CC River Trail conditions at Alondra/Rosecrans
03-15-14, 11:38 AM
#26
Full Member
Thread Starter
The Bridge is Installed - Rider Stay Off
--- --- --- ---
Caltrans and SFS grant special privileges to a private entity (the Swap Meet), and the cycling public has lost more access and resources in the process.
The cycling public is part of larger class of users of non-motorized thoroughfare in this case and the class is protected by state law:
https://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/di...file=887-888.8
Santa Fe Springs Swap Meet installs 180-foot pedestrian bridge over 5 Freeway
The headline is wrong and misleading. The bridge only goes over the CC channel to facilitate access to the Swap Meet from the VV side. This is a freebie to SFS and the Swap Meet from Caltrans.
On the VV side, the bridge will span over any public space and into the parking lot of a company called, Dynamic World Wide, operating on most of the NW corner of Valley View and Alondra. This is a huge manufacturer with a handful of segregated parking lots, and they will lease parking to the Swap Meet mostly on weekends.
This news has gone unnoticed. I found it by Google this morning. One of the local SFS riders gave me a heads-up last Thursday that the bridge was installed - we knew it was coming back in Sept. 2013.
At the Caltrans/LA_County bike safety meeting there was talk that the Swap Meet Bosses would exclude everyone but their customers that parked at the Dynamic WW lot from the bridge - so no cyclists allowed, especially those that want to use the bike path to commute across to Valley View.
The City of SFS and the Swap Meet people were absent from the meeting. This was a bad omen for anyone that wants to bike commute through this area, including the upper CC bike path.
Looking at the Pic Slide Show, its apparent that the bridge is lifted about 10 feet above the CC bike path on the Swap Meet side, and again about 8 feet above the walkway route on the Dynamic WW side. My local source says access to the bridge is gated on both sides (closed on most weekdays) and the gap in the fence off the bike path is now fenced in, preventing access to the Swap Meet from the upper CC path.
Caltrans had originally promised that Freeway Dr access to eastbound Alondra would be restored in Feb. 2014, and now this date is moved back to the Fall of 2014. The closure of Freeway Dr hurt the Swap Meet and it's clear that the bridge was their remedy to improve business. Too bad bridge installation came after the Christmas boom, so things didn't go entirely their way.
Here's the bottom line: LA County (LAC) PW is responsible for the CC bike path. The Swap Meet is on land leased from LAC. LAC should have some leverage to demand the SM to allow riders to cross their parking lot from the CC bike path and continue to Carmenita or VV.
Back on Nov 19, 2013 I emailed the Public Works Manager for SFS (Mr. N. Negrete) and asked that he include cyclists and access to the CC bike path in any decision he made about the bridge. They never responded. I also called the SFS Satellite office of LAC Supervisor Knabe and talked to an aide.
F-U SFS and Caltrans, and to LAC: get the lead out and protect their bike thoroughfare
--- --- --- ---
Caltrans and SFS grant special privileges to a private entity (the Swap Meet), and the cycling public has lost more access and resources in the process.
The cycling public is part of larger class of users of non-motorized thoroughfare in this case and the class is protected by state law:
https://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/di...file=887-888.8
Santa Fe Springs Swap Meet installs 180-foot pedestrian bridge over 5 Freeway
The headline is wrong and misleading. The bridge only goes over the CC channel to facilitate access to the Swap Meet from the VV side. This is a freebie to SFS and the Swap Meet from Caltrans.
On the VV side, the bridge will span over any public space and into the parking lot of a company called, Dynamic World Wide, operating on most of the NW corner of Valley View and Alondra. This is a huge manufacturer with a handful of segregated parking lots, and they will lease parking to the Swap Meet mostly on weekends.
This news has gone unnoticed. I found it by Google this morning. One of the local SFS riders gave me a heads-up last Thursday that the bridge was installed - we knew it was coming back in Sept. 2013.
At the Caltrans/LA_County bike safety meeting there was talk that the Swap Meet Bosses would exclude everyone but their customers that parked at the Dynamic WW lot from the bridge - so no cyclists allowed, especially those that want to use the bike path to commute across to Valley View.
The City of SFS and the Swap Meet people were absent from the meeting. This was a bad omen for anyone that wants to bike commute through this area, including the upper CC bike path.
Looking at the Pic Slide Show, its apparent that the bridge is lifted about 10 feet above the CC bike path on the Swap Meet side, and again about 8 feet above the walkway route on the Dynamic WW side. My local source says access to the bridge is gated on both sides (closed on most weekdays) and the gap in the fence off the bike path is now fenced in, preventing access to the Swap Meet from the upper CC path.
Caltrans had originally promised that Freeway Dr access to eastbound Alondra would be restored in Feb. 2014, and now this date is moved back to the Fall of 2014. The closure of Freeway Dr hurt the Swap Meet and it's clear that the bridge was their remedy to improve business. Too bad bridge installation came after the Christmas boom, so things didn't go entirely their way.
