Long Beach Bikeways articles republished with permission from everythinglongbeach.com
Finding a guide to cycling in Long Beach; one man’s journey to map the bikeways
The first route I chose simply because it’s one I ride often. If you have a bikeway you’d like to see reviewed drop an email to lovebikes@everythinglongbeach.com. And now, on to Long Beach Bikeways …
Long Beach Bikeways: Route 56, Conant Street
If you have been cycling through our fair city, you may have noticed a number of new signs popping up along some of our thoroughfares. They look a bit like interstate highway signs, such as those found near the 405 or 5 freeways, but these are Long Beach Bikeway signs. Colorful, bright, and in most cases, printed with a number indicating which route you are traveling. The Bikeway signs are a huge improvement over the generic green and white markers usually found along paths that suddenly just end or disappear, leaving the average cyclist to guess which way the bike path went. Marking the Long Beach Bikeways is one of many steps outlined in the Long Beach Bike Master Plan. The ultimate goal is to map the many routes and make them accessible through the city’s website, www.bikelongbeach.org. There is a map already available on the site that shows class I, II and II bicycle routes as well as a handfull of proposed route, but it doesn’t seem to have all the Bikeways marked. Well, that got me thinking. Being the impatient sort, as well as a do-it-yourselfer, I figured I’d go ahead and start mapping these routes. The plan is not just to find all the routes, but to actually ride them and then offer a review that will include a map, distance, route connections, bike friendliness, family friendliness and destinations near or along the route.
Long Beach Bikeway Route 56 is a pleasant ride. I have often complained about a lack of east-west bike routes on the northern end of town. I actually started riding Conant Street as a way to get from the Bixby Knolls/Cal Heights area to El Dorado Park with my kids. Getting around the airport can be tough. Carson Street (Long Beach Bikeway Route 60) is far too busy and as a parent, it’s just plain nerve racking, especially the section between Lakewood Boulevard and Cherry Street. It has been improved with the recently installed section along Douglas Park, but my son had a crash on the path that nearly took him into oncoming traffic on Carson. Nightmare. On the west end, Route 56 officially starts/ends at Conant and Clark (Long beach Bikeway 23). The route takes you through a pleasant, well maintained neighborhood. Signs along the way are very clearly marked along the wide, grassy, meridian that separates east-west traffic. Read the rest of Long Beach Bikeways: Route 56, Conant Street
Long Beach Bikeway: Route 23 along Clark Avenue
Long Beach Bikeway Route 23 officially begins/ends at Clark and Carson (Route 60), right at Long Beach City College’s Liberal Arts Campus. The concept for this route, I believe, is that cyclists will be coming from or to Long Beach Bikeway Route 56 (Conant) and connect here on their way to or from City College campus as indicated by this sign at the end of route 56. There is also a clear sign of where the route begins at the corner of Carson and Clark intersection. These were the only two signs I was able to locate for Route 23, which then makes this route’s official distance .8 miles long. Overall, for cyclists, Clark is a downright frightening road to travel. Traffic races through this stretch of the city with the road opening up to three lanes of traffic each direction. On the Westside, for the official stretch of route 23, there is a sidewalk for about a third of the distance. Although it may seem safer to some cyclists to ride on the sidewalk, this can be one of the most dangerous places for a cyclist to ride and it’s illegal in Long Beach and many other cities. Read the rest of Long Beach Bikeway: Route 23 along Clark Avenue
Long Beach Bikeway Route 17: Orange Avenue
Long Beach Bikeway Route 17 is great for those cyclists traveling through the central part of town from Cal Heights all the way up to Artesia Blvd. The route officially begins between Wardlow Rd. and 36th St. and is well marked throughout the ride. At its southern terminus, the route can be a bit daunting with fast paced motorist on your left and parked cars lined on the right. With a single lane of traffic in each direction, the posted speed limit is 35 mph, but cars are often traveling much faster than that. And when the bus passes you – whoa, there doesn’t seem to be much breathing space. These conditions prevail until you hit Bixby Rd. about .5 a mile into the route. From here, there is a painted bike lane as wide as the lane the motorists are traveling. Traffic is still brisk, but at least there is plenty of space for both riders and motorists. Wide, spacious bike lanes continue all the way up until 53 rd
St. where
Read the rest of Long Beach Bikeway Route 17: Orange Avenue
Long Beach Bikeway Route 1: Pacific Coast Highway
Long Beach Bikeway Route 70: Del Amo Boulevard
Let me first start by saying I rode this route during the
Long Beach Bikeway Route 70 (along Del Amo Boulevard) seems to serve the purpose of getting cyclists to and from the LA River Trail (aka Long Beach Bikeway 7).
