NEW ORLEANS (press release) – Registration is now open for the second annual Ride to Remember bike safety event hosted by Metairie Cemetery in partnership with Bike Easy. On Sunday, May 18, the biking community is invited to participate in leisurely bike rides through the historic cemetery in celebration of National Bicycle Safety Month. The family-friendly event is free and open to the public and will include bike safety information and demonstrations as well as a brief memorial ceremony to honor the lives of people killed while riding their bikes.
Ride to Remember is a collaboration between Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Homes & Cemeteries and Bike Easy, a local non-profit dedicated to making bicycling easy, safe and fun for everyone in Greater New Orleans through education, advocacy and community events.
In addition to two bike rides through the cemetery, the 2025 event will feature other activities for riders of all ages and abilities. For those who want to learn more about the cemetery and its history, Lake Lawn Metairie will host a free, bike-optional cemetery tour after the Ride to Remember event.
Several local bicycle organizations will take part in the event. Blue Krewe, the local community-based nonprofit that operates and manages New Orleans bikeshare service Blue Bikes, will provide giveaways, and Bike Law Louisiana will distribute educational material on Louisiana’s bike laws. Other participants include New Orleans Complete Streets Coalition, a local group working towards improved roadways and safe transportation options, and New Orleans Ghost Bikes, who will bring a commemorative “ghost bike” that will be stationed on-site as a memorial to people who lost their lives in a crash while riding a bike.
“Metairie Cemetery is a best kept secret for a safe, enclosed space to ride a bike in New Orleans,” said Jerry Schoen, director of community relations at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home and Cemeteries in a release about the event. “Hosting the second annual Ride to Remember event with Bike Easy is a wonderful opportunity to welcome locals to our property for leisurely bike rides along the beautiful oak-lined streets.”
“After the success of last year’s event, we are thrilled to partner with Lake Lawn for another community ride to help raise bike safety awareness and honor the lives of those lost in fatal bicycle crashes,” said Allene La Spina, Bike Easy executive director. “Events like this are an important part of Bike Easy’s mission to share the joy of bicycling as we work to develop new and interesting ways to educate the New Orleans community on safe bicycling practices. In 2025, New Orleans and our neighboring parishes continue to see a troubling number of fatal crashes involving people walking and biking, underscoring the urgent need to prioritize safety for our most vulnerable road users.”
“With one of the highest rates of traffic deaths in the country, New Orleans needs events like Ride to Remember, now more than ever,” said Nellie Catzen, co-chair of the New Orleans Complete Streets Coalition. “As we push for improved street design to help keep all users safe, this event offers an important moment for us to collectively feel the impact of these losses.”
A limited number of loaner bikes, compliments of Get Up N Ride Nola, will be available for those who are unable to ride or transport their own bicycles to Metairie Cemetery. Participants will be able to purchase food and commemorative T-shirts at the event.
For event details and online registration, visit bikeeasy.org or call 504-861-4022. The event is free and open to all ages, though advanced registration is encouraged.
