Connect The Crescent        Transportation Network Demonstration -   Findings and Recommendations      Table of Contents  Executive Summary Rethinking New Orleans Streets What We Learned Top Takeaways Impacts on Traffic and Safety Transportation Choices Survey ● Corridor Ratings and Themes ● Baronne Street ● Howard Avenue Connector ● Algiers Ferry Connector ● Lafitte Greenway Connector ● Central City Protected Bikeway ● Business Perspective Preparing The Ground​ - Planning and Design Design and Build Questions Network Corridors Connecting ​Communities - ​Outreach and Installation Design and Build Questions Network Corridors Rolling Forward Bike Easy ​Recommendations for Connecting New Orleans Bike Easy ​Recommendations for Future Roadway Demonstrations 3  6  6  7  8  10  1​4  16  17  18  19  20  20  21  16  16  24  25  27  32  32  33  Executive Summary  Connect the Crescent was a 3-month transportation network demonstration that showcased increased mobility options, created community discussions around transportation planning, and provided feedback and data for permanent improvements. This report details the process and the findings - what went well, unforeseen obstacles, lessons learned, and biggest successes! Project Goals, Outcomes, and Lessons Learned  ❖ Goal: Improve safety for all people on the roadway, no matter whether they choose driving, biking, walking, transit, or other ways to get around ➢ Outcome ■ Reported crashes for all types of travel were reduced by 12% on Baronne Street compared to rest of the city ■ Dangerous and illegal speeding was sharply curtailed while average automobile speeds were largely unaffected ➢ Lesson ■ Good bicycle infrastructure makes our streets safer for everyone, even those who never ride a bike ❖ Goal: Improve connections for people going to job centers and other amenities downtown, and increase bicycle ridership ➢ Outcomes ■ Increased bicycle ridership, from 20 - 84%, on all demonstration segments ■ Improved transit on-time-performance and ridership ■ Minimal to moderate impact on traffic congestion; most impact during peak hours ■ Connecting equity target areas, like Central City, to job centers downtown increased use (i.e. 84% on Baronne Street heading to downtown) and increased support of bike infrastructure in those areas ➢ Lessons ■ Completely connected, comfortable networks of bikeways enable more people to get where they’re going safely by bicycle ■ Equity, especially accommodating people without access to automobiles, can be improved through good bike infrastructure and must be a priority ■ Traffic congestion must be considered, and solved, within the full complexity of the transportation system. For example, traffic congestion increases on Baronne Street were influenced by construction on Convention Center Blvd, seasonal traffic patterns, metered on-ramps to I-10, poor surface signal timing, and more. ❖ Goal: Collect useful new data for future mobility planning ➢ Outcomes: ■ Transportation Choices Survey ◆ 85% of bicyclists overall rated their experience as improved , ◆ 50% of pedestrians rated experience as improved, 50% as “about the same”, ◆ 76% of everyday drivers approved of the temporary changes to the roadway, ◆ 73% of businesses indicated a positive impact from the project, ◆ 87% (719 of 826) of residents were supportive overall ■ This report, appendixes and data sets, and an evaluation framework for demonstration projects. ➢ Lessons: ■ Among people who ride bicycles regularly, there is tremendous energy to improve their city and participate in initiatives to increase mobility options ■ ■ To ensure participation from historically underrepresented populations requires specific and increased effort to conduct ​offline ​surveying Smart planning is key to successful mobility. Data collection, evaluation, and analysis require tremendous capacity, and it must be resourced and prioritized. ■ Not all questions can be clearly answered with attainable data. ❖ Goal: Create thousands of positive experiences for local residents to build grassroots support for biking and walking infrastructure ➢ Outcomes: ■ 200+ volunteers gave 1,100+ hours to canvass and build Connect the Crescent ■ Over 2.5 miles of protected bikeways in place for 3 months, experienced by tens of thousands of local residents biking, walking, driving, and riding transit ■ Oppositional organizing fueled by 1) insufficient outreach to some corridor residents and 2) false narratives and bad information. ➢ Lessons: ■ Better coordination needed to mobilize all City and partner resources possible for community engagement before, during, and after the plan-design-build process ■ Demonstration projects of this scale require collaboration, determination, and incredible energy ■ Giving passionate advocates opportunities to invest their own time and energy is an invaluable and renewable resource and was essential to making Connect The Crescent a success. Bike Easy Recommendations  ❖ Update the New Orleans Complete Streets policy to ensure strong implementation that prioritizes equitable development of streets built to share; ensures diverse community engagement; and measures success of the Complete Streets Program along established metrics for improving equity, public health, economic development, and quality-of-life. ❖ Build bicycle infrastructure that solves the mobility challenges facing everyone - from people driving and taking the bus to those walking and biking. ❖ Create a completely connected, comfortable system of bikeways that allow people on bikes to get where they’re going safely and doesn’t leave bike riders, motorists or pedestrians to navigate incomplete connections that force everyone into unsafe and confusing situations. Specifically, we recommend a focus on getting people easily and safely to and through the job centers of the CBD and French Quarter. ❖ Use smart planning and careful construction to fill gaps in the current bikeway network, connect biking to transit, and reduce traffic congestion. ❖ Mobilize all City and partner resources possible for community engagement before, during, and immediately after the plan-design-build process ❖ Create a one-way parking protected bike lane on Baronne Street coupled with a one-way parking protected bike lane on O’Keefe Street.     Rethinking New Orleans Streets   Connect The Crescent, a 3-month transportation network demonstration, made traveling to and through downtown New Orleans safer and easier for people biking, walking, and riding the bus. At its heart was 2.5 miles of protected bikeways, which create physical separation between people biking and driving, and are proven to be effective in improving safety and increasing ridership across the country and in countless cities across the globe. Every resident in New Orleans deserves safe, accessible, low-cost transportation options. With increased options comes the benefit of healthier communities and increased economic activity. “As a mother of two who is far more reliant  on her car than she’d like to be, I’m  strongly in support of making the city safer  and more amenable to travel by bike, foot  and transit!”  