On January 20, 2026, the Bywater Marigny Business Organization (ByMBO) led a collaborative summit dedicated to transforming St. Claude Avenue into a safer, more vibrant corridor for local commerce and community life. This high-level meeting brought together an unprecedented coalition of neighborhood advocates, including the Bywater Neighborhood Association (BNA), Neighbors First for Bywater, the Faubourg Marigny Improvement Association (FMIA), the Faubourg St. Roch Improvement Association, and the Holy Cross Neighborhood Association (HCNA).
To ensure the revitalization was grounded in expert research and design, the group was joined by the New Orleans Healing Center, the University of New Orleans (UNO) Transportation Institute, the LSU School of Landscape Architecture, and Tulane’s Small Center for Collaborative Design. Safety and mobility advocacy were championed by Bike Easy, the New Orleans Complete Streets Coalition, and the Committee for a Better New Orleans. Crucially, the meeting facilitated direct dialogue with government decision-makers, including the Regional Planning Commission (RPC), Louisiana DOTD, and several City of New Orleans agencies—specifically the Department of Public Works (Mobility and Safety Division), the Office of Nighttime Economy, and the Health Department’s Injury Prevention Team. Together, these stakeholders are working to ensure that a safer St. Claude Avenue serves as the backbone for a thriving, revitalized business district.
The meeting focused on the Safer St. Claude initiative, bringing together various stakeholders, including neighborhood associations, local universities, and city departments. Jonny Liss welcomed the attendees, noting the high turnout of 21 participants and the importance of collaboration among businesses and residents to enhance safety in the St. Claude corridor. The Bywater Marigny Business Organization was introduced as a key player in this initiative, emphasizing the need for shared experiences and collective efforts.
Chris Behrens presented a long-term vision for a community-driven master plan aimed at improving public investment and securing grants for the St. Claude area. This plan prioritizes grassroots collaboration among neighborhood organizations to address critical issues such as safety, mobility, and economic revitalization. Raven PMG highlighted the necessity of a phased approach to achieve these long-term goals, with Nellie Catzen proposing partnerships to enhance bus shelters and Allen Elaspina advocating for broader community representation.
Participants discussed various proposals to improve the area, including Julie’s suggestion to increase resident involvement in redeveloping blighted buildings for workforce housing. Jonny emphasized the importance of balancing business and residential spaces in the master plan, while Aleks proposed beautification efforts and improved traffic control for pedestrian safety. Jack Hutter introduced quick wins for bike safety, such as modifying fence configurations and designating bike-friendly streets, while also addressing bureaucratic challenges with the Louisiana Department of Transportation.
Updates on pedestrian improvements and community outreach were provided by Bao Le, who noted that studies would soon commence to align with local organizations and residents. Jonny stressed the need for additional funding beyond state and city resources, and Raven PMG suggested creating a document to ensure neighborhood associations are informed. Andrew Logan from New Orleans DPW discussed ongoing coordination with stakeholders regarding the Safer Streets for All initiative, while Rob Henig Bell mentioned the city’s efforts to designate nighttime corridors for enhanced transit safety. The meeting concluded with an invitation for insights from universities to inform comprehensive plans post-Mardi Gras.
St. Claude Collaborative Master Planning List
Long-Term Vision for St. Claude
Develop a community-driven St. Claude Master Plan that can:
● Guide public investment
● Inform DOTD and City projects
● Support grants, pilots, and phased implementation
● Be adopted or referenced by City agencies
How We’re Approaching This
● Bottom-up priority gathering through comprehensive Neighborhood Organization input
● Cross-organization collaboration and alignment
● Deliver to universities for research, design, and analysis
● Short-term actions + long-term structural change in parallel to Master Planning effort
● Creating actionable phases to execute in coordination with LADOT and City
Core Themes For Review
1. Safety & Mobility
● Traffic calming
● Protected or vehicle-separated bike lanes
(in collaboration with Bike Easy / Complete Streets)
● Safer crosswalks and intersections
● Timber Bollards - restricting Neutral Ground Parking
● Train arm safety and visibility
● Teaching Driving for Bike Safety - Bike Easy / RTA
● Street Car?
2. Public Realm & Infrastructure
● Improved street lighting
● Tree canopy expansion
○ Parks and Parkway Tree Allocation (500 Trees within 5 years - EF to Poland)
● Benches and rest points
○ BYMBENCH concept: BUS STOPS!
■ Business-sponsored benches
■ Designed by Flex Design Studio
■ Built to City/DOTD standards
● Fast Track for City / State Communication about St. Claude
○ Communication between Army Corps / City on Funding for Lock Expansion and
how it can be used to improve St. Claude
○ Better bus / bike infrastructure instead of Street Car expansion?
● Naval Base Coordination
● Parking?
● Restriping to allow parking and a Bike Lane - In Front of Roberts
3. Placemaking : Arts, Culture & Identity
● Light-based public art
○ Neutral Ground Walking path / beautification
● Arts District Overlay exploration
● Nighttime economy and cultural activation
● Daytime Businesses
● Blighted Buildings
○ Residential / Work Force Housing