'Moment of Truth' Could Change Course of the L.A. River

Plans announced yesterday to complete a continuous bike path and greenway along all 51 miles of the Los Angeles river, build a pedestrian, bike and equestrian bridge at a juncture with Griffith park, and, most crucially, a "much-anticipated, much-delayed" U.S. Army Corps of Engineers feasibility study, represent 'a moment of truth' in the river's history, asserts Christopher Hawthorne. "The plans could fundamentally change how the public looks at the river, which has been more of an eyesore than natural amenity since the federal government wrapped much of it in concrete as a flood-control measure beginning in the 1930s."

"There is a sense among longtime river-watchers that the potential for transformative change — and federal help in that effort — has never been greater," he adds. "But optimism is accompanied by worries that Washington won't quite rise to meet the moment."