NEW ORLEANS — Several New Orleans biking organizations will gather this weekend to promote safer roadways.
One group Bike Easy wants to make sure accidents involving pedestrians, bicyclists and vehicles do not happen in the future.
"Everyone who is thinking of voting, or people who are running for office — they understand that we have tens of thousands of people who bike in New Orleans for all sorts of reasons to all sorts of places," Robert Henig Bell with Bike Easy said. "They need to be protected, there's no reason not to, it's beneficial to everybody."
According to LSU's Center for Analytics and Research, Transportation safety data from 2020 show Orleans Parish had 157 bicycle injuries and 6 died compared to Jefferson Parish with 75 bike injuries 3 people died.
So far in 2021, Orleans Parish had 81 bike injuries 5 deaths in comparison to Jefferson Parish, where there have been 38 injuries 0 deaths.
A major bike accident was one that happened in 2019 on Esplanade Avenue. Two people died and 7 others were injured. The goal is to prevent anything major like that from happening in the future.
"Complete streets are for everyone," cyclist Dwan Adams said. "Motorists know what is going on: People who are walking, people who are biking, people who are in motorized chairs— they have a safe space to ride and feel protected," Dwan Adams a bicyclist said.
The rally is at Duncan Plaza Saturday morning starting at 10:30. Following the rally will be a 2-mile bike ride.
For more information, visit: https://www.rideforourlives.net/