You can’t get there from here – Rant

Both the death of Nathan Crowson and the extensive physical injury to Danny Morris on the night of Jan. 21 were completely unnecessary and entirely avoidable. Why were Crowson and Morris riding on Perkins Road at night? They have the legal right to be there, to be sure, but why would they be there?

They were riding their bicycles to BREC’s Perkins Road Community Park, site of a velodrome, skate park, BMX track and other cycling facilities.

Located at the intersection of Perkins Road and Kenilworth Parkway, though the park attracts many cyclists, it is only accessible by those two major streets. Kenilworth Parkway is essentially only connected to Highland Road and Perkins Road, though the adventurous may try to find their way through the Walden and Magnolia Woods subdivisions if they brave the trip down Staring Lane—which is only connected to Perkins and Highland roads.

Anyone living in Baton Rouge knows that these conditions apply in many areas of the parish, not just the area around Kenilworth. No matter what means of transportation we use, it is often difficult to get from one place to another—due, in part, to a lack of connectivity.

Just like everyone else on Perkins Road, Crowson and Morris were getting where they wanted to go. Unfortunately, because Baton Rouge has spent the past 60 years creating a transportation grid catering solely to the personal automobile, these bike riders had no choice but to take Perkins Road.

We’ve been told that bicycle facilities are too exorbitant and would require disproportionate amounts of money. Under the Green Light Plan, $7 million is slated for “intersection improvements” where Sherwood Forest Boulevard meets Coursey Boulevard. However, an estimated one fifth of that amount is allegedly too much to dedicate to a nearly 14-mile safe passage for walkers and bicyclists traveling from the levee path on the river to Highland Park Observatory via two routes.

Fregonese Associates recently developed the FuturEBR Plan. The Metro Council approved this plan late last year. It calls for a “Complete Streets” approach to providing “facilities that are safe and effective for all users regardless of the mode of travel they choose.”

More senseless deaths can be avoided if our elected officials, Department of Public Works and BREC work together to create, fund and implement a comprehensive bicycle and pedestrian plan based on the approach already outlined in FuturEBR and on public input already provided by the city’s bicyclists.

You and I can’t do this ourselves. We can only voice our opinions and concerns then rely on our elected and appointed officials to follow through. Will they?

Mark E. Martin is an author and photo archivist for the LSU Hill Memorial Library. He founded the non-profit group Baton Rouge Advocates for Safe Streets in 2005.