Greenway 2020 is a movement  to connect all 51 miles of the Los Angeles River, from Canoga Park in the San Fernando Valley to Long Beach, by the year 2020. Our Greenway 2020 vision is to use the riverbank as a continuous 51-mile active transportation and recreational corridor, becoming a spine to the larger bike and pedestrian networks within the County and river-adjacent cities.

Amplify your support for Greenway 2020. Find out more here.

The Los Angeles River can become a key linkage to the approximately 30% of major transportation stops that are within one mile of the river. Through Greenway 2020 and our partnership with the public and private sectors, the 51-mile Los Angeles River will become integral to our quality of life and essential to building the healthy, vibrant, and resilient region in which we want to live.

WHY JOIN THE GREENWAY 2020 MOVEMENT?

For too long, the Los Angeles region has been stuck in a concrete landscape, where the Los Angeles River has been viewed merely as a flood-control channel. Given the severe drought the State of California faces, we have no other option than to re-think how our current infrastructure can be updated to be used to achieve a sustainable water supply while offering a civic, recreational and active-transportation resource to meet the needs of the highly urbanized Los Angeles County, today and in the future.

Through an integrated 51-mile river design vision, Greenway 2020 can emerge to connect our neighborhoods, ease our commutes, build healthier spaces, invest in our communities, and support the need to restore our river’s natural beauty.

The Greenway 2020 campaign envisions more than just a 51-mile pathway for transportation—the Greenway will be a destination itself, charting new possibilities from bike-in movies to yoga classes. Instead of crowded streets and the blare of horns on your morning commute, imagine singing birds, rushing water, and numerous coffee shops along the way to and from work. A healthier space will emerge where families can ride bikes, play in parks, and breath fresh air along our urban waterway. We’ve found a better way—the Greenway.

GREENWAY 2020 IS IN MOTION

Our Los Angeles River has long been invisible , but momentum is on our side. The Greenway is already in motion—from kayaking to fishing, biking to picnicking, families are using the river more and more every day. Because our region is enjoying the river today, we are spreading the word to create even more exciting opportunities for tomorrow.

Support Greenway 2020. Find out more here.

Today, nearly 30 of the 51 miles are connected. Now, we need your help in advocating for the connection of the missing gaps so the path would run continuously from the San Fernando Valley to Long Beach, complete with amenities along the way. To do this, we are building a movement - of neighborhoods, community organizations, business associations, philanthropic foundations and elected leaders - to make this vision a reality.

What are some of the successes?

• Greenway 2020 falls within Los Angeles Mayor Garcetti’s Performance Metric of “Miles of Los Angeles River Public Access”

• Greenway 2020 is a part of the City of Los Angeles Department of Transportation’s 2015 Strategic Plan through the call to “Build Out the River Path by the Year 2020”

• As of March 2015, an “LA River Bikeway Implementation Working Group” has been formed between the City and County of Los Angeles, City and County Departments and Metro with regularly scheduled monthly meetings to prepare strategies for implementation and track progress.

• NBC Universal donated $13.5 million to study an extension of the existing 7-mile River Bike Path with a 6 mile path from Riverside Drive in Griffith Park to Whitsett Avenue in Studio City  by 2016.

• Metro agreed to conduct a Feasibility Study of an 8-mile in-channel bike path between Riverside Drive in the Elysian Valley and Atlantic Boulevard in Maywood by 2016. Once implemented, this eight-mile section could provide an uninterrupted and dedicated bike path that connects 33 miles from Long Beach to the Griffith Park.

• Greenway 2020, specifically “Completing a Bike and Pedestrian Path on the Los Angeles River Throughout the San Fernando Valley,” is an active-transportation priority for the San Fernando Valley Council of Governments

• Valley Industry & Commerce Association (VICA) included Greenway 2020 in its 2015 Transportation Committee and Land Use Committee Legislative Goals, specifically calling out the support of the LA River Valley Bike Path to stimulate investment in the recreational and active transportation corridor

CREATIVE PARTNERSHIPS

In partnership with Golden Road Brewing, we are pleased to present our very own 2020 IPA. The custom IPA is an ode to our Greenway 2020 Campaign. A portion of the proceeds of every can/pint purchased goes back to River LA, so you can feel satisfied knowing your enthusiastic beer-drinking is for a good cause. The 2020 IPA is a part of Golden Road's Custom IPA series and will be available from February to April at local bars, Whole Foods and other participating retailers.

We are so thrilled to partner with Golden Road Brewing each spring, to build awareness of the campaign and our shared vision of the future of the Los Angeles River. Building a cleaner, greener and more connected Southland along the Los Angeles River takes enthusiasm and commitment. Meg Gill, Tony and Amy Yanow and the entire team at Golden Road continue to demonstrate that you can party with a purpose. This innovative partnership is a prime example of how river adjacent businesses can get involved and support community efforts along the Los Angeles River.

The IPA is fabulous! So please support Greenway 2020 when you come across Golden Road’s 2020 IPA - pick up at 4-pack (or two) at a store near you.

HOW YOU CAN BE PART OF THE MOVEMENT

Our mission is to not only transform the Los Angeles river, but also the way  people engage with the river and the 15 cities and numerous jurisdictions the river crosses. Join us in creating a new more connected, vibrant and sustainable reality  for the our region, and get involved to help fill the gaps.

There are plenty of ways for you to amplify your support for Greenway 2020. Find out more here.

GREENWAY 2020 & THE U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS' ARBOR STUDY

River LA advocated for the selection and implementation of Alternative 20 of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles River Ecosystem Restoration Feasibility Study. If approved by the Army Corps’ Civil Works Review Board in July 2015, Alternative 20 will go to Congress, where federal funds can be allocated.

The Federal Government’s support towards Alternative 20 ensures that the Los Angeles River becomes a conservation legacy of the 21st century. Even President Obama chose the LA River as one of seven sites selected in Urban Waters Federal Partnership, in an effort to implement the America’s Great Outdoors Initiative.  So it is up to the Army Corps of Engineers and Congress to join the President, by selecting Alternative 20 to fully restore the river and stimulate regional and local economies, create local jobs, improve the quality of life, and support public health by revitalizing urban waterways in under-served communities.

The Army Corps’ Los Angeles River Ecosystem Restoration Study’s Alternative 20 11-mile scope from Griffith Park to Downtown is a vital component of River LA's Greenway 2020 movement to complete a continuous 51-mile Greenway adjacent to the Los Angeles River. The Alternative 20 proposal restores habitat, widens the river, creates wetlands and provides pedestrian access points and bicycle paths along an 11-mile stretch of the Los Angeles River north of downtown through Elysian Park. Alternative 20 is the starting point for projects like Greenway 2020 that will eventually revitalize all 51 miles of the river.

When we restore urban ecosystems, we are also building healthier spaces for people to enjoy the great outdoors by riding bikes, doing yoga, or BBQing with friends and family, while breathing fresh air along the open water. That is why we worked to accelerate the Army Corps’ study and will continue to push for significant federal investment to give everyone access to a more vibrant quality of life.

To learn more about the Army Corps' ARBOR Study, click here. 

GREENWAY 2020 SUPPORTERS