middle of the week, around 10 a.m., after the morning rush. With that in mind, if this route is the mostly highly trafficked road in our city, I would not be in the least bit surprised. The total unofficial distance is 8 miles, the longest route I have found yet. It takes you from the city border with Seal Beach in the east, to the city border with Carson in the west. In between the route travels through upscale eastside neighborhoods, through the death-defying traffic circle, past urban Long Beach, and from there into the heavily industrial westside. Long Beach Bikeway Route 1 is very well marked and intersections with other Bikeways are clearly indicated. I started on the eastern end riding out of Seal Beach into the LBC. This first distance takes you past Long Beach Bikeway Route 65, the San Gabriel River trail and to the first posted Route 1 sign at Studebaker. This accounts for .3 mile of the route and should be ridden very carefully as the bridge passing over the San Gabriel River causes the road to narrow and there is no bike lane indicated. Read the rest of Long Beach Bikeway Route 1: Pacific Coast Highway
After traveling north on Bikeway Route 17, I turned left onto Route 70 and spotted the first sign at Del Amo Boulevard and Bentree Circle. Here at its beginning, traffic flows quickly with three lanes in each direction, that’s the downside. The upside, at least from Orange to Atlantic avenues, is that there is a painted bike lane in both directions and since street parking is prohibited, cyclists don’t have to worry about getting doored. From Atlantic Avenue until Bikeway 70′s official terminus at the LA River, cyclists must ride next to the gutter with cars zooming past. Happily, I was riding after the morning rush. However, I have traveled this stretch on my bike during evening rush hour and traffic can be heavy, so stay extra alert during these times. As I approached the river, a sign clearly marked the end of Route 70 and for the first time I saw a new sign indicating that the LA River Trail will be Route 7. Although the route ended here, I decided to continue on. Read the rest of Long Beach Bikeway Route 70: Del Amo Boulevard
Long Beach Bikeway Route 7: Los Angeles River Trail
Long Beach Bikeway Route 7 is without a doubt one of the best bike routes in the city. It’s direct, kid-friendly and visually interesting almost year-round. I ride this route routinely 3 or 4 times a week. For those living in North Long Beach or Bixby Knolls area, this is one of the safest, most direct paths to downtown. The path is a dedicated bikeway which means painted lanes, no stop lights, no cars and no stopping. Just 8.9 miles of continuous riding. One of the questions I’m often asked about the Los Angeles River Trail is, “Is it safe?” My answer is that I’ve never had a problem. When I first started riding Route 7, long before it had that moniker, in 2001 I was amazed that I could ride the whole length there and back and not see another living soul. Riding through a city this large and not seeing another person for 16 or more miles was eerie. However, traffic, both pedestrian and cyclists, has risen over the years. Every Saturday we do the “family ride” southbound on the river and there is enough traffic to be concerned, at times, with collisions with less experienced riders who fail to follow the traffic laws. As far as safety goes, unaware pedestrians and bird watchers have posed the greatest threat that I have encountered. Read the rest of Long Beach Bikeway Route 7: Los Angeles River Trail
Long Beach Bikeway Route 10: Loma, Broadway, Nieto, Eliot, Loynes
I set out on a bright, breezy Tuesday to track down Long Beach Bikeway Route 10. I had in hand various reports and sightings of Route 10 that had it slithering through Colorado Lagoon, Belmont Heights, and along Broadway. One of these reports included a confirmed sighting of a ‘Begin’ sign on Loma Ave at Ocean Blvd. and so that is where I launched my ride. There is no pleasant way to say this so I’ll just come right out and announce it: Long Beach Bikeway Route 10 has some problems. The first of these is the fact that one of its terminal points is at Loma and Ocean. This location was hard to get to and there seemed no obvious good reason to start or end here. This section of Ocean is a deadly narrow stretch for cyclists and should be avoided at all costs. So to start or end a ride here made no sense unless I lived at one of the handful of homes/apartments here on Loma. Also, if I had just finished my ride here and wanted to get to Bluff Park or the beach and the bike path below, there is no traffic light or crosswalk to allow me to cross this busy section of Ocean. More sense would have been Redondo one block up where there was a light and a flight of stairs to carry my bike down. Read the rest of Long Beach Bikeway Route 10: Loma, Broadway, Nieto, Eliot, Loynes
Long Beach Bikeway Route 29: Woodruff Avenue
Long Beach Bikeway Route 27: Bellflower Boulevard
