Long-Delayed L.A. River Bike Path Faces Further Delays,Cost Overruns
A $1 billion bike path project along the Los Angeles River,intended to connect multiple cities and provide a crucial recreational and transportation link,is facing meaningful delays and escalating costs,pushing its completion date back years beyond initial projections.Originally slated to open to bikers and pedestrians in 2024,the project is now not expected to be finalized until 2026 or 2027,according to Los Angeles Metro officials.
The enterprising path, funded largely through the 2016 Measure M transportation sales tax, has become bogged down in bureaucratic hurdles, funding gaps, and challenges securing an agency to oversee its long-term operation and maintenance. The delays impact not only cyclists and pedestrians eager for the new route, but also raise questions about the management of large-scale infrastructure projects funded by public money in Los Angeles County.
The planned 29-mile path aims to run along the entire length of the Los Angeles River, from Canoga Park to Long Beach, offering a car-free corridor for recreation and commuting. Though, nearly a decade after Measure M allocated funding, the project is grappling with a significant funding shortfall. Current cost estimates exceed initial projections, leaving a gap that LA Metro is attempting to fill through additional sources, including state Active Transportation Program grants.
“That leaves a funding gap between what Measure M planned for and what the costs are now, nearly 10 years later,” according to reporting by the Los Angeles Daily News.
The path’s progress is currently stalled while LA Metro prepares to release a draft environmental impact report later this year. This will be followed by public hearings, a determination of a preferred project design from several alternatives, and the release of a final environmental impact report. Simultaneously, the agency is actively seeking an organization to assume responsibility for the path’s ongoing operation and maintenance.
