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AARP bike audit finds unsafe crossings, recommends Bayou/Cedar bike lanes and Newman Road sidewalks
Summary
An AARP-funded bike audit presented to the Lamarque City Council identified nonworking pedestrian signals, narrow sidewalks, debris blocking walking/biking paths and a lack of bike racks at schools and businesses; parks staff recommended targeted repairs, conventional bike lanes on Bayou/Cedar and sidewalks on Newman Road, with HGAC planning funds to support broader mobility planning.
The Lamarque Parks Board presented results of an AARP bike audit at the Dec. 9 council meeting and recommended repairs and targeted bike infrastructure improvements. Parks leader Tanya reported 88 observation points across audit windows and documented recurring issues: pedestrian push-button mechanisms not functioning at key intersections, narrow sidewalks on Lake Road and Cedar Drive, trash and debris obstructing sidewalks, limited bike racks (notably at schools), and safety concerns where cyclists must ride in traffic.
Tanya recommended repairing signals at Lake/Cedar and Bayou/Cedar intersections, installing conventional bike lanes where right-of-way allows (Bayou Road and sections of Cedar Drive), and prioritizing sidewalks on Newman Road and Lake Road 2 where seniors and schoolchildren were observed. "We had a total of 88 observations within a week's period," Tanya said. Council discussed adding bike racks at City Hall and working with waste management and public works to reduce sidewalk obstructions.
Staff tied the audit into a newly awarded HGAC livable centers planning grant: city staff said the city obtained $230,000 with a 10% match to fund planning for the east side of I-45, which will support pedestrian and bike planning. "We have been awarded a total funding of $230,000 with a 10% match," city staff said during the grant report. Council asked staff to prioritize repairs to nonfunctioning signals and to return with phasing and estimated costs for sidewalk and bike-lane projects.
