The L.A. River has been receiving a lot of attention lately, much of this due to the Mayor’s L.A. River Initiative which aims, per Alternative 20, to restore the river’s ecosystem and develop a network of recreational parks and paths to compliment it. In addition to planning for future extensions to the existing L.A. River Bikeway system , LADOT is implementing improvements along the existing Elysian Valley portion. This 7.5 mile segment stretches from Riverside Dr. to Barclay Ave and features the largest soft-bottom portion of the L.A. River and is home to abundant wetland wildlife. Recently, the Bike Blog rode over to shed light on what’s on the horizon for the river path.
LADOT works with MRCA to install wayfinding
The Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA) received a grant to fund projects that would promote bicycling, walking and active modes of travel along the popular L.A. River corridor. The grant was used to design and manufacture wayfinding signage along the LA River Bike Path. Wayfinding signs inform users along the bicycle path of the major streets they are crossing and to nearby public spaces including parks, dog parks and even the L.A. Zoo. Additional signs directs users from the surface street level to the bicycle path. The LADOT Bicycle Program was very excited about this opportunity to work with the MRCA to develop the signage and identify placement locations. Last week, LADOT field crews installed the first portion of the wayfinding signage.
New Gate Entry at Egret Park
A new entryway gate to the path debuted last September. The design of the new gate pays homage to the diverse collection of fish, plants and fowl that live along the river. Most importantly, the gate ensures that entry to the river path is reserved for bicyclists, pedestrians and the occasional service vehicle.
Rumble Strips
In order to address bicycle and pedestrian conflicts along the path, thermoplastic rumble strips are being considered for installation where the bicycle path meets prominent pedestrian entry ways. The rumble strips are made of small strips of thermoplastic; enough to alert bicyclists to where pedestrians access the path while not disrrupting bicycle travel itself. It’s important to create an atmosphere where all users of the path can coexist peacefully and enjoy this beautiful, natural corridor.
Restriping
Currently, restriping work is being done to replace faded painted striping with new thermoplastic striping. The image below shows the contrast between where the new centerline stripe meets the old centerline stripe. The restriping is occuring on the 7.5 mile stretch from Zoo Dr. to Barclay and will be completed early March. In the meantime, the path remains open to the public.
Pop-Ups on the River
Last weekend, Damian Robledo of RAC Design organized with Enterprise Community Partners, MAS, and Cafecito Organico to host River Wild, a pop up event that temporarily transformed the areas adjacent to the L.A. River Bike Path into a community gathering space. RAC has been hosting periodic pop-up events along the River Path, partnering with Cafecito Organico to offer weekend riders a reason to take a break from their ride and enjoy a caffeinated moment in Elysian Valley. The River Wild event brought together local food, music, art and even flu shots, making health and wellness programming available to residents in Elysian Valley. The River Wild has aligned with the NELA Riverfront Collaborative’s Rio Vista project that the has been working on turning dead ends along the River Path into public spaces or parks with the intention of linking the street, the and the Bike Path. Robledo says this is all part of making Elysian Valley a bicycle-friendly district, an important development trajectory for a community who’s entire eastern border is lined by the Bike Path. For more information, join the mailing list at www.riverwild.la The next event is slated for the morning of Sunday March 2.
Exciting New Fundraiser from the River Corp
Are you interested in helping the L.A. river grow and embrace it’s full potential as a great public space for angelenos? The LA River Revitalization Corporation has debuted an exciting new fundraising campaign for Greenway 2020! For more information on this creative partnership, check out the Greenway 2020 page.
I’m not a big fan of the thermoplastic strips. I rode the Elysian Valley portion last Sat and had to navigate around dog walkers using the path, joggers etc. I find;t encounter them at “intersections” but just moving along the path parallel to me. What’s next? A bike speed limit? For anybody trying to train for a bike race or triathlon or just get in a real workout, there are very few places in Los Angeles that offer constant riding and this is one of them, as short as it is. We should be concentrating on lengthening the path to the south, instead of spending more money on improving what already works.
I meant to say “didn’t encounter them at intersections”, but I don’t see how to edit my comments once they are posted. This site should have that feature.
[…] Bike Blog, which is published by the city’s Department of Transportation, said the bright thermoplastic striping along 7.5 miles of the path between Elysian Valley and Griffith Park is scheduled to be completed by early March. At the same time, the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority has installed the first batch of new informational signs indicating the distance to major streets, parks and other destinations. […]
[…] significant progress by working with the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA) to place signs along the Los Angeles River Bicycle Path. As we continue to expand our bikeway network to serve more neighborhoods, it’s important […]
[…] the time comes to head to an Oscar watching party, the L.A. Department of Transportation’s new way-finding signs along the river path will help you navigate. Now there’s a river that loves you […]
[…] the time comes to head to an Oscar watching party, the L.A. Department of Transportation’s new way-finding signs along the river path will help you navigate. Now there’s a river that loves you […]