G Line Bikeway

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G Line Bikeway
Bikeway in Van Nuys
Length17.9 mi (28.8 km)
LocationLos Angeles County, California, United States
Established2005
Completed2012
TrailheadsG Line Chatsworth
East of G Line Valley College
UseActive transportation, road biking, walking, dogs on leash
DifficultyEasy
Surfaceasphalt, concrete
Right of wayG Line  G Line
Maintained byMetro

The G Line Bikeway is a cycle route in Los Angeles County, California, that runs for 17.9 miles (28.8 km) and “spans the lengths of the San Fernando Valley’s major communities” from Chatsworth to Valley Glen, “connecting such places as Pierce College, the Sepulveda Basin Recreation Area, the Van Nuys Government Center and Valley College.”[1][2][3]

The G Line Bikeway's “seventeen-point-nine miles of exclusive, smooth, and lush active mobility glory” runs alongside the G Line bus rapid transit route.[4] The G Line Bikeway is one of two major bicycle routes in Los Angeles that share dedicated rights-of-way with public transport, the other being the Expo Bike Path in west L.A.[5]

The Class I off-street bike path section of the Bikeway runs from Chatsworth station to just east of Valley College station. The 2 mi (3.2 km) section on Chandler Boulevard is a Class II on-street bike lane (beginning on the west between Coldwater Canyon Avenue and Fulton Avenue, near the Ethel Avenue crossing, and continuing to North Hollywood station on the east).[6]

UCLA cycling advocates named the G Line Bikeway one of the “six best places to bike in L.A.”[7] One guide to Los Angeles cycling notes, “While the path provides a traffic-free, safe ride, users have to stop when crossing streets that run perpendicular to it. For cyclists, stopping every so often reduces their overall ability to maintain the flow of an uninterrupted ride. That’s why the Orange Line Bicycle Path is suitable for casual, recreational riding [more so than] hardcore cycling or training.”[8]

At Chatsworth station, the bikeway connects to the 1.6-mile-long (2.6 km) Browns Creek Bike Path. The bike path also connects readily to the bike paths of the Sepulveda Dam Recreation Area.[9] Because of the long reach of the extended path, this route has been called a “San Fernando Valley commuter corridor”[10] and “the crown jewel of San Fernando Valley bike infrastructure.”[11]

History[edit]

Bikeway at Sepulveda station

The path (“decorated with native plants and public art”) was opened in 2005 with a 12 mi (19 km) route between Warner Center and North Hollywood.[12][13] The county added 4 mi (6.4 km) in 2012 “between Canoga station and the Chatsworth train station.”[14]

The construction project included bioswales to reduce water pollution from urban runoff and “recycled construction debris from the 405 expansion project “crushed and used as an underground base.”[15]

Access[edit]

G Line bus with front-end bike rack

According to the website of County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, “Most of the wide, asphalt-surfaced path has separate, dedicated lanes for bicyclists and pedestrians. Still, there are some 'multiuse' areas in which walkers and cyclists will share space. Wider-than-usual 6 ft (1.8 m) curb ramps also will allow cyclists and pedestrians to get on and off the path more easily, especially when it’s crowded.”[15]

For those wishing to transfer from the bike path to the bus and vice versa, “G (Orange) Line buses pretty much all hold three bikes, though racks fill quickly, so it’s easiest to board at the ends of the line in North Hollywood or Chatsworth.”[6]

A 2015 study of “cycling transit users” (CTUs) of the G Line found: “(1) CTUs are more likely to be stranded during weekday nights due to the proximity to three major colleges; on weekends, CTUs are more likely to be stranded in the mornings; (2) Metro’s policy that increased evening service during 2013 successfully decreased the number of stranded cyclists; and (3) when the racks are two-thirds full, approximately 20 percent of buses will strand at least one cyclist.”[16]

Dedicated ”park and ride” parking lots are available at Chatsworth, Sherman Way, Canoga, Pierce College, Reseda, Balboa, Sepulveda, and Van Nuys stations.[17]

There are bike racks at every G Line stop along with bike lockers available for rent.[18]

Hazards[edit]

There is a “dangerous blind curve on the east end of the Canoga Avenue station.”[10]

Transient encampments and overgrown landscaping may intermittently obstruct the path.[19]

Improvements[edit]

