Things To Do on an eBike in Orleans Parish, LA
Orleans Parish is flat, dense, and built around water, and its bike network is the most developed in Louisiana. The Lafitte Greenway runs from the French Quarter to Bayou St. John, Audubon Park has its own electric bike rule, and the levee trail begins at the park and heads upriver.
Shops and rentals are on the eBike shops in New Orleans page. This guide covers five corridors, and each names its managing source.
Where to ride in Orleans Parish
A rider can string the city's paths together, but each has a different manager and a different rule. The Greenway is a city recreation facility, Audubon Park publishes its own rules and cites a city ordinance, and the levee trail crosses parish lines. Read the rule for the section you are about to ride.
Orleans riding country: live oaks, bayous, and flat greenways that connect the French Quarter to Mid-City.
Distances come from the New Orleans Recreation Development Commission, the Lafitte Greenway Partnership, Audubon Nature Institute, and TrailLink. Park and greenway rules are quoted from each manager's own page.
1. Lafitte Greenway (2.6 miles)
The Greenway is a bicycle and pedestrian trail and linear park that connects the French Quarter to Bayou St. John and Mid-City. The partnership calls it the central artery of the city's bike network, and about 375,000 people use it each year.
Distance: 2.6 miles, per the recreation commission; start: The Basin Street Trailhead near the French Quarter; surface: Paved multi-use trail.
eBike access: The commission and the partnership pages do not name eBikes, so follow posted signs. Etiquette and planning: Keep right, pass on the left with a call or a bell, and use a white front light and a red rear light at night. Helmets are required for riders under 12. Managing source: NORDC, Lafitte Greenway.
2. Audubon Park and its bike lane
Audubon Park sits in Uptown New Orleans with a 1.8-mile jogging path, tennis courts, stables, and a golf course. The park's rules permit electric scooters and bikes if they follow the posted 10 mph bicycle limit and the one-way flow of the bike lane.
Distance: The jogging path is 1.8 miles; a bike lane length is not published; start: Audubon Park, near 6500 Magazine Street; surface: Paved park paths.
eBike access: Electric bikes are permitted in the bike lane at the posted bicycle speed limit of 10 mph, under a city ordinance the park cites. Etiquette and planning: Children under 12 must wear a helmet, and driving or parking on the grass or on jogging and bike paths is not allowed. Managing source: Audubon Nature Institute, park rules.
3. Mississippi River levee trail from Audubon Park
TrailLink calls this the most popular segment of the Mississippi River Trail in Louisiana, running more than 20 miles from Audubon Park to the Bonnet Carre Spillway in St. Charles Parish. Locals also call it the New Orleans Levee Top Trail and the Levee Bike Path.
Distance: More than 20 miles on the segment, per TrailLink; start: Audubon Park, 6500 Magazine Street; surface: Paved levee top.
eBike access: TrailLink states no eBike rule and lists no single manager for the whole trail. Etiquette and planning: The route crosses Jefferson and St. Charles parishes, so check each parish's posted rules as you cross a line. Managing source: TrailLink, Mississippi River Trail.
4. Norman C. Francis Parkway path and the Wisner Trail
The Lafitte Greenway partnership lists both as important bike connections. The Norman C. Francis path is an off-street route that meets the Greenway at a bicycle and pedestrian roundabout at Bayou St. John.
Distance: Not published by the managing source; start: The roundabout at Bayou St. John on the Greenway; surface: Not stated by the managing source.
eBike access: The partnership page does not state an eBike rule for either connection. Etiquette and planning: Slow for the roundabout, where walkers, runners, and riders all cross. Managing source: Lafitte Greenway Partnership, bike.
5. New Orleans City Park
City Park covers 1,300 acres with gardens, playgrounds, golf, and kayaking, and its website promotes free things to do year-round. It sits at the northern end of the Greenway corridor, so many riders reach it from Bayou St. John.
Distance: Not published by the managing source; start: City Park, New Orleans; surface: Not stated by the managing source.
eBike access: The park's website does not state a bike or eBike policy. Etiquette and planning: Ask at the park office whether motors are allowed on its paths before you ride a long loop. Managing source: New Orleans City Park.
Planning a Orleans Parish ride
The Greenway, Bayou St. John, and City Park sit in one corridor, which makes a linked ride easy. The Norman C. Francis path and the Wisner Trail give two more off-street ways to reach the Greenway.
Audubon Park is the better choice for a slow family loop, since the jogging path is 1.8 miles and the park has a bike lane. The levee trail begins nearby for riders who want more distance.
Chalmette and the Jean Lafitte park unit are in St. Bernard Parish, just downriver. The St. Bernard Parish ride guide covers the trails there.
The Loyola Avenue bike lane crosses Canal Street and connects to the Basin Street Trailhead, which gives downtown riders a safer way to reach the Greenway.
