Marvin Braude Bike Trail

The Marvin Braude Bike Trail is a paved bicycle path that runs mostly along the shoreline of Santa Monica Bay in Los Angeles County, California.[1][2] For most of the route, the bicycle path is Class 1 (no automobile contact) but for a few miles in Marina del Rey, the route is Class 2, where the bicycle route crosses 6 streets with automobiles and nearby traffic lights, adding moderate danger for bicyclists, pedestrians, roller skaters, and skateboarders.

South Bay Bike Trail source

The northern terminus of the trail is at Will Rogers State Beach in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles. The southern terminus of the trail is in Torrance County Beach in Torrance. The path is 22 miles (35 km) in length and is a Class 1 bicycle path at both ends of the route.

Near the midpoint, between the two ends of the path, this coastal bicycle path intersects with another Class 1 bicycle path, with abundant wildlife viewing opportunities, and is known as the Ballona Creek bicycle path. The crossroads of the two bicycle paths is near the intersection of three communities, (Playa del Rey, Venice, Marina del Rey). This urban river bicycle path goes inland for approximately 7 miles into Culver City, terminating at Syd Kronenthal Park. near the intersection of 3 communities, is near the southern end of the Playa del Rey residential area.

The Marvin Braude bicycle trail was officially named in 2006 for Los Angeles City Councilman Marvin Braude and dedicated by State Senator Sheila Kuehl.[3][4]

Route

The path begins in Will Rogers State Beach in the Pacific Palisades area of the city of Los Angeles. It continues southbound along the beach and passes through Santa Monica State Beach in the city of Santa Monica, where the path passes underneath the Santa Monica Pier. The Santa Monica portion of the path is an 8.5-mile (13.7 km) Class 1 path in Los Angeles County running from Temescal Canyon in the north to Washington Boulevard in Venice in the south.

Realizing the success of paved bike paths in Europe, in the last decade of the nineteenth century, L.A. city planners proposed a bike path from Los Angeles to Santa Monica. The cost for the path was estimated at $200 per mile, with agreements from local farmers to allow the path to run across their lands.[5][6][7][8]

The current path was proposed in the late 1960s and received final approval in 1988. The entire path is along the beach and was adamantly opposed by beachfront homeowners,[9] who managed for two decades to stop the path from reaching Santa Monica.[10][11] The last section of the path was opened in 1989.[12]

The path then passes through in Venice Beach. The Class 1 bicycle path ends at the Venice Fishing Pier and riders must continue on the Class 2 bicycle path along Washington Boulevard. The Class 2 path eventually veers off of Washington Boulevard and takes riders around Marina Del Rey until it reaches a Class 1 path running alongside the main channel of the marina, an extension of the Ballona Creek bicycle path.

Looking North up bicycle trail from South Hermosa Beach
This is the bike path looking west at Admiralty Way and Fiji Way, where it once again becomes a Class 2 bike lane.

The path continues south through Dockweiler State Beach (which abuts Los Angeles International Airport and the city of El Segundo), El Porto Beach and Manhattan County Beach (both part of the city of Manhattan Beach).

A section of the bicycle trail with the Manhattan Beach pier in the background

In Hermosa Beach, riders have the choice of either continuing along the Class 1 bicycle path that runs alongside Hermosa Beach (which can get quite busy with pedestrian foot traffic, especially during the summer months) or riding on a Class 2 bicycle lane that runs parallel to Hermosa Avenue. The bike path/pedestrian trail that runs alongside the beach in Hermosa Beach is known as The Strand.

The path continues along the beach through Redondo County Beach in the city of Redondo Beach. The path passes through the parking structure of the Redondo Beach pier. Signs instruct riders to dismount and walk their bikes across the main entrance to the pier and the King Harbor marina.

The path ends in Torrance Beach, below a parking lot at the base of the Palos Verdes Peninsula hills.

See also

References
  1. "Marvin Braude Coastal Bike Trail Map" (PDF). Marina Del Rey Convention and Visitors Bureau. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-04-01.
  2. L.A. Beach Bike Path – Santa Monica to Redondo Beach – maps.google.com
  3. http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/05-06/bill/sen/sb_1551-1600/sb_1583_cfa_20060627_151139_asm_comm.html
  4. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-06-15. Retrieved 2012-06-04.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. "The Bicycle Path: The Executive Committee Submitted a Report". Los Angeles Times. 1895-08-16. p. 6.
  6. "Local Cycle Paths: The Initial One to Be Built to Santa Monica". Los Angeles Times. 1899-08-21. p. 8. Retrieved 2009-04-02.
  7. "Cycle Path Assured: Encouragement for the Committee Coming from All Sides. Success of Cycleways". Los Angeles Times. 1899-08-28. p. 6. Retrieved 2009-04-02.
  8. "Cycle Board of Trade Meets and Does Things". Los Angeles Times. 1901-06-12.
  9. Fanucchi, Kenneth J. (1986-11-30). "Santa Monica to Oppose Moving Bike Path Inland". Los Angeles Times. p. 2. Retrieved 2009-04-02.
  10. "Santa Monica Bike Path Plan Approved". Los Angeles Times. 1988-04-28. p. 2. Retrieved 2009-04-02.
  11. "Santa Monica Extension of Bike Path OKd". Los Angeles Times. 1988-07-14. p. 2. Retrieved 2009-04-02.
  12. Wilkinson, Tracy (1989-05-05). "Coasting Cyclists Get in Gear for Opening of Beach Bike Path's Last Link Cyclists Get in Gear for Opening of Beach Bike Path's Last Link". Los Angeles Times. p. Metro 2. Retrieved 2009-04-02.
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