NEW ORLEANS, La. – Blue Krewe, the local nonprofit organization that manages the Blue Bikes rideshare program, saw 11,000 rides from nearly 4,000 unique users between Muses Thursday to Fat Tuesday. This milestone also marks more than 1 million rides taken since Blue Krewe’s founding and relaunch of the Blue Bikes program in 2021, underscoring New Orleans’ desire for accessible, sustainable transportation.
The surge in rides came on the heels of
Blue Krewe deploying 400 new Blue Bikes at locations throughout the city. Blue Krewe also temporarily expanded its Uptown service area through Mardi Gras day to let riders pedal to the parades along that route.
"We were thrilled to see such high rates of rides during peak Mardi Gras events, which propelled us to the 1 million rides milestone,” said Leo Fraser, Blue Krewe Executive Director. “This success underscores New Orleanians’ desire for accessible, sustainable transportation – 12 months a year, and in times like Mardi Gras where there can be added challenges with parking and traffic.”
Fraser added that Blue Krewe plans to continue building on this success through the upcoming festival season and future parade dates.
“We are grateful to every Blue Bikes rider and member who has used our bikeshare program since we relaunched as a local operation in 2021. Following our success at Mardi Gras, we remain committed to enhancing infrastructure and collaborating with the community to continue to revolutionize the future of electric transportation in New Orleans for generations to come,” Fraser said.
Blue Krewe staff worked throughout Carnival season, particularly during the peak parade dates Thursday, Feb. 12 through Tuesday, Feb. 17 (Mardi Gras Day) to keep the rides rolling. Whether it was the outreach team tabling along various parade routes, the field team performing nearly 800 battery swaps through the last weekend of Mardi Gras, or the warehouse team preparing and deploying all of the new bikes, the entire Blue Krewe was fueled by a passion to help thousands of New Orleanians and visitors alike let the good times ride.
How To Ride Blue Bikes
Download the Blue Bikes Nola app, available in the App Store and Google Play, create a rider account and be ready to pedal to doctor’s appointments, festivals or just off to see the city in a different way!
You must be 18 or older to ride Blue Bikes. When you create your account, you can choose from different ridership plans and payment options. Monthly memberships and pay-as-you-go plans are available. New Orleans residents who qualify for Medicaid or Louisiana Purchase (S/NAP) can get a reduced ridership pass through the Blue Bikes for All program.
To learn more about Blue Bikes pricing, locations and rider options, visit
BlueBikesNola.com. Follow Blue Bikes on social media @BlueBikesNOLA for updates and information.
About Blue Krewe
Founded in New Orleans in 2020, Blue Krewe is a local, community-based nonprofit that manages and operates the Blue Bikes program. Recognizing the importance of Blue Bikes as a healthy, equitable and environmentally friendly transportation option, local bikeshare enthusiasts--such former Blue Bikes staff, biking and pedestrian advocates, philanthropists and community healthcare advocates--came together to form Blue Krewe. Blue Krewe is committed to its mission to provide the Greater New Orleans region with equitable, shared micromobility solutions that are rooted in and supportive of our community.
The Greater New Orleans Foundation provided critical start-up funding and fiscal sponsorship for Blue Krewe. Blue Krewe's partners include Bike Easy, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana and the City of New Orleans. To donate, volunteer or learn more, visit
www.BlueKrewe.org.
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