Sneak peek at LA River bike path that would link Canoga Park and Griffith Park

Studio-MLA (formerly Mia Lehrer and Associates), Gruen Associates, and Psomas were tapped last year to help create a 12-mile bike path along the Los Angeles River that would connect Canoga Park with Griffith Park. We’re getting a sneak peek at what that greenway project could bring to the river’s banks.

Studio-MLA designed “river-front trails, bikeways, greenways, pocket parks, habitat areas, and urban runoff treatment facilities” along the river from Vanalden Avenue to Forest Lawn/Zoo Drive to the east by “converting existing maintenance roads into a continuous greenway and designing bridge and road crossings where the trail meets streets, freeways and rail lines,” says a statement from Studio MLA.

The project was highlighted in the summer of 2016, when Mayor Eric Garcetti announced the design team, as well as a wave of funding for the project from his office.

“This bikeway will give all Angelenos a new way to experience our city, build accessibility to our revitalized river, and expand green space for families to enjoy,” Garcetti said last summer.

Community workshops are underway now, with a final feasibility study due out in early 2018, Mary Nemick, spokesperson for the city’s engineering bureau, tells Curbed. Construction is estimated to begin in 2020.

Funding also comes from the offices of Los Angeles County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl and City Councilmembers Bob Blumenfield, Paul Krekorian, Nury Martinez, and David Ryu. The city’s Department of Recreation and Parks is another partner on the project.

• Design Team Tapped for Major L.A. River Project in San Fernando Valley [Mayor Eric Garcetti]