Bike Easy and a range of community partners worked with the City of New Orleans in a collaboration of public and private partners powered by over 200 residents volunteering their time and financed exclusively through grants, sponsorships, and in-kind donations. Mobilizing a coalition and raising tens of thousands of dollars for a temporary demonstration can seem counter-intuitive, but putting regular citizens and private funding in the lead gave New Orleans the opportunity to test whether quickly and affordably renovating streets could help meet a series of transportation improvement goals. New Orleans residents often say they would bike to work or around town with their family, but sharing the road with cars and trucks is too dangerous. Connect The Crescent aimed to address the issue of safety so more individuals and families feel comfortable biking in the city. This should apply to all neighborhoods — Uptown, Mid-City, Algiers, Lakeview, Gentilly, the 9th Ward, New Orleans East, as well as communities in Jefferson and St. Bernard Parishes. Connect The Crescent project goals -   1. Connect people biking to job centers and other amenities downtown  2. Improve safety for all people on the roadway, no matter whether they choose driving,  biking, walking, transit, or other ways to get around  3. Increase bicycle ridership  4. Collect useful new data for future mobility planning  5. Build grassroots support for biking and walking infrastructure   6. Provide thousands of positive experiences for local residents  Experimenting with Pop-Ups  Eager for approaches to build grassroots support for bike infrastructure to get people moving, Bike Easy and the City of New Orleans began collaborating in earnest in the summer of 2017. Looking for a corridor to test a parking-protected bikeway, conversations with people commuting downtown by bike lead to the choice of St. Bernard Avenue connecting the 7th Ward and Gentilly to the French Quarter and CBD. For three weeks in August 2018, the city’s only parking-protected bike lanes were in operation along a half-mile stretch between St. Claude and Claiborne Avenues. Bike Easy and the City lead the process, with the lanes built by volunteers. People walking, biking, or driving along St. Bernard during this three week period experienced and talked about whether the change made their travels safer and easier. Traffic speeds, counts, and community feedback were collected. Together the data showed increased ridership, with people biking more often as they should: with the flow of traffic and in a designated lane, instead of against traffic or on the sidewalk. People felt safer with the protected bikeways, whether walking, driving or biking. These results achieved with inexpensive materials, installed by local residents, showed a glimpse of the benefits likely to result with permanent protected bikeways. Connect The Crescent built upon the earlier success of the Saint Bernard Protected Bikeway. This time the scale would be increased dramatically in order to create the network effect of a series of connected, protected routes designed to create a completely low-stress ride from A to B. What Was Learned - Study Results  What impact would a connected and protected biking, walking, and transit network have on people’s travels to and through downtown New Orleans? The City of New Orleans and Bike Easy worked with University of New Orleans to ensure data was collected to be used to move the city forward in the years ahead. An evaluation team, lead by Tara Tolford of U. N. O. Transportation Institute, assembled a framework of objectives to gauge how the project affected all modes of travel and people’s perception of the project. We aimed to address the following questions: ● How does the intervention impact user volumes, demographics, and behaviors?   ● Is the segment, intersection, or corridor safe and functional for all modes?   ● Are users satisfied and comfortable using the improved facilities?   ● How does the intervention/entire project impact economic activity in the area?   ● Does the community understand (and support) the vision, the overall project, the specific  interventions, and the purpose of the pilot process?   Thousands of people riding bikes, walking, riding the bus, taking the ferry, and driving in cars and trucks traveled its renovated roadways. Over 20 events were held to engage local residents. Ridership went up. Crashes went down. What did people think of the experience? Was it worth the effort? “I’ve used my bike more for my commute in the past few months than I ever have. I’ve only  filled up my gas tank once in the past 8 weeks. My commute is safer, faster, and more  enjoyable with the added lanes.  Top Takeaways  ❖ Bike ridership increased 20 - 84% over baseline numbers during demonstration ❖ Helmet usage increased and illegal sidewalk/wrong-way riding decreased ❖ New Orleans’ bicyclists are demographically diverse, especially in areas underserved by infrastructure ❖ Vehicular speeding was reduced, thus improving safety. Median speeds held steady, while ​max speeds dropped up to 26%. ❖ Baronne Two-Way Protected Bikeway ➢ 5% ​fewer c​ rashes reported on Baronne​ relative to pre-demonstration, ​while 7% more ​crashes were reported city-wide​ and on control streets ➢ Vehicle travel time - no change during off-peak; increase at peak hour ➢ Near elimination of illegal lane usage ➢ Transit ridership and on-time performance - OTP improved, ridership up ❖ Business and Resident surveys - Online, intercept, and canvassing ➢ 85% of bicyclists overall rated their experience as improved ➢ 50% of pedestrians rated experience as improved, 50% “about the same” ➢ 76% of everyday drivers approved of the project’s roadway renovations ➢ 73% of businesses indicated a positive impact from the project ➢ 87% (719 of 826) of residents were supportive of the project overall ❖ Online respondents show clear majority want to see permanent changes; an overwhelming majority do if minor design adjustments are made Impacts on Traffic and Safety  Protected Bikeways lead to Fewer Crashes >>     Baronne Street saw a​ 5% decline in crash-related 911 and 311 calls​, compared to a 7%  increase across New Orleans during the same period, ​a difference of 12%​. Baronne Street Crash  Analysis  Baronne St  Magazine St  Tchoupitoulas St  Citywide  % Change in Auto Crashes  (all)  -5%  +10%  +31%  +7%  % Change in Auto Crashes  with Injury  -27%  +46%  +46%  +13%  Safety  ● Crash rates were decreased on Baronne St during the demonstration, by 5% overall and by 27% for those with injury or fatality compared with citywide increases of 7% overall and 13% just injury or fatality. ● Overall, traffic speeds decreased during the demonstration. Notably, the greatest decreases were in the maximum observed speeds, indicating that the interventions contributed to reductions in unsafe illegal speeding. ● On Baronne St median speeds remained exactly the same, while the maximum observed speed decreased by 26%, with no vehicles observed exceeding the speed limit during the observation period after the protected bikeway was installed. ● As excessive speed is a key contributor to roadway injuries and fatalities, especially those involving people walking and bicycling, this data suggests that the interventions implemented on Baronne St were effective in increasing safety for all road users. However, while intervention for Simon Bolivar Ave did lower top end speeding, designs should be reconsidered to ensure transitions are well marked to reduce crashes. ● Where high quality facilities exist, people are more likely to follow the rules of the road: on Basin street near the entrance to the Lafitte Greenway, 99% of riders were observed traveling legally. On Simon Bolivar, 86% of riders were observed traveling legally after the bike lane was installed, compared to only 67% without it. A sharp reduction in SPEEDING --   - On Baronne Street - 0% change in average speed, with a 26% drop in top speed.  - On Simon Bolivar Avenue - Median speed of inbound traffic dropped 18%, with a  37% drop in top speed. As vehicles left downtown, median speed dropped 10%,  with a 20% drop in top speed.  