Looking for a way to connect the separate pieces of the bike path along the Los Angeles River, a local developer took planning and designing a new path into his own hands.
Sam Lubell reports on an ambitious proposal for a bike lane inside the channel of the Los Angeles River. The project is the brainchild of local developer Yuval Bar-Zemer, with the blessing for an initial study from the city and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
Here is how Lubell describes the proposed bike path: "The plan for the trail, which Bar-Zemer designed with Geosyntec engineering consultants and wHY architects, is composed of precast or cast-in-place concrete panels that are fluted on their underside to allow the passage of water. The panels sit six inches above the riverbed. Diagonal fissures in the sloped ramps connect bikers on the existing raised paths to the channel path."
As for the unique way the plan has hatched: "In May, Bar-Zemer received approval to begin a feasibility study from the city and METRO, the county transit agency. The approval comes after a year of delay stemming largely from the hesitancy of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which initially objected to any public access inside the channel due to safety and water management concerns."
Lubell goes on to provide more details about how the path would work and the additional steps needed for project completion.
FULL STORY: Riding on the River
Proposed River Bed Bike Path Would Connect Long Beach to Downtown Los Angeles
The Los Angeles City Council asked city engineers to explore an proposal that would close an 8.5-mile gap in a bike path that runs inside the Los Angeles River channel—connecting Long Beach to Downtown Los Angeles.
Annual LA River CleanUp Invites Residents to Protect Local Ecosystems
The Friends of the Los Angeles River will host its 34th Annual LA River CleanUp on October 5, inviting residents to help beautify the river, prevent litter from reaching the ocean, and promote equitable access to green spaces.
Revitalizing Sepulveda Basin: A Green Vision for An Urban Oasis
Developed through the input of thousands of community members, this is the first comprehensive plan by the City of Los Angeles for the 2,000-acre basin.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning
SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.
The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs
The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.
Seattle's Plan for Adopting Driverless Cars
Equity, safety, accessibility and affordability are front of mind as the city prepares for robotaxis and other autonomous vehicles.
As Trump Phases Out FEMA, Is It Time to Flee the Floodplains?
With less federal funding available for disaster relief efforts, the need to relocate at-risk communities is more urgent than ever.
With Protected Lanes, 460% More People Commute by Bike
For those needing more ammo, more data proving what we already knew is here.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)