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Late Night Thoughts: LA River Bike Path

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Okay, so that picture is from a Kaiser Permanente commercial. It's nice to dream though.

As a resident of Sherman Oaks near the Ventura corridor, it is so often that I wish the bike path along the LA River would be finished. Once on the bike path, a trip to the Sherman Oaks Galleria or to the Studio City Farmer's Market would be a cinch. Daily trips for amenities such as groceries and office supplies would be easily done by bike.

And with nearly 25,000 Sherman Oaks residents who live relatively abut to the river, the path would be used often by many. And let's not forget the numbers of people who live near the river in Studio City, Encino and other communities.

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No, it won't be like the picture above. Yes, it will make a difference in the future of LA.

Other than the obvious financial needs to complete this project are the solutions of time and timing. To have a bike path go continuously through communities without having to cross streets, bridges at major intersections will have to be raised and earth will have to be graded for paths to go under. And that's where the timing comes in -- bridges have to be upgraded every so many years and it is no cheap feat. So the next time a bridge over the LA River is worked on, will they plan for a bike path?

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