New Orleans has expanded bike lanes, sharrows, and protected paths under the Moving New Orleans Bikes plan. Cyclists must follow city traffic provisions in the Code, ride with the flow of traffic, and yield to pedestrians on shared paths.
Roughly 130 miles of bikeways have been installed since 2010, including buffered lanes on Lafitte Greenway, Tulane Avenue, and segments of Magazine, St. Bernard, and Esplanade. Bicycles are vehicles under Louisiana law (LA RS 32:194), and riders must obey signals, signs, and right-of-way rules. The Code restricts adult sidewalk riding in business districts and the French Quarter. Lights and reflectors are required after dark. Helmets are required statewide for riders under 12. Door-zone collisions and intersection conflicts drive most enforcement actions, and DPW continues to upgrade unprotected lanes to physically separated facilities.
Riding the wrong way, ignoring signals, riding without lights at night, or sidewalk riding in restricted business districts can result in NOPD citations and fines. Drivers who block bike lanes are subject to parking and obstruction tickets.
See how New Orleans's bike lane rules rules stack up against other locations.
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