Vehicle Speeds  Baronne St  Basin St  Simon Bolivar Ave  Inbound  Outbound  Inbound  Outbound  Median Speed -  Before 16  31   29  28  29  Median Speed -  During  16  27   20  23  26  Change  0%  -13%   -31%  -18%  -10%  Top Speed -  Before  34  44   45  49  44  Top Speed -  During  25  41  30  31  35  Change  -26%  - 7 %   -33%  -37%  -20%  Demand  ● On Baronne Street, the number of bicyclists increased by 20-41% (depending on location) while the Connect The Crescent protected bikeway was installed, and 84% more than when there was no bike lane available at all ● The number of bicyclists on Baronne street during the peak PM commute hour increased by 76% with the protected bikeway present ● Bicyclists observed using helmets on Baronne Street increased by approximately 7 percentage points (from 27 to 34%), and bicyclists traveling in the contraflow direction increased from under 3% (riding illegally against traffic) prior to the intervention, to nearly 25% (riding legally in the 2-way bikeway) during the demonstration project. AM ridership headed into the CBD in particular increased during the demonstration ● Bicyclists in New Orleans are diverse! In central city, the majority of bicyclists observed in this area underserved by bicycle infrastructure were African American. Average Daily Bicyclists  Baronne St at Howard -   (2017/18 - Standard bike lane vs. 2018  protected 2-way cycletrack)  Baronne St at Lafayette -   (2014 - No bike lane vs. 2018 -protected  2-way cycletrack)  Basin St at St Louis -   (Summer 2018 vs Fall 2018) Pre-Intervention  During  Intervention  204  287  189  348  301  351  Change  +41%  + 84% + 17%  Performance  ● Traffic congestion during the PM peak hour appears to have increased significantly on Baronne Street during the demonstration period. This may be partially attributable to seasonal variation in traffic volume, but may also be largely attributable to reductions in illegal, dangerous use of the bicycle lane by motorists. ● Overall transit on-time performance for the 15-Freret bus, which traverses the Baronne corridor, improved slightly during the demonstration period Transportation Choices Survey  Ultimately, how Connect The Crescent impacted the flow of traffic for various modes is only part of the story. Another key objective was to capture and gauge community sentiment. After all, the project intended to demonstrate a better, safer transportation system for local residents. Did people biking, walking, driving, riding the bus or the ferry feel the benefits of a connected, protected network? Just as important, how were business owners and workers affected? Different methods were used to capture a wide and representative range of voices. A dedicated website was built, ​Connecthecrescent.com​, where people could learn about the project and share their perspective by taking a long-form survey titled, ‘Transportation Choices’. Flyers, social media, email blasts, and media hits encouraged residents to visit the site and take the survey. A short-form version of the survey was collected at events across the city and at ‘intervention sites’ throughout the installation footprint. Bike Easy staff and volunteers went door-to-door canvassing residences and businesses. General feedback was also collected using a submission form on the website and directly to the City via an email address, ​connectthecrescent@nola.gov​. Who was surveyed?  Residences and businesses along proposed Connect the Crescent corridors were canvassed before, during, and after the demonstration. In-person resident and business surveys were collected between April 2018 and January 2019. Once the full network was installed, the online survey was opened to all residents between October 2018 and January 2019. 243  Short Form Surveys  42% Black / 43% White /    Collected In Person  6% Hispanic / 11% other  42% with no access to an  automobile  586  84% White -- 57% Male /  Long-Form Surveys  42% Female / 2%  Collected Online  Non-Binary  74% bike at least once a  week   135  Business Surveys  Collected In Person  24% with under 5 employees  42% with employees who  40% with 5 - 14 employees  bike to work  14% with over 25 employees    “In your view, what is New Orleans' most pressing transportation need?”   One particular question and answers provided context for the challenges affecting New Orleans, it’s economic vitality, the state of its infrastructure, affordability, and other issues. When asking individuals about transportation challenges as they see them, these emerged as key themes: ● Reliable and accessible public transportation, integrated with other forms of travel -“Safe and reliable mass transportation especially for working people who need to travel late at night or very early in the morning.” ● Connectivity of biking, walking, buses and ferries focused on underserved neighborhoods and service industry workers -- “Transportation for working class without a car.” ● Protected bikeways paired with repaired potholes for improved road surfaces -- “Access to non-car based transport, especially in poorer neighborhoods. That means improved bike lanes and routes, and/or better public transport.” ● Drivers and bikers respecting rules of road, with enforcement from NOPD “We need more bike lanes that connect to each other, connect neighborhoods, and don't  end suddenly.”  Top Two Transportation Needs in New Orleans (Online Survey)  Committed Bikers -   1 - Biking/Walking Infrastructure   (At least once a Week)  2 - Expanded, Reliable Transit  Occasional Bikers -  (Once a Month or less)  1 - Expanded, Reliable Transit  2 - Biking/Walking Infrastructure  Everyday Drivers /  Non-Bikers  1 - Expanded, Reliable Transit  2 - Street Repair  Transit Riders  1 - Expanded, Reliable Transit  2 - Biking/Walking Infrastructure  Pre-existing views of biking and walking conditions around downtown New Orleans  Views of Safety ​PRIOR ​to Connect the Crescent  (Online Survey)  Unsafe for Biking  Unsafe for Walking  French Quarter / Central Business District  64%  20%  Basin @ St. Louis St (Lafitte Greenway to FQ)  66%  46%  Baronne Street  53%  18%  Simon Bolivar Ave and MLK, Jr. Blvd  57% (SB)  66% (MLK)  37% (SB)  43% (MLK)  View of Corridor as ​Unsafe for Biking PRIOR ​to  Connect the Crescent (Online Survey)  People of Color  Women  French Quarter / Central Business District  53%  64%  Basin @ St. Louis St (Lafitte Greenway to FQ)  68%  67%  Baronne Street  60%  54%  Simon Bolivar Ave and MLK, Jr. Blvd  61% (SB)  70% (MLK)  58% (SB)  68% (MLK)  A series of questions asked whether respondents would bike more if bike lanes were... better located, safer, protected, or better connected. All respondents agreed they would bike more in all cases, ranging between 70-85% saying they would. The one demonstrable difference being ‘Strong Agreement’ to biking more when lanes are “better located” yielding responses in the mid 40th percentiles compared to all other improvements receiving responses in the 60’s range. This could suggest satisfaction with the current placement of lanes, or skepticism about what “better located” would mean. “I feel safer now than ever before cycling on these new, protected bike lanes. When  driving my car, I also feel safer because it shows cyclists the appropriate place to ride on  the street as well as the proper direction.”  After experiencing the Connect The Crescent installations, did residents approve?   Having experienced Connect The Crescent, was your traveling experience made safer and easier?  (In-Person Survey)    Committed Bikers  93%  Occasional Bikers  81%  Transit Riders  88%  Everyday Drivers  79%  Do you support Connect The Crescent as a way to test changes to improve safety for all users?  (Online Survey)  Committed Bikers  96%  Occasional Bikers  84%  Transit Riders  93%  Everyday Drivers  74%    Business Perspectives Businesses Pre-Installation -- Do you believe your business would be impacted if better bike  lanes were available?  Yes, Positively  6%  Neutral / Not Sure  36%  No / Negatively  58%  Businesses Post-Installation -- Has your business been impacted by Connect The Crescent  installations?  Yes, Positively  31%  Neutral / Not Sure  60%  No / Negatively  9%  Businesses Post-Installation -- Have you noticed a change in the amount of bikers during  Connect The Crescent?    