parade permit.  For more information, take a look at our budget page.

March 9th Bike Ride & Festival 

We will begin our ride at 10:30 a.m. at the Green Project, (2831 Marais), ride across the St. Claude Avenue Bridge to the Lower 9th Ward, stop at Bonart Playground (Forstall and Marais) to meet up with members of the media; the Make It Right houses; and Bayou Bienvenue (Florida at Caffin) before ending at the Lower 9th Ward Village (1001 Charbonnet) for a community festival!

The community festival will offer:

• "Bicycle Basics" community education workshop
• Basic bicycle repair station
• Connect the 9 petition signing
• Healthy food and beverages
• Community tabling opportunities 
• Bicycle light giveaway
• Personal stories photo/video booth

If you're local and plan to attend, visit http://bikeeasy.org/events/archives/885/ for more information and a route map.  To learn more about the Community Bicycle Workshop, visit http://bikeeasy.org/events/archives/886/, or email [email protected] to RSVP. 

Background 

The St. Claude Avenue Bridge, which spans the Inner Harbor Navigation Canal and connects the Upper and Lower Ninth Wards, is a hazardous connection for pedestrians and cyclists.  The Bridge is the only reasonable option for residents of the Lower 9th Ward to get across the Industrial Canal to the core of the city.

 These life-threatening infrastructure concerns include:

-Extremely narrow, unsafe road conditions for bicyclists 

-Poor lighting and safety concerns for walkers 

-Lack of signage for all road users to be safe and cautious 

-Speeding vehicles and lack of enforcement of speed limit 

-Shared bicycle and freight lane, putting bicyclists in direct conflict with large trucks and trailers 

Because commerce, jobs, and amenities are concentrated on the Upper 9th Ward side of the Industrial Canal, many residents cross regularly to go to work, buy groceries, or to reach health services.  In fact, 46% of residents who live within a five-mile radius of the bridge don’t own cars, compared with 32% citywide. The only bicycle fatality in the City of New Orleans in 2011 was on the St. Claude Bridge.

The bridge is a key transportation link for bicycle access between bicycle lanes on St. Claude Avenue on both sides of the bridge, and on the Mississippi River Trail.  It is a barrier not only between neighborhoods, but also limits inter-regional and inter-parish transit and economic opportunity.

To see a report by University of New Orleans Masters of Planning students detailing safety issues and proposed solutions, visit http://transportation.uno.edu/publications/connect-the-9-bridging-st-claude-for-all-users.

We are partnering with local and national groups to promote the bike ride and community festival.  We are reaching out to schools, churches, and other organizations to ensure community participation. 

Through our partnerships, we will offer free bicycle education and repair; promote other sustainable organizations through tabling; and engage community members to get input about proposed solutions.

Following the event, we will hold meetings with key agencies that control infrastructure improvement on the bridge, as well as continue to engage the community about biking and walking concerns and improvements in the neighborhood.

Partners on the project include: The Lower 9th Ward CSED; Bike Easy; The Sierra Club; KidsWalk Coalition; The Green Project; Global Green; and The Lower 9th Ward Village. 

The Connect the Nine Community Bicycle Ride goals are three-fold: 

• Raise awareness about the safety and equity issues posed by conditions on the St. Claude Bridge;
• Provide free neighborhood bicycle safety education; 
• Engage and cultivate Upper and Lower Ninth Ward partnerships for a safe, healthy, and equitable future.

Our long-term goal is to see a safe Bridge crossing for all users, which would create an equitable solution for existing commuters as well as promote bicycling and walking as a healthy and affordable transportation option. 

Thank you!  We appreciate your support.