Contact: 

Sophie Vorhoff, Executive Director

sophie@lafittegreenway.org

504.702.6777

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 7, 2020

Friends of Lafitte Greenway, NORD, Arts Council New Orleans Celebrate Opening of Greenway Plaza and Iris of Memory Installation

NEW ORLEANS, LA -- Friends of Lafitte Greenway (Friends), the New Orleans Recreation Development Commission (NORD), and Arts Council New Orleans are celebrating the grand opening of a new pedestrian Plaza on the Lafitte Greenway, and the reveal of the Iris of Memory art installation by William Nemitoff. Responding to the key need for more outdoor public spaces in the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic, this rapid-build $100,000 project has transformed the driveway of the former Brake Tag Station where the Greenway meets the Bayou St. John into a vibrant and welcoming pedestrian plaza--a new space in the heart of Mid-City for picnics, farmers markets, art, music, plantings, and play. The space will be home to the Mid-City Crescent City Farmers Market, and a luminary art exhibit, Greenway Supernova, beginning next week.

Help ensure that the Greenway is a safe, active, and vibrant public space.

To apply for a board member position: Please submit a letter-of-interest and resume or equivalent to the Nominating Committee at apply@lafittegreenway.org by Wednesday, December 2, 2020.

Call for board members: 2021-2024 Term

Friends of Lafitte Greenway was formed in early 2006 by New Orleans community members who saw an opportunity to rethink their community’s landscape to enhance livability, environmental sustainability, open space equity, health, and revitalization. The organization built a network of diverse constituents who shared its vision of preserving the continuous open space in the former Lafitte rail corridor, and developing a Greenway that encourages active living, stimulates economic development, and links adjacent neighborhoods, cultural amenities, historic sites, and public spaces.

The Lafitte Greenway opened in November 2015 as a 2.6 mile pedestrian and bike path and linear park, connecting neighborhoods from Armstrong Park to City Park. The backbone of the New Orleans bike network, the Greenway is now used by 320,000 people annually.

Friends of Lafitte Greenway (Friends) is the City of New Orleans and the New Orleans Recreation Development Commission’s (NORD’s)’ official partner, working together to program, develop, and steward the Greenway. Friends is a community-driven organization, guided by a Board of Directors, members, volunteers, and staff. 

Mission:

To build, program, and promote the Lafitte Greenway as a great public space. 

Vision:

A healthy and vibrant public space that connects people to nature, their destinations, and each other.

Values:

Accountability ∙ Equity ∙ Sustainability ∙ Collaboration ∙ Joy

By Katherine Hart 

May 13, 2020

A ray of good news has appeared through the gloom of the coronavirus pandemic: More New Orleanians are getting on their bikes and enjoying local trails and greenspace.

It’s a phenomenon many have noticed since the stay-at-home restrictions began, whether they’re among those getting out to exercise or among those observing the world from their porch or front window . Now there’s data to support it. A sustained rise in biking and walking counts has been recorded throughout the stay-at-home order by the University of New Orleans Transportation Institute.

The institute records data on pedestrian and bicycle activity from permanent, continuous counters in key locations throughout the region .

“It appears that many people are discovering or rediscovering the bicycle during this time of significantly disrupted travel behaviors and traffic patterns,” said Tara Tolford, research associate and pedestrian and bicycle outreach coordinator at UNO Transportation Institute.

By: Kathy Finn | May 31, 2019

Source: MyNewOrleans.com | Full Article

In a city where land available for commercial development is scarce, it is refreshing to see a strip of green space not only preserved, but transformed into a magnet for new activity, which is what is happening along the corridor that stretches from New Orleans’ Treme neighborhood through Mid-City.

The former railroad right-of-way now known as Lafitte Greenway is slowly becoming an oasis of outdoor fun and relaxation thanks to a 2.6-mile bicycle path, with playgrounds and pedestrian-friendly features that have taken shape there. Since the corridor’s opening in 2015, about 320,000 cyclists and pedestrians access the greenway annually, according to automated people counters monitored by local researchers.

Now, developers who recognize the growing appeal of the green space have begun re-purposing adjacent sites and renovating ramshackle structures into new housing, cafés and bars, with plans to make the Greenway a place where people will routinely come for a refreshing break in the heart of a bustling city.