Yes, there are more  62%  Not Sure  36%  Yes, there are fewer  2%    Corridor Profiles and Ratings   Baronne Street Two-Way Protected Bikeway  Canal Street to Howard Avenue  Design Attributes  ● Two-way parking-protected bike lanes from Union Street to Howard Avenue ● One-way parking-protected lane from Canal Street to Union Street ● RTA Bus #15 stops affected Themes   ● Protection kept drivers out of the bike lane! ● Getting downtown from Uptown/Central City much easier ● Design could be improved -- pedestrians walk in bike lanes; turns feel dangerous ● Extend the two-way all the to Canal “I work on Baronne Street and I LOVE THE BIKE  LANE. MAKE IT PERMANENT.”  “This was always the most infuriating stretch of  my commute because so many drivers (including  cops, taxis, deliveries, and city buses)  disregarded the bike lane. The properly  protected bike lanes are AWESOME.”  “I love the green boxes at intersections. I feel safer making turns on my bike”  Rating of Safety and Effectiveness  Great, make it  permanent.  Good, could  be better.   Needs fixing /  Bad  All Respondents  57%  16%  14%  Committed/Occasional Bikers  66%  18%  10%  Everyday Drivers  46%  11%  31%  African-Americans  39%  13%  37%  Women  62%  18%  13%  *doesn’t include Neutral/No Opinion responses Notes on Baronne Two-Way Protected Bikeway  The Baronne installation generated the most feedback, in both positive and negative terms. Bike riders were overwhelming in their praise, with 66% wishing to see the changes made permanent. Women showed a strong desire to see it or a similar design adopted. Nearly 1 in 5 from both of these groups liked the design but thought it could be improved. Negative feedback seems to have resulted from three factors: inadequate outreach to residents; complaints about the design; and lingering resentment over the changes from the City’s 2014 bike lane pilot. In regards to outreach, Bike Easy conducted four separate canvasses of Baronne Street ahead of installation. Most businesses were contacted, but a significant number of residences did not receive information directly, especially those within apartment buildings. Design complaints centered on a lack of space for people getting in and out of vehicles in the parking lane. This can be mitigated by reducing the size of the bike lane and increasing the size of the parking lane. Concerns also came from pedestrians feeling insecure crossing the street and needing to look both ways as they crossed the bike lanes. Additional signage, familiarity, and more accommodating sightlines at the beginning and end of each block could mitigate this issue. Lingering complaints from the 2014 pilot have to do with displeasure that the lanes were made permanent without a perceived lack of consultation. Hopefully this demonstration being removed on time has afforded the City some needed confidence-building with residents. Howard Avenue Connector -  Two-Way Parking-Protected Bikeway  Dryades Street - Calliope St to Howard Ave;   Howard Avenue - Dryades St to Baronne St  Design Attributes  ● Two-way parking-protected bikeway on downtown side of Howard Aven ● One-way protected lanes on Dryades from Calliope to Howard (extension of O.C. Haley Blvd); including a lane drop inward-bound Themes   ● An improvement because all lane lines were faded on Howard ● Turning onto Dryades or onto Howard still tricky ● Cars park in the bike lane “I changed my usual commute (from Mid-City to Central City) just to use the Basin Street,  Baronne Street, and Howard Ave connections.”  Howard Avenue Connector  Great, make it  Good, could  Needs fixing  permanent.  be better.   / Bad  All Respondents  42%  13%  7%  Committed/Occasional Bikers  54%  16%  5%  Everyday Drivers  41%  14%  18%  African-Americans  39%  13%  37%  Women  51%  14%  5%  *doesn’t include Neutral/No Opinion responses Notes on Howard Avenue Connector  This connection was the second shortest of the demonstration, but perhaps the most complex. Creating a simple, straight-forward connection between Uptown and downtown New Orleans is not easy. Interstate off-ramps, the odd angle of St Andrew Street, streetcar tracks below Baronne Street, and the circuitous path of Loyola Avenue as it turns into Simon Bolivar underneath the expressway all contribute to the difficult choice of where to make this connection. One-way protected lanes were installed on Dryades extending the dedicated lanes of O.C. Haley Blvd underneath the expressway to Howard Avenue (taking away one inbound traffic lane). A two-way parking-protected bikeway was installed on the downtown side of Howard Avenue from Dryades to Baronne Street. The connection between these two protected bikeways, from one side of Howard Avenue to the other, remained difficult for bikers to safely navigate. The protected lanes underneath the Pontchartrain Expressway received nearly universally positive feedback.     Algiers Ferry Connector - Two-Way Protected Bikeway  Canal Street - Tchoupitoulas to Convention Center; Tchoupitoulas Street - Canal to Gravier    Design Attributes  ● Two-way protected on Canal Street from Convention Center Blvd to Tchoupitoulas Street ● Two-way protected on Tchoupitoulas from Canal Street to Common St; one-way on Tchoupitoulas between Gravier and Common Street ● Bike Fixation ‘Wave’ Delineators installed along Canal Street adjacent to Harrah’s ● Dero Ped-rail installed on Canal Street at Tchoupitoulas and Convention Center intersections ● Sybertech planters on Canal Street (2) Themes   ● Stronger connections for the ferry - more service, extend hours. New ferry terminal should improve bike access and connections to bus and streetcar. ● Design should be seamless to terminal ● More protection needed - cars, trucks, and buses block the bike lane despite posts ● Connect Canal - many bikers prefer Canal to adjacent streets; wish to see it as major bikeway “Absolutely love it! I use it every day to get to work”  “Such a necessary safety measure on this hectic car-dominated street. I sometimes feel as  if I am in danger even being extremely cautious on my bicycle or when walking because the  cars make such dangerous maneuvers here.”  Algiers Ferry Connector  Great, make it  permanent.  Good, could  be better.   Needs fixing /  Bad  All Respondents  34%  13%  5%  Committed/Occasional Bikers  45%  17%  5%  Everyday Drivers  34%  12%  12%  African-Americans  32%  13%  10%  Women  42%  16%  4%    Notes on Algiers Ferry Connector  An especially important route for service industry and hospital workers. There was concern about the interchange at Tchoupitoulas at Canal Street, and the turns onto and from Common and Gravier. However, bikers, walkers, and drivers seemed to navigate these intersections without much issue. This route’s utility was somewhat diminished when the Decatur/North Peters center-running protected bikeway installation was cancelled. *doesn’t include Neutral/No Opinion responses Lafitte Greenway Connector -  Dual Running Protected Bikeways  @ Basin, St. Louis, and Toulouse Streets  Design Attributes  ● Conventional bike lane on St Louis St to Basin 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 ● Protected lane on Basin to Toulouse St ● 1-block of parking removed Themes from Respondents   ● Huge improvement in connection from Lafitte Greenway -- Many commenters demand traffic calming, improved biking and walking infrastructure, and crossing signals ● Design could be more intuitive “In the past, I merged into traffic to make a left turn and felt unsafe. Having the green bike box turn  is a great idea, and makes this dangerous crossing safer and less complicated.”   “It’s made biking from Mid City to the Quarter a better option than driving. Thank you.”    “This is my absolute favorite change. This was previously the scariest part of my commute and now  has been made drastically safer. The painted lines tell the motorists what I am going to do before I do  it and I have found far less frequently I have been put into a dangerous situation and that motorists  are less frustrated as well.”  