New bike path will lead into Elysian Valley

That ribbon of asphalt that runs along the west bank of the Los Angeles River through Elysian Valley certainly looks like a public bike and walking trail. But, officially, that strip is only an easement and is not owned by the City of Los Angeles. The five-mile stretch of a striped, city-maintained river bike trail ends abruptly at Fletcher Drive just north of Elysian Valley. But on Monday, councilman Eric Garcetti and Ed Reyes are scheduled to break ground on extending the river bike trail about 2.5 miles south of Fletcher to the southern tip of Elysian Valley at about Barclay Street.

The city will spend about $2.8 million on the project, which includes a new layer of asphalt, lane striping, a barrier between the path and the concrete river bank and landscaping (sustainable, of course), according to Council District 13 staff member Sam Siegel. The bike trail extension should be completed in about six months.

Photo by Tasawa69 via Flickr