Here's the bottom line: LA County (LAC) PW is responsible for the CC bike path. The Swap Meet is on land leased from LAC. LAC should have some leverage to demand the SM to allow riders to cross their parking lot from the CC bike path and continue to Carmenita or VV.
Back on Nov 19, 2013 I emailed the Public Works Manager for SFS (Mr. N. Negrete) and asked that he include cyclists and access to the CC bike path in any decision he made about the bridge. They never responded. I also called the SFS Satellite office of LAC Supervisor Knabe and talked to an aide.
F-U SFS and Caltrans, and to LAC: get the lead out and protect their bike thoroughfare
Last edited by marquhar; 03-16-14 at 01:29 PM.
03-19-14, 05:12 PM
#27
Full Member
Thread Starter
Old path on eastside of channel looking North (2011)
Same view taken today with new bridge in place (2014)
The above Pic is taken with the FlatIron Hidden camera.
In addition, I got a look at the private entrance to the bridge inside the Dynamic WW parking lot. Its clear that nobody was using the bridge today - not even Swap Meet customers. The same tree appears in the 2 photos. There is fresh asphalt for a new walkway behind the gate.
The bridge cost $600k. I was told 6 months ago that cost was $150k. This cost was shared between the Swap Meet owners and Caltrans. To spend so much means they plan to use the bridge for a long time - more than a few months.
The design of the bridge is to span over all the public spaces and terminate into private space. They could easily have terminated it on the two paths in the public space so that pedestrians and cyclists, along with Swap Meet customers, could use the bridge at any time. Its very possible that the bike path on the west side is permanently damaged from the bridge pillar. I believe that they have sacrificed the bike path for the installation of the bridge - I hope the damage is repairable.
Same view taken today with new bridge in place (2014)
The above Pic is taken with the FlatIron Hidden camera.
In addition, I got a look at the private entrance to the bridge inside the Dynamic WW parking lot. Its clear that nobody was using the bridge today - not even Swap Meet customers. The same tree appears in the 2 photos. There is fresh asphalt for a new walkway behind the gate.
The bridge cost $600k. I was told 6 months ago that cost was $150k. This cost was shared between the Swap Meet owners and Caltrans. To spend so much means they plan to use the bridge for a long time - more than a few months.
The design of the bridge is to span over all the public spaces and terminate into private space. They could easily have terminated it on the two paths in the public space so that pedestrians and cyclists, along with Swap Meet customers, could use the bridge at any time. Its very possible that the bike path on the west side is permanently damaged from the bridge pillar. I believe that they have sacrificed the bike path for the installation of the bridge - I hope the damage is repairable.
Last edited by marquhar; 03-20-14 at 01:09 AM.
03-20-14, 12:42 PM
#28
Full Member
Thread Starter
Feb I-5 news about Alondra & Shoemaker Bridges
Found above via Google.
News is that Shoemaker bridge will open in May and Alondra bridge in August.
Same reporter is writing all these stories. Too bad he doesn't dig for all the scandalous antics that are going on. You can bet he doesn't ride a bike in the I-5 project area.
Last edited by marquhar; 03-20-14 at 12:51 PM.
06-07-14, 01:25 AM
#29
Full Member
Thread Starter
I-5 Curtain starting to open:
Shoemaker Bridge over the i-5 was opened in the last week:
the 2nd and 3rd photos were taken in March near the SFS Swap Meet. This is the pedestrian bridge that interferes with the upper CCRT bike path between Rosecrans
and Alondra.
notice how the bridge has only a few feet of clearance above the bike path. Moreover, see how they built a concrete pillar to support the bridge on the edge of the path. If they ever take down the bridge that pillar needs to go too, so removing it might require the path be rebuilt in this section.
BTW, I cross through the I-5 project area on my way to workouts in La Mirada-LaHabra.
I do an 2x8 mile loop around the 'La Mirada Park' - Hillsborough area.
Shoemaker Bridge over the i-5 was opened in the last week:
the 2nd and 3rd photos were taken in March near the SFS Swap Meet. This is the pedestrian bridge that interferes with the upper CCRT bike path between Rosecrans
and Alondra.
notice how the bridge has only a few feet of clearance above the bike path. Moreover, see how they built a concrete pillar to support the bridge on the edge of the path. If they ever take down the bridge that pillar needs to go too, so removing it might require the path be rebuilt in this section.
BTW, I cross through the I-5 project area on my way to workouts in La Mirada-LaHabra.
I do an 2x8 mile loop around the 'La Mirada Park' - Hillsborough area.
Last edited by marquhar; 06-07-14 at 01:47 AM. Reason: https://www.bikeforums.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=385616&stc=1
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