Lafitte Greenway Connector  Great, make it  permanent.  Good, could  be better.   Needs fixing /  Bad  All Respondents  49%  19%  3%  Committed/Occasional Bikers  59%  23%  3%  Everyday Drivers  41%  20%  9%  African-Americans  29%  29%  12%  Women  59%  20%  2%  *doesn’t include Neutral/No Opinion responses Notes on Lafitte Greenway Connector  The disconnect when traveling New Orleans’ safest and most enjoyable bikeway, the Lafitte Greenway, and then attempting to cross Basin Street into the French Quarter is harrowing. Many bikers, walkers, and drivers fear for their lives at this dangerous exchange. Many have been hit and injured. The need to make a change is urgent, which is why the improvements made in this installation have proven so popular. Green turn boxes which designate a portion of the roadway for people biking to attempt a turn were well received by committed and occasional bike riders. The design here is complicated with many trade-offs. One short block of a contraflow lane was installed, only to be removed due to NOPD parking needs. The same is true for the protected lane which lead people biking from the greenway across Basin to Toulouse Street. Miscommunication between City of New Orleans staff facilitating approvals for Connect The Crescent and the First District NOPD station lead to confusion over designated parking for NOPD vehicles (already an issue for the First District). This lead to officers removing flex-posts adjacent to the station along Basin St, well ahead of the Connect The Crescent’s originally scheduled conclusion. Additional protection and traffic-calming are needed to make this exchange safe for all travelers. Central City Protected Bikeway    Simon Bolivar Ave, MLK, Jr Blvd  Design Attributes  ● One-way semi-protected bike lanes on both sides of Simon Bolivar Avenue between Jackson Avenue and Martin Luther King, Junior Boulevard ● One-way semi-protected bike lanes on both sides of Martin Luther King, Junior Boulevard between Simon Bolivar Avenue and Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard ● Street parking unaffected Themes   ● Needs a better road surface ● Safer than before; prefer lanes adjacent to sidewalk ○ More protection! ○ Less confusion ○ Thoughts are flex posts will incur less damage ● Complete connection “Cars no longer speed side by side, making the street safer for kids crossing and for cyclists. Keep it.”  “This is the model all protected bike lanes should follow. It allows cars to see cyclists and the lane  moves in the same direction as the traffic.”  “This has been particularly helpful for those of us that live Uptown in the Freret, Milan and Central  City neighborhoods to safely and quickly travel by bike towards downtown.”  Rating of Safety and Effectiveness  Great, make it  permanent.  Good, could  be better.   Needs fixing /  Bad  All Respondents  44%  11%  8%  Committed/Occasional Bikers  58%  14%  7%  Everyday Drivers  42%  16%  22%  African-Americans  29%  15%  32%  Women  53%  13%  10%  *doesn’t include Neutral/No Opinion responses   Notes on Central City Protected Bikeway  The poor condition of the two roadways used in this installation was the common thread in the feedback. However, the design was the most notable feature, essentially a traditional bike lane with sparsely placed flex-posts. This approach refrained from altering residents familiar parking spots in front of their homes, while directing automobiles out of the bike lanes. More data is needed to ascertain whether the design was truly successful.     Preparing the Ground - Planning and  Design In May 2018, Mayor Cantrell’s administration came into office with a goal of increasing safety and access for biking, walking, and public transportation, particularly for disadvantaged communities. Working with advocates such as Bike Easy and the New Orleans Complete Streets Coalition, the Mayor and her team wished to start off the administration with a demonstrated commitment to safe and accessible transportation. In September, the city hosted the international placemaking conference Walk/Bike/Places, where Connect The Crescent was showcased as a demonstration of New Orleans moving decisively towards a future safe, accessible, healthy, and affordable transportation options for all residents. “I‘ve changed my route commuting to and from work (actually going somewhat out of my  way) to take advantage of the safer bike lanes.”  Charrettes   Planning for a downtown transportation network demonstration began in early spring. The beginning of the process entailed inviting neighborhood residents, businesses, and the general public to open discussion and design sessions known as charrettes. These sessions focused on improving the safety of bike routes to and through downtown. The first charrette took place on February 6th at Tulane’s Small Center for Collaborative Design in Central City. The second was hosted by the Cabildo State Museum in the French Quarter on May 16th. Each charrette included an explanation of why safe and affordable biking, walking, and transit would benefit community affordability, sustainability, would help ease traffic congestion, and improve health. Participants discussed the obstacles they faced commuting from home to work and mapped improvements to biking routes between surrounding neighborhoods to downtown. Takeaways focused on mitigating automobile speeding and securing key connection points so drivers were more aware of people biking and walking. Areas of high concern included: ● From Treme/Mid-City - via the Lafitte Greenway into the French Quarter ● From Uptown/Central City - Crossings underneath the Pontchartrain Expressway ● From Algiers - via the Ferry Station to Common and Gravier Streets ● From Marigny/9th Ward - via Elysian Fields and Decatur Street Following the first charrette in February, Bike Easy began recruiting local organizations to join in the planning for a large scale protected bikeway demonstration in the downtown area. The organizations included business associations, transportation officials and advocates, biking and walking clubs, and other groups which had previously shown interest in promoting biking, walking, community health and wellness, sustainability, and placemaking. The first steering committee meeting was held on May 10th. 17 organizations eventually signed on in support. Connect The Crescent Steering Committee members -   ● AARP ● Greater New Orleans Housing Alliance ● Arts Council of New Orleans ● Louisiana Department of Transportation ● Bike Easy and Development ● CNO - Department of Public Works ● Music & Culture Coalition of New Orleans ● CNO - Office of Resilience ● N. O. City Council District ‘C’ ● CNO - Office of Transportation ● N. O. Regional Planning Commission ● Downtown Development District ● Playbuild ● Friends of Lafitte Greenway ● RIDE New Orleans ● Greater New Orleans Foundation ● U. N. O. Transportation Institute Connect The Crescent was fully funded through grants and sponsorships, powered by volunteers, lead by Bike Easy, and authorized by the City of New Orleans. Members of the steering committee determined goals, obstacles, and strategic communications. Fundraising  Connect the Crescent was entirely funded through grants, sponsorships, and in-kind donations. including support from Wend Ventures, AARP, People for Bikes, Project for Public Spaces, Cities of Service, Dero, and the American Heart Association. Partners with construction and planning experience were critical to the project’s success. Pavement Markings, Traffic Solutions, Asakura Robinson, Adaptation Strategies, and Command Construction helped ensure that the installation was safe and professional. Community event funding was provided in part by AARP, including ‘Bike For Life’ where biking lessons, a tour of the network, and 10 bikes were raffled. Design and Build Questions  With September 