LA River Bike Path Open Again in the Elysian Valley

No big news conference, but who cares?

The LA River Bike Path is clear through the Elysian Valley somehow surviving that devastating storm season caused by El Nino(or so I was led to believe).

We heard a number of different estimates when this stretch would fully reopen ranging from April to July, but this uncertainty has sapped a great deal of energy from those wishing to use it.

Every week, I’d get emails asking if there were any updates giving me a big head syndrome making me think I was some type of expert or something.

Remember, the bike path was largely open south of Fletcher Ave., but slowly the barricades lining the river were being removed in a northernly direction.

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You are free to return to your regular programming.

The bike path had been reopened fully to Los Feliz Blvd. recently, but it was that small section north of the Baum Bridge that still had coverage.

Personally, I was really nervous whether the path would be fully open in time for this last Sunday’s LA River Ride and it looked like things got smoothed out just under the gun.

As of last Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers had just removed the last barriers leaving a caked on layer of dirt forming a hard surface.
 

 
Trying as hard as they may, the crew just didn’t have the proper tools, so everyone got nervous as the weekend approached.

Even on Friday, I heard the path was still dirty with a number of brushes sticking out.

I sent a team of volunteers out Saturday afternoon to work on some do-it-yourself cleaning, but someone stepped up in that short amount of time.

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This was the section north of the Baum Bridge last Wednesday morning.

The bike path now looks essentially except the odd resurfacing where the bike path curves away from the river’s edge between Los Feliz Blvd. and the Sunnynook Bridge.

Instead of just dirt, this swath is now covered with concrete and jagged rock which is super friendly to cyclists when they fall(sorry, I thought I had a picture).

In the meantime, we are free to roam about, bring the families or return to your commute to downtown! Until they shut it down again.