Long Beach Bikeway Route 27 is an efficient route that takes cyclists from Heartwell Park to Atherton (Long Beach Bikeway Route 30) or unofficially to Bellflower Boulevard’s end at Loynes Drive (Bikeway Route 10). I picked up Long Beach Bikeway Route 29 (Woodruff Ave) after traveling along Long Beach Bikeway Route 60 (Carson). This section of Woodruff is lined mostly with residential blocks on either side with very few landmarks along the way. So if you don’t live along this corridor, it’s likely to be one you miss. The route is clearly marked and has a generous, painted bike lane throughout its entire length. Traffic is brisk but the road is wide enough that I never felt I was buzzed or cramped for space at any time. No on-street parking ensured the bike lane was all mine. Coming from Long Beach Bikeway Route 60, there was a clear sign and arrow indicating Route 29 was coming up, but the first sign I saw on Woodruff was at Harco Street. Shortly after that I passed Long Beach Bikeway 56 , Conant Street. For Bikeway 29, the route officially ends at Spring Street after 1.4 miles and I’m not certain why. Woodruff continues on from there, with the next leg from Spring to Willow actually carrying less traffic, a slightly wider road and a continuation of the bike lane. Read the rest of Long Beach Bikeway Route 29: Woodruff Avenue
For almost its entire length, Bikeway 27 is a spacious bike lane that is often wider than the car lanes — especially along the northern section. Overall, it’s a safe bike path with only a few sections that require “extra” vigilance because of the surrounding traffic. As I did with Route 29, I picked up Bikeway 27 coming off of Route 60 (Carson) and turned south. The first sign I saw indicating the beginning of the route was at Route 56 (Conant) and this first unmarked section accounted for .5 miles of unofficial distance. This first length of the bike route leads cyclists through a major corridor of neighborhoods. The traffic is brisk but with the wide bike lanes and a complete lack of on-street parking, the traffic is hardly noticeable. From Carson to the 405 Freeway underpass, the greatest concern for bike travelers is keeping an eye out for motorists who might be making a right turn through the bike lane. Next up along Bikeway 27 is the intersection of Willow, the 405 and Los Coyotes Diagonal — a seething mass of steel and rubber combined with frenetic energy. Read the rest of Long Beach Bikeway Route 27: Bellflower Boulevard
Long Beach Bikeway Route 30: Atherton St.
Long Beach Bikeway Route 60: Carson Ave.
I began my journey on a cold, blustery day with rain clouds looming in the distance. I reached Long Beach Bikeway Route 30 after traveling Route 56 (Conant) to Route 27 (Bellflower) to what I thought was the beginning of Route 30. As I rode west, I soon discovered that Route 30 seems to have an official beginning at Long Beach Bikeway Route 33 (Studebaker). Since I have begun these reviews I have often re-visited routes at a later date only to discover new signs providing additional information such as crossing routes, arrows indicating direction, signs alerting bicyclers of nearby landmarks, and in some instances, entirely new legs to certain routes (Routes 17 and 10, especially, will need to be updated). Having said this, I could not find an official “begin” sign for Route 30, although I did find an official “end” sign on the western end Ximeno Ave. Long Beach Bikeway Route 30 is a pleasant, well marked route. I enjoyed the wide, painted bike lane and moderate traffic. This route passes right by Cal State Long Beach and through most of this section the lane was completely open since no on-street parking is permitted. Here the greatest concern is on the south side of the street with the many entrances into and out of the college. I was traveling in the late morning and had little trouble, but I imagine this section might be a bit hazardous during peak times in the morning and evening. West of CSLUB Route 30 does have on-street parking in the bike lane, and lots of it. Here I traveled through large clusters of apartment complexes and the greatest threat is getting doored. Read the rest of Long Beach Bikeway Route 30: Atherton St.
An odd coincidence occurred as I rode this route Thursday. My brother was riding in San Diego at about the same time and was hit by a car. Someone shooting a gap between cars, across traffic, nearly T-boned him. Fortunately he hit the brakes at the last moment, collided with their right front bumper and flipped up onto the windshield, before flipping over the top of the car and landing on his feet, relatively unharmed. He says his new nickname is El Gato, and he’s down a life now. Safety, safety, safety. He’s an experienced rider, following the rules of the road and still got hit. Never assume the motorist can see you. Be safe out there. The official Long Beach Bikeway Route 60 is a safe route for kids and inexperienced riders, traveling mostly through Heartwell Park. A word of caution, on Saturdays and Sundays the pedestrian traffic along this route, as well as general use of the park, can make this trail a bit hazardous for riders trying to push for speed. Especially dangerous can be the small children wandering, or even playing on the path, who are completely oblivious of the fact that there might be fast paced bicycles passing through. Read the rest of Long Beach Bikeway Route 60: Carson Ave.