1st as the deadline to begin installation, the Design Working Group had just over two months from late May to finalize plans for installation. Major concerns were the sourcing of materials, minimizing disturbances to existing traffic patterns, minimizing loss of parking allotments, number of volunteers needed and their effective management. What materials could endure daily usage and New Orleans’ wet weather while remaining in place for three months? How much would the materials cost? What level of expertise would be necessary to install, maintain, and deconstruct the network? Would there be weather delays? For such a large operation, how sophisticated would traffic-control planning need to be? All these questions were unanswered at the start of summer 2018. The design working group set about answering them. Design working group members included: ● Louis Haywood - Construction Project Manager, Department of Public Works ● Dwight Norton - Urban Mobility Coordinator, Office of Resilience & Sustainability ● Jennifer Ruley - Special Projects Manager, Department of Public Works ● Robert Henig Bell - Campaign Manager, Bike Easy ● Oliver Anderson - Campaign Organizer, Bike Easy ● Matt Rufo - AICP Principal, Asakura Robinson ● Jose Cotto - Associate Director Place + Design Education, Arts Council of New Orleans By far, the majority of material costs would go directly to lane striping and barriers. Bike Easy’s campaign staff of Robert Henig Bell and Oliver Anderson lead the effort to determine the best solutions for material types and their procurement. They consulted with groups such as Streetplans, Memfix, and Macon Connects with experience putting on street demonstrations. Flex-posts, the industry standard, made the most sense when considering the 3-month duration needed. Paint or tape: the two options for lane striping was a more complicated decision. Different varieties of each are designed for roadways, each with particular drawbacks. Traffic paint is considerably cheaper than roadway tape, but either washes away quickly or becomes exceedingly difficult to remove. On the other hand, tape is expensive and requires experience with a specific to machine to apply. It’s upside is that once applied tape stays in place for months and can be easily removed as needed. With guidance from project partner Kelly Dalehite from Pavement Markings, the wisdom of choosing tape became apparent. Pavement Markings was able to provide the rolling machines and could oversee the process. No other means available could be effectively applied by volunteers, remain in place for months, and be removed with limited resources and capacity. Once the most cost-prohibitive items were decided upon, installation plans moved closer to becoming finalized. As late as mid-July planned designs accounted for over 6 miles of installations, including a center-running two-way protected bikeway on Decatur Street, one-way protected lanes on Rampart Street, an open biking and walking plaza concept for Roosevelt Way, and a lane reduction with protected bikeways and bus islands on Elysian Fields Avenue between North Peters and St. Claude. However, installations were ultimately limited to between 2.5 - 3 mile due to constraints on time, costs, complexity, and volunteer capacity. The proposed renovations to Decatur St, Elysian Fields Ave, and Roosevelt Way were dropped. Connecting Communities - Outreach and  Installation  Community outreach for 'Connect The Crescent' consisted of several components - community design charrettes, door-to-door canvassing of residences and businesses along the installation corridors, a dedicated website with information and event schedule, an online survey, social media posts across partner organization social channels, and the City of New Orleans releasing roadway updates via Roadwork NOLA. Bike Easy worked with community partners, including GirlTrek, to reach as many community residents and businesses as possible. Canvassing began in the French Quarter in early April, where volunteers went door to door to have workers and residents fill out survey questions about transportation habits and needs. Businesses surveyed before installation were followed up with after Connect The Crescent went into effect. As plans progressed, canvassing and stakeholder outreach continued along each of the installation corridors through the French Quarter, Central Business District, and Central City. “I found it a lot easier to go all the way across the city, particularly on Baronne. I was much  more likely to ride my bike instead of driving as a result.”     Volunteer Power   During Bike Easy’s prior pop-up installations on Saint Bernard Avenue and Loyola Drive in Kenner, a fully staffed volunteer crew could install roughly a half mile of bikeway each day. The scale of Connect The Crescent was an order of magnitude larger than those previous installations, both in scale and complexity. Many more than the couple of dozen volunteers would be needed to put the network on the ground and bring it to life. But with so many organizations participating in Connect The Crescent, a larger pool of volunteers could be drawn upon. Bike Easy’s Outreach Coordinator, Virginia Brisley, took on the job of recruiting and managing volunteers. Bike Easy’s membership and relationships with biking and walking advocates would form the core of volunteers. Steering committee organizations provided invaluable help by amplifying the calls for volunteers. Volunteer organizations, Tulane and Dillard Universities, Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Louisiana and Southwest Airlines also provided significant contingents to participate in installation. To coordinate hundreds of volunteers across a complicated construction project, Bike Easy trained a tier of volunteer managers, known as Block Captains. Each received a two-hour training held before installation began. They were educated on the types of tasks required of the volunteers -- striping, sweeping the pavement, marking lines, putting up traffic signs, moving cones, etc. These roles would prove essential in serving as an additional layer of accountability between regular volunteers and site managers from Bike Easy and the City of New Orleans. In total, 47 Block Captains were trained and just over 200 volunteers participated in either canvassing or installation of the Connect The Crescent network. Preparations and Weather Delays  At the same time Bike Easy and partners were recruiting volunteers and training Block Captains, their team, particularly Oliver Anderson, was also procuring and staging the materials that would become several miles of protected bikeways. In this task a few partners proved essential Kelly Dalehite with Pavement Markings, Rachel Rogers-Frey with Traffic Solutions, Richard McCall with Downtown Development District, and Madeline Commander with Command Construction. Pavement Markings facilitated the procurement of roughly ​50,000 feet​ of striping tape. Traffic Solutions arranged for nearly one thousand flex-posts. Downtown Development District provided a staging area in the CBD to stage literally tons of material. Command Construction donated hundreds of traffic cones which kept installation orderly and safe. Even with the assistance of these partners, moving thousands of pounds of tape, paint, and everything else required a great deal of coordination and labor. Installation required multi-phased plans for each corridor, accounting for overall workflow, volunteer management, and traffic-control. These were created by Robert Henig Bell and Virginia Brisley with Bike Easy with the assistance of Vivek Shah with Adaptation Strategies. All plans were approved by the City of New Orleans Department of Public Works. Nearly five miles of protected bikeways were scheduled to be installed over five days between Saturday, September 1st and Tuesday, September 11th, with five alternative