Half-day and full-day eBike plans
Two-hour Greenway ride: Start at Basin Street, ride to Bayou St. John, and loop back. At 2.6 miles each way it fits a slow morning with a coffee stop.
Half day Uptown: Rent near Audubon Park, ride the park bike lane at 10 mph, then try the first miles of the levee trail and return before the afternoon heat.
Full day from the Quarter: Ride the Greenway to Bayou St. John and City Park, lunch in Mid-City, and return by the same route.
Rental day: Book a rental that lists electric models and ask about helmets, locks, and return time. Several listings are tours rather than self-guided rentals.
What not to ride
Audubon Park grass and jogging paths: The park's rules bar driving or parking on the grass and on paved or unpaved jogging or bike paths.
Bike lanes against traffic: Audubon asks riders to follow the one-way direction of its bike lane.
Crowded Greenway stretches at speed: The partnership asks riders to keep a safe speed in crowded areas and around slower users.
Unlit paths after dark: The Greenway partnership says riders need a white front light and a red rear light at night.
When to ride Orleans Parish
Spring and fall are the most comfortable seasons, and Gulf Coast summers bring heat, humidity, and afternoon storms, so ride early from June into September.
Shop hubs
The directory lists one city, New Orleans. Open its page for every shop and rental card.
Rental and tour operators
Eight rental and tour listings follow. Call the operator about electric models and helmet policy, because the listing does not show what is available today.
Bike Tours of New Orleans🎯 Tours
RentaBikeNow for Store #312🚲 Rentals
FreeWheelin' Bike Tours & Rentals🚲 Rentals
Party Bike Ride - Light Up!🚲 Rentals
Louisiana eBike rules snapshot
Louisiana defines an electric-assisted bicycle in R.S. 32:1(25) as a bicycle with a saddle or seat, fully operable pedals, and an electric motor of less than 750 watts, on two wheels (either one at least 16 inches across) or three wheels (one at least 20 inches across). It sorts them into three classes. Class one assists only while you pedal and stops assisting at 20 mph. Class two may move the bike on its own and cannot assist at 20 mph. Class three assists only while you pedal and stops assisting at 28 mph.
R.S. 32:204 gives an electric-assisted bicycle the rights and duties of a bicycle, and R.S. 32:1 leaves it out of the definitions of motor vehicle and motorcycle. It may be ridden wherever bicycles are allowed, including streets, highways, bicycle lanes, shared-use trails, and bicycle paths. After notice and a public hearing, a local municipal authority, a parish authority, or a state agency in charge of a shared-use trail or path may prohibit Class one or Class two bikes there for safety reasons or to comply with other laws, and it may also prohibit Class three bikes. On a trail designated nonmotorized with a natural tread of cleared native soil, that authority may regulate eBikes on its own.
Nobody under 12 may operate a Class three eBike, though a child under 12 may ride as a passenger on a Class three built to carry one. Every Class three operator and passenger must wear an approved bicycle helmet, the fine is $50, and the fine is waived on proof of buying a helmet. A Class three must also have a speedometer that shows miles per hour. The section sets a helmet duty for Class three only, so read our Louisiana eBike laws guide, then the sign at the trailhead, because parish and park rules can go further.
Three more duties matter when you buy or rent. Since August 1, 2020, manufacturers and distributors must fix a permanent label to each eBike showing its class number, top assisted speed, and motor wattage, and nobody may tamper with the bike to change its class unless the label is replaced to match. The bike must meet the federal bicycle standard at 16 CFR Part 1512, and the motor must cut out when the rider stops pedaling or the brakes are applied.
Audubon Park's published rules allow electric bikes on its bike lane at 10 mph, citing a New Orleans ordinance. The Lafitte Greenway pages do not name eBikes, so follow posted signs.
On the Mississippi River levee trail, rules can differ by parish, because the path crosses Orleans, Jefferson, and St. Charles.
Frequently asked questions
Where should I ride an eBike in Orleans Parish?
The Lafitte Greenway is the easiest, at 2.6 miles between the French Quarter and Bayou St. John. The levee trail from Audubon Park is the longest.
Are electric bikes allowed in Audubon Park?
Yes, in the bike lane at the posted 10 mph bicycle limit. Children under 12 must wear a helmet.
Does the Lafitte Greenway allow eBikes?
The commission and partnership pages do not name eBikes. Follow posted signs and the state rule for your bike's class.
Where does the levee trail start?
TrailLink lists Audubon Park at 6500 Magazine Street as a trailhead for the Mississippi River Trail.
Is there a helmet rule on the Greenway?
The partnership says helmets are required for people on bikes under 12 and a smart idea for everyone else.
Who must wear an eBike helmet?
Class three riders and passengers must wear an approved helmet under R.S. 32:204(H). Read the trailhead sign for local rules. See the Louisiana eBike laws guide.
All shops in Orleans Parish
You can scan every listing, 35 listings across 1 city, on the Orleans Parish eBike shops page.