$4.2 Mil. Bike Path Reconstruction Includes Improvements, But Delays Possible
By Laurel Busby
News & Information Editor
The $4.2 million project to rebuild and improve the storm-damaged Marvin Braude Bike Trail and Santa Monica Canyon Channel where it flows into the ocean were described at the Sept. 25 Pacific Palisades Community Council Meeting
“The primary goal of this project is to restore and enhance the trail, ensuring long-term usability and resilience,” said Iggy Ruiz, a senior construction manager for L.A. County Public Works. ”In addition, we are upgrading the channel outlet to improve water outflow and mitigate erosion risks. These improvements will boost safety and provide more secure recreational access for all users.”
A slice of the trail near the base of Santa Monica Canyon was washed away in Feb. 2024, less than a year after the 14-foot wide bike path enhancement was completed, according to Public Works representatives. Because of the heavy rainfall that led to a federal disaster declaration, FEMA agreed to pay to rebuild the trail and improve the channel outflow area to reduce the likelihood of it being washed away in future.
Kerjon Lee, a Public Works strategic communications manager, said the flooding that washed out the bridge “was historic, if not unprecedented. Pacific Palisades received 15 inches of rainfall in the month of February alone. That's equivalent to the total amount of the annual average rainfall for the L.A. basin for a year…. There were numerous atmospheric rivers and king tides that damaged infrastructure up and down the county coastline,” including piers in Ventura and $2.5 million in damage at Dockweiler Beach.
The reconstruction of the Canyon-area bike trail was approved in late May. Repairs began in August, and the work is scheduled to be completed in December, according to Ruiz. Construction is scheduled from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on weekdays.
Improvements on the original design include changes in the bike path location to shift it toward the land and away from the ocean, Ruiz said.
“This is to eliminate the vulnerable lower loop near the ocean tidal zones, reducing erosion risk and improving user safety,” Ruiz said. “Channel outlet modifications include heavy grading equipment to reshape the outlet, channelizing flows to prevent flooding and sediment buildup…. Sheet piling barriers will be installed, adjacent to the path to protect against erosion and water intrusion. This fortifies the trail against future storm events.”
Lee mentioned that part of the construction work also included a dewatering operation that moved water from the site. Initially, the removed water was sprayed into the air, and, during a post-presentation Q&A, the Canyon’s P.P.C.C. representative Sharon Kilbride said that she was one of the beachgoers who was hit with this water.
Since then, Lee said, the crew has stopped the airborne spray and instead has diverted the water to the north and south of the site via “bermed” areas that are cordoned off from public access. He said that the ocean water is tested and has been found to be within acceptable bacteria limits. He also mentioned that the city diverts channel water to the Hyperion sewage treatment plant, so the channel water has not reached the beach or the ocean.
Kilbride disagreed with some of Lee’s points. For example, she said that not all of the channel water had been diverted to Hyperion, and that potentially polluted water had been sprayed on the sand and also entered the construction site. She recommended additional testing of the sand and channel water.
In a text message after the meeting, she said that part of the problem is that while the city maintains the diversion, the county is responsible for the storm channel. However, the county doesn’t keep it clear of debris, so the city’s diversion system gets clogged.
“I have witnessed a lot of the debris and the mess that went down from the channel because the diversion has not worked,” Kilbride told Lee at the meeting. “It was plugged with mud from the fire debris, and it went right into your area,” meaning the construction project.
She added that while the city cleaned up the channel recently, mud and debris have already refilled the storm drains. She recommended that the county address this problem to avoid future project delays, and later noted that “the county is not doing its part in keeping the flood channels throughout Rustic and Santa Monica Canyons clear of debris.”
At the meeting, Kilbride told Lee, “When it rains and it probably will, it's going to just flush down and your project is going to be delayed. You have a lot of work to do in these channels.”
A link to the full Public Works presentation at the meeting is available here. Further questions and complaints can be sent to Construction Manager Cyrus Ravaei at (626) 441-0305 or cravaei@dpw.lacounty.gov. In addition, Public Works has a 24-hour dispatch line: (800) 675-4357.
