Elysian Valley LA River Shared Path Improvement Project

Los Angeles River, California

The Los Angeles River (LA River) Greenway through the Elysian Valley neighborhood is a popular section of Class I shared use path that is envisioned to eventually stretch 51 miles from Long Beach to Canoga Park. The popularity of the path in the Elysian Valley, combined with its constrained width between the river channel and private properties in the neighborhood, has led to safety concerns between path users. Gruen Associates’ landscape architects and civil engineers, Psomas, are working with the City of Los Angeles Bureau of Engineering to re-design safety and aesthetic improvements along the path.

These path improvements and landscape design for street ends along the LA River Greenway will provide opportunities for site amenities and rest intervals for trail users while heightening visibility between the path and access points. Materiality and site features will also alert bicyclists to potential interactions with pedestrians.