rain-delay days. A heavy rain forecast forced installation to be postponed for a week as the striping tape required dry ground for 24 hours before ​and ​24 hours​ ​after application. Installation began on Baronne Street on September 8th with a team from Pavement Markings and dozens of volunteers ready to work. However the ground was not yet dry. Striping and placing of flex-posts could not yet take place, but clearing, measuring, and marking locations for fixed components on the nine block stretch got underway. Five days passed before installation resumed on Baronne Street. During that time, the road was marked with where the forthcoming lanes would be placed. Residents were unsure of what was happening and how the coming changes would affect traffic. City and Bike Easy staff met with concerned residents and business owners to allay concerns. Updates were delivered through ConnecttheCrescent.com, RoadWork NOLA, press advisories, and Bike Easy’s social channels. The delay also lead to the Decatur Street connection between the Marigny and Algiers Ferry being removed from installation plans. It’s center-running lane made the Decatur Connector the most complex design in the network. Mule-drawn carriages, tour buses, pedicabs, city buses, thousands of people biking, walking, and driving raised concerns about volunteer safety. The delay added pressure to these existing concerns, spurring the difficult decision to forego its installation. The Central City Protected Bikeway installation was also postponed to October. Installation   Before each installation day, communication was the most vital ingredient for success. Location and time changes needed to be provided to the City Department of Works at least two days in advance to ensure approvals and notices communicated to the public via Roadwork NOLA. Volunteers were texted the day before installation with reminders of where to show up and what to bring. Block captains were called. The weather forecast was shared almost by the hour. Sequence used to install Connect The Crescent temporary protected bikeways:  1. ‘No Parking’ signs place on corridor 48 hours before installation  2. At start, place cones for traffic control  3. Sweep or blow surface completely  4. Measure and Mark for striping and delineator placement (both block and intersection)  5. Tape black onto existing striping not included in new bikeway  6. Tape white (or yellow) striping for new lines   7. Install delineators, stencils, and traffic safety signage  8. Remove cones upon fully completed corridor (striping, delineators, and signage)  Positioning materials for installation proved to be a monumental task. Volunteer shifts began at 7am, which meant Bike Easy staff began material staging at 6am. Oliver Anderson and Keith Holt oversaw this process and kept a large box truck loaded with thousands of pounds of tape, paint, and tools organized and maintained. With each day’s progress, a new site had to be selected as headquarters where volunteers and staff assembled and materials were offloaded. Once materials were offloaded at installation HQ each morning, cones and supplies were then dropped off within each leg of the corridor for traffic control. As block captains and volunteers arrived, they would move to assigned subsections with Bike Easy providing further instruction. Bike Easy followed a set sequence for installing protected bikeways for Connect The Crescent. Unlike their previous pop-up bikeways, this time the materials were designed to last months rather than days. Striping required training on an application machine. So did adhering flex-posts to pavement. For this reason, experienced professional partners like Kelly Dalehite from Pavement Markings largely performed these tasks themselves and trained just a small coterie of block captains and Bike Easy staff to fill in the gaps. Most volunteers cleared debris from the lanes, coordinated supplies at site HQ, painted bike stencils, and installed signage. Several different varieties of barriers or delineators were included in Connect The Crescent. Bike Fixation provided 900 feet of wave delineators which were installed on Canal Street and Howard Avenue. Planters provided by Sybertech were place on Howard Avenue, Baronne Street, and at Basin and St.Louis Street. Dero donated several ped-rail components which were installed at Tchoupitoulas and Canal Street. Wayfinding signs were the final elements to be installed. The signs let all commuters downtown, particularly people biking, how to connect to other corridors within the network. They were placed directly on and adjacent to the routes. All were affixed to pre-existing signage and posts in the right of way. Maintenance   Connect The Crescent renovated roadways were open from September through December 2018. Throughout the network, the materials which comprised the protected bikeway installations -striping, delineators, and signage -- remained in place without much upkeep required. Flex-posts were secured with an adhesive capable of withstanding nearly any rain events, as well as automobiles driving over them. Adhesive striping did come up in areas where the roadway was especially uneven, otherwise in poor condition, or where the striping was improperly applied. Moisture on the roadway when the adhesive was initially applied was a common cause of the striping coming up quickly thereafter, days, or even weeks later. One of the lessons learned through this process is the necessity of robust maintenance for any roadway demonstration. Compared to Bike Easy’s previous demonstrations on Saint Bernard and Loyola Avenues, Connect The Crescent was both larger in size and longer in duration. During shorter and smaller demonstrations, a combination of staff and local residents could keep watch and make necessary fixes. For a project of this scope, a dedicated team of volunteers working on a scheduled basis proved to be necessary, but unfortunately, was not adequately planned for or executed. Though the vast majority of installations held up well, problems did arise in certain areas. On Howard Avenue, striping mishaps during installation and free-standing ‘Wave’ delineators repeatedly falling over leading to additional flex-posts having to be installed to ensure access to an employee parking lot. On Dryades Street heading towards Central City, the protected lane was frequently overtaken with parked cars of customers of a local business. On Simon Bolivar Ave and MLK, Jr. Blvd, the roadways are simply in very poor condition. On MLK, Jr. Blvd, whole sections of the roadway are filled with broken down gravel, sand, and other debris. Despite intensive efforts to sweep and blow these areas clean, the striping wasn’t able to adhere and remain in place. After even modest rainfall, standing water on Simon Bolivar Ave caused striping to lose its seal and end up within the vehicular traffic lanes. At the foot of the Lafitte Greenway, at Basin and St. Louis Streets, miscommunication between City of New Orleans staff facilitating approvals for Connect The Crescent and the First District NOPD station lead to confusion over designated parking for NOPD vehicles (already an issue for the First District). This lead to officers removing flex-posts adjacent to the station along Basin St, well ahead of the Connect The Crescent’s originally scheduled conclusion. On Baronne Street, the striping maintained well for the most part, with the exception being the 200 block in front of the ALoft Hotel. An early rainfall caused much of the striping to come loose and despite numerous attempts to restripe, the problem was chronic. Signage was also an issue due to incorrect installation, leaving signs having slipped below the line of sight of drivers to know to watch for bikers. Another frequent maintenance issue on Baronne Street was residents and businesses depositing trash cans into the bike lanes, though it was observed that this became less and less of an issue as the demonstration progressed.     