Check out this fantastic video from Joey Brooks. It’s a great way to visualize the greenway. With a video camera on his helmet, Joey rides almost half the length of the corridor.
Lafitte Corridor Rails to Trails NOLA from Joey Brooks on Vimeo.
In Joey’s own words:
The Lafitte Corridor is an old railroad grade that will one day be converted into a paved and landscaped bicycle/running/walking trail starting at Canal Blvd in Lakeview, Traverse Mid-City, and proceed all the way to Louis Armstrong Park at the northern edge of the French Quarter.
Since I am the impatient type, I use my Surly Pugsley to enjoy the trail as-is, because most projects like this in NOLA move at geologic speed and I ain’t gettin’ any younger. Also, I have the place to myself without clueless joggers and dog walkers clogging up the place.
The section shown in the video starts near Jefferson Davis Parkway and I leave the trail just a couple of blocks before it ends.
Please note that since there is no bicycle trail in the corridor — yet — we can’t recommend recreating Joey’s ride. The terrain is a quite rough in some places, and there’s potentially dangerous debris in some places, so it’s just not safe. That’s why building a safe and continuous path in the corridor is one of FOLC’s top priorities.
Nevertheless, it sure is fun to watch the video. We didn’t commission this; we didn’t even know about it. It was done on Joey’s own initiative. Joey Brooks, we salute your bravery and creativity and hope it inspires others to see the potential of this land. Thank you!