On Monday night at the Friendship Auditorium in Griffith Park, a number of constituents gathered for the Glendale Narrows Public Workshop hosted by the Army Corps of Engineers.
All path users were concerned over the sudden closure of the L.A. River Bike and Pedestrian Path until the end of March, which marks the second time this year that this public greenway has closed for an extended period of time with insufficient community outreach.
The evening featured a number of tables set up to address various issues surrounding the L.A. River, but people were disappointed when the group presentation contained little information and lasted long enough just for people to get seated.
LACBC is frustrated that the Army Corps has created a pattern of not communicating or collaborating with the community, as these closures substantially affect commuters and businesses.
The L.A. River Bike and Pedestrian path is a highly used route for both biking and walking for both commuting and recreational purposes. We envision a future with a fully complete path running continuously from the west San Fernando Valley all the way to Long Beach serving as a vital part of a countywide greenway network.
While the bike path is still open on weekends, the shutdown substantially impacts both the immediate neighborhood and those needing this route connecting their commute.
Laurie Winston, owner of Spoke Bicycle Cafe which sits directly on the path, is worried about the loss of customers from cyclists who come by for coffee or visitors needing to rent a bike. She believes the path plays an important part of the neighborhood because “the businesses by the river encourage people to use the path and the path encourages people to use the businesses.”
LACBC wants to work with the Army Corps so that advance public notice is given when the Army Corps is doing work and when the path will be closed, including a schedule of when and where the work will occur. We are also asking to be involved with the planning of these closures to minimize the impact for all that use the path.
LACBC will continue to monitor the situation closely and provide timely updates as soon as we hear word.