Friday Bikeways Update: Beach Bike Path Damage, 7th Street, and More

Here are some brief updates on various Southern California bikeways!

Damage to the Beach Bike Path

Early last month, L.A. County Department of Public Works Twitter and KTLA reported that a section of the popular beach bike path collapsed due to damage from heavy rains. The impacted section is located at the mouth of Rustic Creek in the L.A. City neighborhood of Pacific Palisades, just northwest of Santa Monica. Nearby cross streets are Channel Road, Entrada Drive, and Chautauqua Boulevard.

The damaged bike path stretch was basically brand new; it opened last May, when the county widened about two-thirds of a mile of path to accommodate separate areas for pedestrians and cyclists.

Though the damage is cordoned off, the path remains easily passable. Cyclists, pedestrians, skaters, etc. are all sharing the older undamaged path that, since May, had been for pedestrians only.

As of this week, County Public Works Department spokesperson Celeste Hampton couldn't provide any anticipated schedule for path repairs. Her department "is compiling the necessary documentation for FEMA reimbursement following the recent disaster" and "reviewing our roster of on-call Marine Engineering consultants for expert guidance on the necessary repairs." She stated that "a timeline will be established once we have progressed through the FEMA evaluation process."

Downtown L.A. 7th Street Construction to Resume This Month

Since 2022, the city of L.A. has been building its wonderful 7th Street Streetscape project. The project includes the city's first extended stretch of concrete curb-protected bike lanes and protected intersections.

Curb work construction appears pretty much done from San Pedro Street to Spring Street (with landscaping still to follow). The project, unsurprisingly for projects modifying older streets in the heart of the city, has fallen behind its anticipated schedule. For the past couple months, it appeared that no project construction was underway.

L.A. City Bureau of Engineering spokesperson Mary Nemick reassures cyclists that, "construction is expected to resume on 7th Street in March."

"The delays have been related to upgrading and protecting older substructures and utilities" she noted, "as well as addressing field conditions discovered during construction." Nemick stated that the city "paused work over the holidays to reduce impacts to the community and allow for advanced coordination of upcoming work."

Construction Continues on Michigan in Santa Monica

It's not clear if it will open this month (as anticipated late last year) but construction is well underway on Santa Monica's excellent short strategic extension of its Michigan Avenue Neighborhood Greenway (MANGo). The project will include two short stretches of bike path, plus a block of two-way protected bike lanes on 20th Street.

More MANGo project information at SBLA coverage last November.

North Hills Parthenia Place Bikeway Open

In an e-newsletter this week, the city Transportation Department (LADOT) shared that the "new two-way bike lane has just been completed along Parthenia Place" extending from Sepulveda Boulevard to Burnet Avenue. The project includes a large traffic circle at the intersection of Columbus Avenue and Parthenia Place.

SBLA shared construction photos and project information last November.

Imperial Highway Westbound Lane Appears Complete

LADOT and StreetsLA construction appears complete for the new plastic-bollard-protected bike lane on westbound Imperial Highway next to LAX.

Eastbound construction is not finished yet.

The Imperial bike lanes are a too-modest improvement at a fairly high cost (2,000 feet of new lane-miles for $1.9 million), so cyclists have been critical of the project. The lane is narrow. The protection is flimsy. The sidewalk ends in the middle of nowhere. Drivers there regularly speed to and from the nearby 105 Freeway terminus.

The city planned much of the project a decade or more ago, and, to their credit, it is a bit better than what was there before and it does close a gap.

More project information at SBLA coverage last month.