Overpass bridges for the bike/pedestrian path are being built at the Sepulveda Boulevard and Van Nuys Boulevard crossings. Scheduled completion date is 2025. This improvement is on the Twenty-Eight by ‘28 project list in anticipation of the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles.[20]

See also[edit]

External links[edit]

VIDEOS[edit]

MAPS[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Gayle Anderson (June 29, 2012). "Ready to Roll: Metro Orange Line Extension to Chatsworth". The Source. Archived from the original on August 13, 2022. Retrieved August 13, 2022.
  2. ^ Liu, Caitlin (May 4, 2004). "MTA Hopes to Convert More Drivers to Pedal Power". Los Angeles Times. pp. B2.
  3. ^ Path, Higher (October 15, 2020). "Valley Cycling: Sherman Oaks Bike Trails". The Higher Path Collective. Archived from the original on August 13, 2022. Retrieved August 13, 2022.
  4. ^ "Biking to Work: Changing Pace on May 20th". Warner Connects. May 17, 2022. Archived from the original on May 18, 2022. Retrieved August 13, 2022.
  5. ^ "Metro Bike Map 2019 1.0.3". media.metro.net. Archived from the original on September 28, 2020. Retrieved August 13, 2022.
  6. ^ a b Linton, Joe (January 29, 2020). "Thirteen Fun Family-Friendly Bike Rides Accessible Via Metro Transit". Streetsblog Los Angeles. Archived from the original on July 9, 2022. Retrieved August 13, 2022.
  7. ^ Andy Pei (May 27, 2021). "6 Best Places to Bike in LA". Transportation. Archived from the original on October 24, 2021. Retrieved August 13, 2022.
  8. ^ Mariotti, Tony (July 25, 2019). "5 Great Recreational Bike Rides in Los Angeles". RubyHome.com. Archived from the original on August 13, 2022. Retrieved August 13, 2022.
  9. ^ Wachunas, John (September 8, 2016). "Lake Balboa Park: An 8-Mile Bike Loop Around LA's Sepulveda Basin". Stories From Spinlister. Archived from the original on August 13, 2022. Retrieved August 13, 2022.
  10. ^ a b "Orange Line Busway - L.A. Bike Paths". Archived from the original on August 13, 2022. Retrieved August 13, 2022.
  11. ^ Fuller, Jesse (September 16, 2016). "Bike Travel in the SFV — The Orange Line Bike Path". Medium. Archived from the original on September 14, 2022. Retrieved August 13, 2022.
  12. ^ Conservancy, Rails-to-Trails. "Top 10 Trails in California". Rails-to-Trails Conservancy. Archived from the original on August 13, 2022. Retrieved August 13, 2022.
  13. ^ "Update: Metro Orange Line Extension Bike Path". LADOT BIKE BLOG. April 5, 2011. Archived from the original on August 13, 2022. Retrieved August 13, 2022.
  14. ^ Hymon, Steve (June 28, 2012). "The Orange Line Extension's new bike lane". The Source. Archived from the original on August 13, 2022. Retrieved August 13, 2022.
  15. ^ a b "Blazing a path by the new Orange Line | Zev Yaroslavsky". June 27, 2012. Archived from the original on July 18, 2014. Retrieved August 13, 2022.
  16. ^ Olwert, Craig; Tchopourian, Jose; Arellano, Vicente; Woldeamanuel, Mintesnot (March 1, 2015). "Stranding Cycling Transit Users on Los Angeles' Orange Line Bus Rapid Transit". Journal of Public Transportation. 18 (1): 1–15. doi:10.5038/2375-0901.18.1.4. ISSN 1077-291X. Archived from the original on August 13, 2022. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
  17. ^ "G Line Orange - Metro Parking Lots by Line". LA Metro. Archived from the original on August 10, 2020. Retrieved August 13, 2022.
  18. ^ "LA's Orange Line Offers a Sneak Peek at Fast Ashland Bus Service". Streetsblog Chicago. March 12, 2014. Archived from the original on August 13, 2022. Retrieved August 13, 2022.
  19. ^ "Orange Line Bike Path Cleaned Up for Now". LAist. February 11, 2009. Archived from the original on August 13, 2022. Retrieved August 13, 2022.
  20. ^ "Orange Line Improvements Project Power Point | PDF | Public Transport | Land Transport". Scribd. June 1, 2018. Archived from the original on August 13, 2022. Retrieved August 13, 2022.

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