One more victory from the city that is turning into a bipedal hub: A bike corral will be available during events in downtown Lafayette courtesy of BikeLafayette and Downtown Development Authority.
One more victory from the city that is turning into a bipedal hub: A bike corral will be available during events in downtown Lafayette courtesy of BikeLafayette and Downtown Development Authority.
A bike corral is like a valet for your two-wheeled ride. You roll up, give them your bike and it gets watched along with all the other bicycles by BikeLafayette team members. When you want it back you simply hand your ticket in and tip them if you would like - there is never a charge but tipping is appreciated and all the money goes back into BikeLafayette, which promotes cycling in the Hub City. Entrusting your bike to a corral is much safer than slapping a lock on and walking away from whatever fixture you've affixed your bike to, and it promotes the bicycle culture here.
BikeLafayette member Tony Bonomolo, a New Orleans native, "moved here for school and fell in love with Lafayette." There are eight core members of BikeLafayette and its mission statement says it wishes "to make Lafayette a more bicycle and pedestrian friendly city through advocacy by representing cyclists interests to city government and law enforcement; furthering bicycle facility creation and improvements by advocating for more bike lanes and bike racks installation; educating all citizens of Lafayette by working with schools, adult driver education and law enforcement to inform people how to be safe cyclists and motorists; furthering the creation of self-sufficient riders by educating cyclists on how to perform their own maintenance, all done through the community building of getting people together for rides and social events based around bicycles."
Bonomolo says these bike corrals will be around for "every Downtown Alive! and we're also possibly working with Festivals Acadiens et Créoles and after that we'll be talking to Festival International." The corral will be located in Parc International [when Downtown Alive is held there], inside of the gates across from Don's parking lot. Still hammering out where it will be at Parc San Souci but it will be easy to see."
You can contact BikeLafayette through their Facebook page at facebook.com/BikeLafayette or its official website.