Long Beach Bikeway 65: San Gabriel River Trail
each direction) but the entire route is well marked with wide, painted bike lanes and no on-street parking whatsoever. The Bikeway passes by well maintained Eastside homes and for much of its length is shaded by a variety of mature trees. I began my ride at the northern end coming from Long Beach BikewayRoute 60. There was a sign indicating Bikeway 33 was the next right, onto Los Coyotes Diagonal, but this is not its official start. Here there is a bike dedicated sidewalk path along Los Coyotes, but to reach Bikeway 33 you will need to cross left over Los Coyotes to get to Studebaker, where the route officially begins. This section is pretty safe with all the traffic lights, but sometimes with the odd angles motorists don’t
I ride Long Beach Bikeway Route 65 often, usually as part of loop that takes me down Long Beach Bikeway 7 (LA River), along Bikeway 2 (the beach path), up Bikeway 65 and then return home on Bikeway Route 56.
always stop as they pass through here so be extra sharp. This first section accounts for half a mile of the unofficial distance.
However, no matter how you might end up on Bikeway
Once on Long Beach Bikeway Route 33, it’s all smooth sailing. The road is well maintained and as I mentioned
65, this is an excellent, bikes only, path. In general, this route gets lots of wind, especially later in the day, so if
earlier, much of my ride took my through cool shadows on a warm spring day.
you plan on heading downstream try to get going as early as possible.
Read the rest of Long Beach Bikeway Route 33: Studebaker Rd.
Starting at the bottom of the San Gabriel River, and heading upstream, this bike path is well marked and reasonably well maintained. The path is narrower than Bikeway Route 7 which on the weekends can make for some tight passing situations especially when hardcore club cyclists and casual family riders are sharing the path. Also, expect walkers, joggers and bird watchers.
Long Beach Bikeway Route 54 : East Wardlow Road
Read the rest of Long Beach Bikeway 65: San Gabriel River Trail
Long Beach Bikeway Route 33: Studebaker Rd.
Long Beach Bikeway Route 33 is an enjoyable ride that runs parallel to both Bikeway 27 (Bellflower) and Bikeway 29(Woodruff), but of the three, I enjoyed this route the best. There is a bit of traffic on this four lane road (two in
Before I review Long Beach Bikeway Route 54 I would like to tip my hat to the City of Long Beach and all those who volunteered to organize and run the Long Beach Bike Tour. A thousand riders participated and $60,000 was raised for Miller’s Children’s Hospital. I did not ride the whole route, but the section that I did ride was well
marked with directions and mile markers. Congrats Long Beach!
and Bikeway 75 while passing through the southern end of El Dorado park.
Also this weekend was the 4th Street in Motion event along Retro Row. This event was very well organized as well and had an amazing, eclectic group of participants from toddlers to grandparents, cyclists to roller skaters.
Unofficially, continuing along Willow is not the best route to travel. Once crossing over Studebaker I found myself on a three lane in each direction road. Traffic is brisk and cyclists are essentially traveling in the gutter.
At the event Swoop’s World Radio interviewed participants and among those interviewed was none other than bike-architect-in-chief for the city, Mr. Charles Gandy. In the interview he discusses progress made over the last three years, what’s ahead in the next year and announced that a map for the Bikeways is now available. So check out the interview and find your map at such places as the HUB, your local bike shop, or head up to the 10th Floor at City Hall and grab a copy. Long Beach Bikeway 54 used to be my preferred route to get from my Cal Heights home to El Dorado Park or Long Beach Bikeway 65 until I discovered Bikeway 56 (Conant) which is a bit more family friendly. That being said, from the route’s official beginning at Studebaker (Long Beach Bikeway 33), the route has painted bike lanes in both directions for its entire 1.5 official miles. Read the rest of Long Beach Bikeway Route 54 : East Wardlow Road
Long Beach Bikeway Route 40: Willow Rd.
Long Beach Bikeway Route 40 is a brief route that officially runs .5 miles from Studebaker (Long beach Bikeway 33) to the Los Alamitos city line. This Bikeway is along a busy stretch of two-lane road and is not for the inexperienced. The route does have a painted bike lane in both directions and is well marked. Its primary purpose seems to connect to Bikeway 65 (San Gabriel River Trail)
Furthermore, motorists are not expecting a cyclist on this road. I rode along here for another 2.5 miles and turned right on Columbia Way to avoid traveling under the 405 freeway and the Lakewood interchange. This section should be avoided completely by cyclists as passing through here would be a death defying act. Read the rest of Long Beach Bikeway Route 40: Willow Rd.