BREC Greenways
A greenway is a bicycle and pedestrian trail or road along a strip of undeveloped land. These are often located near an urban area and set aside for recreational use or environmental protection. Typical amenities include benches, waste receptacles, water fountains, exercise stations, trailheads, and bike repair stations. Greenways may or may not be located on BREC property but the greenway itself is considered a public right of way.
BREC has several greenways built, planned, or underway. Click below to learn more about each.
Learn More about BREC Greenways
A greenway is a trail or road along a strip of undeveloped land, often near an urban area, set aside for recreational use or environmental protection. They are 10’ – 16’ accessible multi-use (bicycle/pedestrian) trails that have minimal interaction with vehicular roadways and connect people to parks, businesses, workplaces, and essential amenities. Why build greenways?
Create Value and Generate Economic Activity
Bicyclist and pedestrian facilities increase the quality of life for citizens by attracting more business and increasing economic development activity. Greenways and trails consistently remain the number one community amenity sought by prospective homeowners, according to the National Association of Homebuilders.
Improve Public Safety
In 2015, Baton Rouge was designated a “focus city” by the Federal Highway Administration, due to its high rate of pedestrian and bicycle fatalities and injuries. The EBR Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan was developed to create a network of paths that provides a safe way for cyclists and pedestrians to navigate the city. Greenways also encourage greater outdoor activity, which provides additional eyes and surveillance in neighborhoods, which deters crime.
Improve Health through Active Living
Exercise, such as biking and walking, has numerous benefits to physical and mental health and lowers the risk of chronic illnesses and death.
Protect Natural Resources and Wildlife
Biking and walking results in decreased usage and dependency on motor vehicles and nonrenewable resources. This reduces greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution.
Protect People and Property from Flood Damage
Preserving greenspace and integrating stormwater management practices when planning Greenways mitigates flooding. Because Greenways are designed to flood, they reduce the potential for property damage.
Enhance Cultural Awareness, Community Identity, and Equity
Greenways provide access to parks and neighborhood amenities, and they help to preserve local heritage and historic places by providing access to them.
Baton Rouge Bicycle and Pedestrian Plans / Initiatives
East Baton Rouge Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan: This plan was developed to create a safe, comfortable, and connected offroad and on-street bicycling and walking network. It was adopted by BREC and EBR City-Parish in the summer of 2020.
BREC Greenway and Trail Initiative: BREC’s Imagine Your Parks Plan revealed trails as a top priority, and citizen engagement and has informed the implementation of approximately 60 miles of off-road bicycle and/or pedestrian trails within or connecting to parks.
MOVEBR: The East Baton Rouge City Parish MOVEBR Program will invest more than $1 billion to help reduce traffic congestion, build sidewalks, and manage traffic signals throughout East Baton Rouge Parish.
Partner Trails
BREC has also built accessible trailheads/multi-use paths that connect to bicycle and pedestrian systems managed and/or maintained by other City-Parish agencies.
Trail Etiquette
- No bicycle or other mobility device may exceed 15 mph.
- Users under the age of 12 riding a bicycle or other mobility device (as an operator or passenger), must wear a protective helmet per City Ordinance.
- Keep moving. If you must stop, move to the side of the trail, out of the way of traffic.
- Ride/run/walk on the RIGHT side and use the left side to pass. Do not take up more than half the trail.
- ATVs, golf carts, mopeds or dirt bikes are prohibited.
- Headphone volume you should kept low enough to hear traffic and other greenway users.
- Pedestrians and runners always have the right of way.
- Announce yourself before passing: “On your left!”
- Use bike lights at night, per City Ordinance.
- Keep dogs on a 6ft leash or shorter.
- Give wildlife and natural areas a respectful distance.
- Don’t litter: only leave your tire or footprint on a greenways trail.
Check out the video below to learn the Greenway/Trail Etiquette and Rules. Note: This is for bicycle and pedestrian shared paths. Use caution when entering vehicular roadways and follow local/state laws.