STUDIO CITY—An event marking the groundbreaking for the half-mile Zev Yaroslavsky L.A. River Greenway Trail was held on November 1. The trail is named after County Supervisor Yaroslavsky, who spearheaded the project.
The garden path trail is planned to stretch from Whitsett Avenue to Coldwater Canyon, “bridging the gap” between the just-completed Valleyheart Riverwalk and another LA River Greenway, creating the longest LA River Greenway Trail in the Valley, at over five consecutive miles.
The project will be part of a 51-mile-long Los Angeles River natural path project, which is planned to range from the San Fernando Valley to the Pacific Ocean.
The path is planned to open to the public in spring 2016. Officials say the desolate dusty strip of Los Angeles County Flood Control District will be transformed into a lush garden path containing nearly 4,000 native oak, sycamore, toyon, and other trees. A diverse selection of native shrubs and grasses, which are expected to attract birds native to California including various types of Finches and Sparrows, will be included.
Funding for the $2 million project came from the California Natural Resource Agency, Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, Caltrans, the city of Los Angeles and Proposition A property taxes.
Discussing the project with Canyon News, Sarah Elkaim, a resident of Studio City, mentioned, “I’m most excited about how they plan on planting over 4,000 different trees. That’ll bring more wildlife—and I love animals. Oak trees, toyon, sycamore—I’m sure others too.” And she added, “Because of this project, a lot of leaders in other communities are considering making rivers and trails as well.”
