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City explores bike-friendly options, halted by lack of funding
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Students can register bikes for free at the campus police station and receive a number to identify their bike. Registered bikes that are stolen and recovered can easily be returned to their owners. The city has a similar process for bike owners.
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Tips for Biking Safety • Use hand signals like a car uses blinkers and brake lights. • Always ride with the flow of traffic, not against it. • Helmets are highly recommended. • Be mindful of pedestrians. • Lock the frame of your bike to the rack, not the front tire. • Students can register their bikes with the campus police for free.
T
he Natchitoches City Council has explored ways to make Natchitoches more bike friendly for years, but a major roadblock stands in the way of potential bike lanes. City Councilman Dale Nielsen said that both city council and the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development are interested in making bike lanes and more sidewalks in Natchitoches. The main problem is finding the funds for this work. “It’s the right thing to do,” Nielsen said. “It just takes so much money.” Nielsen said that when Mayor Lee Posey began his term, he held a meeting that focused on promoting a bikefriendly city. “Lee rides his bicycle all of the time,” Nielsen said. “Sometimes, we’ll bring our bikes to different parts of the city and look at things like roads and ditches from the perspective of a bicycle.” Nielsen and Posey’s rides are not always for leisure; their bike rides help the team assess what more needs to be done for Natchitoches’ infrastructure, but the lack of funding grinds the bicycle gears to a halt. Assistant Professor of Art Corbin Covher said that funding is a problem, of course, but so is space. Roads like Keyser Avenue do not have the extra room to expand for bike lanes. “Getting the City of Natchitoches
behind it? Never going to happen,” part of campus is so low (15 mph), bikers Covher said. “Even though the mayor is can easily follow the flow of traffic as a big bike rider himself, there just isn’t long as they use the correct signals and room for it.” stay mindful of other drivers on the road. Covher is an avid bike rider himself. “Operate with caution, like you would When he first moved to Natchitoches, he with a car,” Caliste suggested. gave his car away and began to walk and Sophomore Thomas Hadzeriga likes bike around town. The facilities manager to bike to campus from his home on still uses his bike often and said that he Second St. because he can “zip through keeps a bike at school for when he needs traffic” with ease. The CAPA student to move from building to building. said that cars are typically mindful of As a board member of the bikers on the streets, but not always. Natchitoches Young Professionals, “Their patience is not the greatest,” Covher wants to start a bicycle parade in Hadzeriga said. “Cars sometimes speed the city to encourage more people to get around you or honk their horns.” out and ride. Hadzeriga said that crosswalks near Both Nielsen and Covher agree that the entrances of NSU would benefit cities should promote bike riding as pedestrians, bikers and cars. a healthy alternative to driving a car. Unfortunately, many entrances to Nielsen said that bicycles promote campus open to Highway 6, a state-owned exercise, road. City r e l i e v e Councilman traffic and E d d i e Most people are lazy and drive their connect Harrington cars from Columns to classes...but people to the said that the biking can help you experience the city. city must “A new go through world differently. - Corbin Cohver attitude the state has to be department adopted,” to make Covher said. “Most people are lazy and any changes on highways. Therefore, drive their cars from Columns to classes... while city council agrees that crosswalks but biking can help you experience the and bike lanes would benefit many, the world differently.” process may be a slow one. On NSU’s campus, Chief Jon Caliste “Politics is a silly game,” Covher said that bikers typically get along fine said. “You have to weigh this versus that with riding on the streets and sidewalks. and figure out what helps the masses the Because the speed limit in the central most.”