This past Saturday, Active SGV and the city of Glendora held a workshop on the future walk-bike trail along the San Dimas Wash – part of the county's extensive San Gabriel Valley Greenway Network.
SGV locals got a look at the concept for the Glendora section of the wash trail, which will run diagonally for about a mile, northeast to southwest, from Louie Pompei Memorial Sports Park to the Covina border at Arrow Highway and Grand Avenue.
Note: the following concept maps run from West to East. The project will be built from East to West.
The city’s Transportation Manager, Steven Mateer gave SBLA some background on the Greenway project. “This goes back to our planning effort probably almost a decade ago with the National Park Service to look at ways to add trails throughout Glendora,” says Mateer. “And out of that came the Parks Master Plan, and then one of the biggest things the community wanted were additional walk bike trails.” It’s funded by Measure M.
The concept rendering shows 8-12 feet of two-way bike path, and two 3-foot (or wider) walk paths on the outside of it, with a 2-foot shoulder from the Wash’s fence. The trail will be adorned with drought tolerant plants, outdoor gym equipment, and water fountains for both humans and pets.
In traditional East San Gabriel Valley fashion, it will have a “rustic look,” according to Active SGV Community Engagement Specialist Francisco Ojeda. “Since we're so close to San Dimas, they kind of like that old, western country type of vibe,” says Ojeda.
Mateer says he’s excited for this all ages facility. “I have a six year old, so being able to let him go full blast on his bike down this path is awesome.”
The San Dimas Wash could be the first project to break ground in the series of SGV Greenways, according to Mateer. He’s hopeful that construction could begin by this coming Spring. “If we can't, it'll be the following Spring because the county imposes restrictions on when you can build trails.” The L.A. County Flood Control District limits construction in and along waterways to take place during the dry season, due to the potential for heavy rains bringing floods.
There are more greenways to follow for the city after that. “San Dimas Wash is first. Then it would be [the] Little Dalton [Wash] probably in about two years. And then Big Dalton hopefully in the fifth year because it's kind of a five year program… That's a much longer trail for us, about five or six miles.” A Big Dalton Wash trail would ultimately link up with the bike/walk path under construction in Baldwin Park.
The San Dimas Wash trail will pass through Gladstone Park, and be reasonably close to Walnut Creek’s entrance from Valley Center Drive. Mateer says it’s part of a larger overall effort for the city called the Glendora People Movement Project.
“That's a total of 10 miles of new bike and pedestrian facilities across the city,” explains Mateer. “So that picks up the urban trails, but also includes [Metro L (Gold) Line station] first-last mile improvements on Glendora Avenue and Foothill Boulevard as well. And the idea is that these are all kind of mutually reinforcing projects that help people get around. So for example, on the Little Dalton Wash you would be able to get off the Gold Line in Glendora then walk or bike all the way up to the Colby Trail and Angeles National Forest.”
Where won’t this trail connect to? Ojeda says… your backyard. “There's a lot of folks that have concerns about people having access back there, but we try to go ahead and do our best and talk to community members and address their concerns. There have been some talks of including some other type of fencing or some type of screening structure to keep some privacy and make those folks feel a little bit more comfortable.”
Streetsblog’s San Gabriel Valley coverage is supported by Foothill Transit, offering car-free travel throughout the San Gabriel Valley with connections to the new Gold Line Stations across the Foothills and Commuter Express lines traveling into the heart of downtown L.A. To plan your trip, visit Foothill Transit. “Foothill Transit. Going Good Places.”
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