New reporting app "OurStreets" could reduce cyclist endangerment

Cycling initiatives like lane installations could improve Baton Rouge’s ranking for bike friendliness, but the state has a long way to go due to obsolete infrastructure and lacking cyclist etiquette, said Bike Baton Rouge president Doug Moore.  

Bike Baton Rouge, a non-profit organization “dedicated to making bicycling safer and more enjoyable” launched an app called OurStreets on Jan. 31 so users can report and record instances of illegal driving and parking with a location tag.  

The app’s creation came after several additions to the city that made cycling more accessible, like the Downtown Greenway and LSU’s “transition into a bike friendly campus.”

Local biker and Bike Baton Rouge member Larry Riley regularly uses the MyStreets app and is the person responsible for the app's availability in Baton Rouge since January. 

The Downtown Greenway is a 2.75-mile interconnected network of bike and pedestrian pathways connecting Baton Rouge’s public parks and recreational facilities, inner city communities, and cultural attractions. Completed the end of 2017, it stretches around East Baton Rouge from Central Park squared around Government Street to Memorial Stadium.  

Gotcha, an e-bike share system, was launched near and on campus in July allowing for 500 bikes at 50 docking stations. The university said in a press release that it plans to implement a well-lit walking and biking path called “Tiger Walk” that runs from south to north of campus.  

As of Dec. 2019, new bike lanes off Dalrymple Drive and South Stadium Drive could be a learning curve for those who habitually park on the roads. LSUPD Officer E. Bogantes said that because the lanes are new, they are “giving time to learn by holding off on ticketing,” though street parking will no longer be available in order to create a safe path.

“They haven’t told us to ticket yet and probably won’t until they put up signs that tell people not to park there,” said Greg Riley, a campus parking citation enforcement officer, though he was unsure when or if signs are going to be placed. 

BBR said it did not want to wait on LSUPD to enforce illegal parking in bike lanes after witnessing first-hand how dangerous it could be to ride where drivers habitually park and back up where cyclist may ride. Instead, group members helped develop an app to report incidents so they may have a safe and accessible drive as soon as possible.  

These reports are compiled, and that data is available for BBR to view and for the app developers to share with local, city and parish law enforcement officials. The more people who use the app, the more data to expose problem areas, Moore said. 

Mark Martin, a local bike advocate and Bike Baton Rouge member, directs bikers' ride route.

Though LSU retains a Silver level Bicycle Friendly University by the League of American Bicyclists, an analysis by the Wall Street Journal from 2018 found that Louisiana is ranked second nationally in bicyclist deaths and data over the last five years from LSU’s Highway Safety Research Group show that bicycle deaths across the state have climbed. 

In 2019, two Baton Rouge cyclists were killed in 24 hours, and East Baton Rouge Metro Council member Anthony "Buddy" Amoroso was struck and killed by an SUV while cycling in June of 2018. Since then, there’s been a massive push for cyclist accessibility and safety.  

Twenty-year cyclist and Baton Rouge Bike Club Ride Chairman Bruce Wickert has had accidents that has caused him injuries from both lacking infrastructure and other car drivers who are not used to sharing the road with cyclists. 

“An inch-wide crack on Spanish Town road in front of the State Capitol occurred a few years ago. The crash was at low speed (less than 10 MPH) and speed would have contributed to more severe outcomes. Twenty MPH does four times the damage as 10 MPH,” he said.

Wickert is one of the many cyclists who believe better safety precautions for cyclist should be implemented.

Terry Reeves, another local cyclist, said riding on his bike to work and for leisure is his favorite part of the day. He, among others he knows locally, does not have access to a car and relies on cycling for transportation. 

“Safety is my biggest concern,” he said. “I hope through the city’s transformation to provide more biking opportunities that people will adjust accordingly and accept our transportation’s advancement.” 

Louisiana is currently ranked No. 28 for bicycle friendliness. A portion of the ranking’s determination obtains values from the city’s cyclist safety. 

Emily Otken, the Director of Transportation and Safety for South Gate and organizer for Pedestrian Safety Day on Feb. 28 said that for years, LSU and local organizations have made it clear concerns are being heard by new cycling implementations. 

Though some riders believe the only way safety can be maintained is through awareness and through ticketing, like Nelson Williams. Williams bikes to class and every day, he says he sees incidents ticketing refusal to acknowledge dangerous situations in areas where the map during Pedestrian Safety Day showed where students marked “unsafe” areas for cyclists, like Dalrymple and near the lakes. 

Bike lanes where one could back up, he says, would become dangerous if both cyclist and car drivers are using the same path. Williams has almost gotten run over at one of the infamous “problem spots” that OurStreets has located to law enforcement off Stadium Drive. 

“I hope that they can start enforcing—particularly bike lane parking—sooner than later as the weather gets better and cyclist are using their time to ride more with the coronavirus quarantine,” Williams said. “I have seen more people out [riding] more now than ever.” 

When asked to comment on when citations will begin, LSU Parking and Transportation did not reply in time. Until then, OurStreets has maintained that it will hold wrongdoers accountable, though a police report still must be filed.