Hike the Lafitte Corridor

What are you doing for National Trails Day? If you’re in New Orleans, please join us for the 5th Annual Hike of the Lafitte Corridor.

Saturday June 6
10:00 AM: Meet at main entrance to Armstrong Park (Rampart St.)
Noonish: Lunch at Massey’s (509 N Carrollton)
1:00 PM: Finish at Canal Blvd. Shuttle back to Armstrong Park

It’s hard to believe this is the fifth such event. The first one only had three hikers and no fanfare. The second hike attracted sixteen participants and led to the formation of Friends of Lafitte Corridor.

Last year we had sixty people turn out. Amazing.

About last year: We advertised that event as absolutely the last chance to hike the corridor in its undeveloped state. Oops. Not quite. Here it is one year later, and there’s no tangible work done. There has actually been plenty of progress, but behind the scenes. Frankly we are now where we probably should have been a year ago. Everything has been slower than it should be, and the process got jammed up for a while. The promise I made last year — that by this time “there’s at least gonna be some pavement in place, for at least a portion” of the greenway — has turned out to be incorrect. Granted, that was a bit of a bluff, a little bravado on my part. At the time it still seemed possible that the whole greenway proposal would simply fall apart. I felt it necessary to raise the stakes a little. I offer my humble apology to anyone who trusted my word. I take that seriously, and it pains me to have been wrong.

And yet it’s hard for me to feel discouraged, because I was wrong in another way. I thought if my bold prediction failed to materialize it would be because the whole greenway project had been derailed (no pun) and that’s absolutely not the case. In fact, we seem to be on track (again no pun) at last.

Eventually this three-mile stretch of old railroad corridor will be a beautiful greenway with bicycle and pedestrian paths, park-like in places, tying together disparate neighborhoods and providing a great amenity to everyone in New Orleans. That grand scheme will take a while. But the City is (finally) taking the first big step in retaining the services of Design Workshop to design and plan the greenway, as well as a revitalization program for the blocks that surround it.

I’ve just gotten word that Rebecca Leonard and Kurt Culbertson from Design Workshop will be joining us for the hike, so this is a fantastic opportunity for the community to meet the planners and (perhaps more to the point) for the planners to see first-hand just how many people care so passionately about this project.

The reason I’m so passionate about this is that I have to be. Whatever momentum we’ve got is only because citizens — regular people like you and me — have gotten involved and pushed it forward. Lots of people have been pushing hard on all kinds of different fronts, and in many cases we’re only beginning to see the first signs of progress now. That citizen involvement is essential to the positive transformation of New Orleans, and this hike is a great way to demonstrate and celebrate that fact. It’s also a good way to learn more about the greenway project as well as the history and future of the city itself.

Plus, it’s fun. And there’s lunch.

Once again Massey’s Professional Outfitters is stepping up to sponsor the hike. They’re a business right on the corridor, and their support for this event has been fantastic. They’ll be providing lunch as well as transportation back to the point of origin.

It’s a three mile hike, and the weather is sure to be hot, and parts of the path are overgrown and weedy — though not so overgrown and weedy as last year, thanks to the efforts of Sheriff Marlon Gusman. So dress accordingly, and bring some sunscreen. You might want to bring a bottle of water to stay hydrated. This is a hike, not a garden walk. Flip-flops are not appropriate footwear!

Did I mention Massey’s is supplying lunch?

Please download the flyer and share with all your friends and neighbors. This is a grassroots effort and we need word-of-mouth.

Mark your calendar, and I look forward to seeing you there.