Activation  A priority for Bike Easy, the City, and project partners was to give residents opportunities to become familiar with the connected routes once the network was open for public use. This began with the City of New Orleans and FitNOLA’s Open Streets day on September 15th, which was also opening day for the Baronne Street Two-Way Bikeway. The most successful promotional activity for the Connect The Crescent network was a series of bike light giveaways put on by Bike Easy at different times and places throughout the network. Hundreds of lights were given away, with residents filling out surveys while the lights were installed on their bikes. Safety improved and valuable information gained. Bike Easy and the City of New Orleans organized six tours of the network, including a City Hall and Blue Bikes ‘Try’N’Ride’ event. Using New Orleans bike share service, City Hall employees including Mayor Cantrell and members of her staff went on a bike ride of the Connect The Crescent network to see for themselves the benefits of low-stress routes in and around downtown. On December 1st, ‘Bike For Life’ was sponsored by AARP, combining a bike tour of Central City, lessons for adults to refresh their bike-riding skills, a talk on healthy eating by Chef ‘G’ of Dryades Public Market, and a raffled giveaway of 10 cruiser bikes from Youth Empowerment Project. Deconstruction  Beginning with the earliest public communications for Connect The Crescent, the demonstration was to begin in September 2018 and operate for 3 months. As December approached, Bike Easy coordinated with the City of New Orleans and Pavement Markings to arrange for an orderly and efficient removal of all temporary installations. Partnering with an experienced construction operation such as Pavement Markings once again proved immensely helpful in ensuring a smooth process. Whereas up to 50 volunteers per day were utilized to install a protected bikeway corridor, only a handful were needed to remove the installations. This was due to two factors: the use of tape for bike lane striping and access to a forklift for removal of flex-post delineators. Tape being tape, it is easily peeled off the ground. A few dedicated volunteers could remove miles within a few hours. Removing all flex-posts throughout the Connect The Crescent footprint required a forklift. To remove a single post manually required significant force, leverage, time, and the possibility of injury. With a forklift, the entire 800+ flex-posts could be removed in a single day. Many thanks go to Kelly Dalehite and Pavement Markings for arranging a team to remove flex-posts and collect and dispose of the (literally) tons of used striping tape pulled from the pavement by volunteers. This was all done over two days, with all Connect The Crescent materials uninstalled by December 20th, 2018.     Rolling Forward Bike Easy Recommendations for Connecting New Orleans  1 - Build bicycle infrastructure that solves the mobility challenges facing everyone - from people  driving and taking the bus to those walking and biking. Specifically, create a one-way parking  protected bike lane on Baronne Street a​ nd​ a one-way parking protected bike lane on O’Keefe Street.  Safety! - As the data shows for the Baronne Street segment of the demonstration, smart bicycle infrastructure improves safety for everyone. Across the demonstration, protected bikeways reduced incidents of vehicular speeding, thus improving safety. 2 - Create a connected, comfortable system of bikeways allowing people on bikes to get where they’re  going safely. Specifically, we recommend a focus on getting people easily and safely to job centers in  the Central Business District and French Quarter.  Bicycle ridership increased significantly on all corridors during the demonstration because there were safe, connected, protected bikeways. The drastic increase in bicycle traffic going towards Canal Street on the two-way protected bikeway on Baronne Street shows a dire need for a comfortable connection through the CBD that doesn’t leave bike riders, motorists or pedestrians navigating incomplete connections which force everyone into unsafe and confusing situations. 3 - Use smart planning and careful construction to fill gaps in the current bikeway network, connect  biking to transit, and reduce traffic congestion.   Traffic congestion is a problem for 1-2 hours per day. The only way to reduce traffic congestion in the thriving New Orleans downtown at peak hours is to give people more options for getting around, including safe biking and walking and frequent transit. The Connect the Crescent demonstration is an example of smart planning that leads to specific problem identification and proposed solutions (see below). Improve community outreach and engagement tactics, especially for special cases like large apartment/condo buildings. Recommendations for Future Roadway Demonstrations  Another important set of recommendations is around improving the demonstration process itself for the benefit of future efforts in New Orleans as well as for other communities. 1 - Preparing for the Installation  a. The bigger the project, the more cushion needed for installation. ​Being all outdoor work means schedules are tied to the weather and subject to slip (especially where it rains over 60” annually).​ ​Having a large event tied to the start of the project (Walk Bike Places Conference) was very motivating, but installation should have started sooner. b. The bigger the project the more information management needed. ​Set up solid systems for document and version control, scheduling and communications and other collaborative and shared materials. c. Leverage private partners, particularly manufacturers and construction firms.​ Starting with traditional local and national supports of active transportation, healthy communities and equitable outcomes; look to distributors and producers of materials and local roadway construction firms for materials, equipment and expertise. d. Ensure all roles needed for implementation are covered by project coalition. The steering committee for CtC was invaluable, but needed a greater role as an organizing or execution committee, particularly with limited capacity for staff time. Breaking up responsibilities into smaller pieces, would help spread the load more effectively and bring in more volunteer or donated time. 2 - During the Demonstration  a. Plan for maintenance.​ Even high quality construction tape needed touch ups, particularly if the surface was not sufficiently prepped. Paints can wear off quickly. Understand the limits of materials - they all have trade-offs - and plan accordingly. b. Ensure maximum activation with many smaller or simpler activities.​ While several larger events were planned, they require more time and energy. Simple “try-and-rides” partnering with the local bike share, Blue Bikes, cross-promoted both and are relatively easy to execute. 3 - Communicating about the Project   a. Temporary nature was very effective in maintaining and building public trust, particularly for past issues.​ In situations where there is a trust deficit, ensuring a hard end to the project pays long term dividends on re-establishing credibility and reliability. b. Dedicated resource as point of contact for communicating to stakeholders. ​A single clearinghouse for developing and maintaining contact with stakeholders would have been very beneficial. This role can develop more 1-to-1 touches, connect with PR/HR people, update and manage FAQs, provide consistency, quickly communicate unexpected changes, provide feedback to install team, and possibly coordinate a more dedicated canvassing/outreach team c. Publish all materials for future use.​ For the benefit of future efforts, materials developed should be shared for any and all communities.