To go along with all that giant restoration along the LA River, sections of the Pacoima Wash in Pacoima and Sylmar could be getting a big overhaul that'll turn a 3.2-mile section from a weedy, dumpy mess into landscaped green space and bike lanes, says the LA Times. Multiple agencies and local stakeholders are working on the Pacoima Wash Vision Plan, which will bring pedestrian-friendly, recreation-promoting improvements to part of what's now just a concrete eyesore covered in graffiti and filled with broken glass and trash (sounds like the LA River a few years ago). Their plan is to place parks along the wash, along with pedestrian bridges and walking paths to ensure accessibility to the greenery, and to connect those parks with bike lanes. Access is an issue in this part of the Valley; while Pacoima is right by the Hansen Dam area, the Dam is separated from many residents by "a raised freeway, an airport and industrial buildings, as well as streets with fast-moving traffic and no crosswalks," according to the director of Pacoima Beautiful, the nonprofit that wrote the Pacoima Wash Vision Plan.
The Pacoima Wash (which hooks up with the Tujunga Wash, which flows into the LA River) runs from Sylmar through San Fernando, Pacoima, and Arleta. A segment of the wash in San Fernando recently became the Pacoima Wash Natural Park, and another two-acre park along the wash in Pacoima is scheduled to begin work in the next few months. San Fernando, not to be outdone, is currently seeking a grant to put ped bridges, a bike path, and lights over the wash between the Sylmar/San Fernando Metrolink Station and Foothill Boulevard. That project would cost about $2.5 million and, if the grant is approved, could start in 2016. As for the Pacoima Wash Vision Plan, the plan says that the next steps are to find funding and to work with local officials to make the plan happen.
· Pacoima Wash is getting a makeover [LAT]
· Former Dump on the Pacoima Wash Becomes a Lovely Park [Curbed LA]
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