4404 St. Peter Street New Orleans, LA (504) April 13 th, To Whom It May Concern:

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1 4404 St. Peter Street New Orleans, LA (504) April 13 th, 2014 To Whom It May Concern: We are writing to present a design solution for Lakeshore Drive. Earlier this month, the Recreation and Subdivision Committee of the Non-Flood Protection Asset Management Authority considered a proposal to end the weekend closure of the westbound lanes. Amidst the debate, we heard both community and committee members asking for a better option than open or close. We would like to propose an alternative solution that will create a Lakeshore Drive for all. All of our designs were developed using several guiding principles: 1. Provide a designated space for active recreation. 2. Allow two-way motor vehicle traffic all week, including weekends. 3. Use the existing roadway dimensions. Our design reduces the number of motor vehicle lanes from four to two, and moves those lanes to the half of Lakeshore Drive closer to the levee. The remaining half of the roadway is converted into a two-way bike/walk area and buffer. The buffer provides a physical separation between the bike/walk area and the motor vehicles. We surveyed the corridor, from Robert E. Lee Blvd to the Leroy Johnson Drive loop, measured roadways widths, and identified any locations where special considerations would be needed. Overhead views and street cross sections are attached to this letter. We hope you will consider this proposed design. It preserves the best part of the current closure, a separated space for biking and walking, and makes it permanent. Meanwhile, a drive along the lakefront can be taken in both directions on a safe roadway, and all parking areas remain. We feel this idea should appeal to different sides of the current debate, and are excited to bring them together. Bike Easy is a local nonprofit, founded in 2003, to improve bicycling safety in Greater New Orleans through education and advocacy. We represent tens of thousands of people that ride bikes in the region, and local businesses dedicated to improving bicycle safety in the region. Our mission is to make bicycling in New Orleans easy, safe, and fun. Sincerely, Bike Easy Policy Committee

2 Overview Map This map identifies the different sections of the roadway. Most of the corridor alternates between an angle parking design, and one without parking. Special attention was given to both roundabouts, the Bayou St. John bridge, and the segment with houses on both sides. Lastly, we show how the bike/walk area will begin and end at Robert E. Lee and Leroy Johnson. Roadway Widths Below are the curb-to-curb widths for Lakeshore Drive. These do not include sidewalks, walkways, and planting strips. All of the proposed designs easily fit in the existing space, and can vary the buffer width to exactly match the existing conditions. Robert E. Lee Blvd to East of Landry s: 50 Lakeshore Parking (east of Landry s) to Onyx: 65 Onyx to General Haig: 50 General Haig to Crystal: 65 Crystal to East of Marconi Blvd: 50 East of Marconi Blvd to West of Rail: 71 West of Rail to Beauregard: 50 Bayou St. John Bridge (median divided): 24 each side Lakeshore Drive Design Proposal Page 2

3 Paris Ave Roundabout Paris Ave to West of London Ave Canal: 65 West of London Ave Canal to East of Founders (median divided): 25 each side East of Founders to Levee: 50 Levee to Elysian Fields: Elysian Fields Roundabout Elysian Fields to Levee: 40 Levee to Lakefront Arena: 45 Lakefront Arena to Leroy Johnson Dr: 50 Leroy Johnson Dr to Leon C Simon (eastbound): Leon C. Simon to Leroy Johnson (westbound): Roadway Designs This map shows the basic alignment for the lanes, both with and without angle parking. As you can see, the bike/walk area turns into the existing parking area and remains on the portion of the roadway closest to the lake. Cross sections for these types of roadways are shown below, along with a slight alternative for the development at West End. Lakeshore Drive Design Proposal Page 3

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5 Bayou St. John Bridge There are two possible solutions for the Bayou St. John bridge, based on how the lanes approach from the Paris Avenue roundabout. Each cross section is shown below, followed by three options for the roundabout. Under the current weekend closure, the entire north span is closed to automobile traffic. Lakeshore Drive Design Proposal Page 5

6 Paris Avenue Roundabout The bike/walk area runs along the top of the circle, while auto traffic circulates normally. The first two options show the westbound automobiles using a new turn lane to use the south span of the bridge. The third option shows traffic sharing the north span, necessitating a narrower bike/walk area. Lakeshore Drive Design Proposal Page 6

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8 Paris Avenue to London Avenue Canal On the street segment with homes on both sides, driveway access, parallel parking, and the bike/walk area can all safely coexist. The roadway in this section is one of the widest in the corridor. The homes on the lake side of Lakeshore Drive will have driveways that cross the bike/walk area. Residents in these few houses will simply be required to check for cyclists before entering or leaving their driveway. This design is employed in other parts of the world and works very well. Some examples are shown below. Lakeshore Drive Design Proposal Page 8

9 Elysian Fields Roundabout The roundabout at Elysian Fields can also function normally. There are several possibilities for westbound traffic. The intersection could also be redesigned as two 4-way intersections, at which point the westbound traffic would also use the bottom of the circle. Bike/Walk Area Transitions At each end, the bike/walk area will transition into a pair of bike lanes, one on each side. These transitions are shown below, with example traffic flow diagrams. In these locations, the automobile lanes will move to one side of the roadway, either directly or using a turn lane. There are also sidewalks in these locations. Lakeshore Drive Design Proposal Page 9

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11 Real World Examples Melbourne, Australia New York, NY Lakeshore Drive Design Proposal Page 11

12 Atlanta, GA Westland, Netherlands Lakeshore Drive Design Proposal Page 12

13 Alki Trail, Seattle, WA Alki Trail, Seattle, WA Lakeshore Drive Design Proposal Page 13

14 Alki Trail, Seattle, WA Riverside Drive (Planned), Memphis, TN Lakeshore Drive Design Proposal Page 14