FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 24, 2023
LAFAYETTE BIKE MONTH
Celebrating the benefits of bicycling and start of construction of the first Bicycle Lafayette path
Lafayette, LA – Lafayette Bike Month is well underway with several upcoming events to round out the month of April that encourage people to cycle. Lafayette Consolidated Government (LCG) Pedestrian and Bicycle Coordinator Nick Hernandez hopes the community will get out, bike, and make cycling a regular part of their lives. “Bike more to work, to shop, to visit a friend, for recreation, and for physical and mental health. Bicycling is the most efficient way to connect with the world around us without the use of a car,” he said.
Connecting people to places and each other is one of the goals of LCG’s long-term Bicycle Lafayette Plan, a master plan unveiled in May 2022 that would create a safe, bike-friendly city for recreation and transportation.
Early this winter, construction will begin on the first bike and pedestrian path that connects Moncus Park and Girard Park. By summer of 2024, residents and visitors will experience the first of approximately 40 miles of proposed bikeways and trails proposed in the plan. Investments such as this and the recently opened UL Bikeway Connection, a project made possible through an LCG and UL Lafayette partnership, are the beginnings of bicycle infrastructure improvements, some of which include shared-use paths for both cyclists and pedestrians. “At the core of the Bicycle Lafayette Plan is quality of life and safety. It’s our goal to improve roadways as part of a complete transportation system providing viable and safe options,” Mayor-President Josh Guillory said.
For current and future bicycling events and opportunities to learn more about the Bicycle Lafayette Plan, visit https://www.lafayettela.gov/DP/PlanningRezoning/pedestrian-and-bicycle-planning.
April 30: T.R.A.I.L.’s Ride for Rox in honor of Roxanne Richard to raise awareness about bicycle safety. Bike rentals are available. To register visit https://www.latrail.org/ride4rox
LCG has partnered with Bike Lafayette (501-C3) and Festival International de Louisiane to provide a Bike Valet parking area during FIL from Thursday morning through Sunday afternoon. More details here, https://www.festivalinternational.org/bike-lafayette.
