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Photos courtesy of Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition by Jennifer Louie.

Registration for the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition (LACBC)’s 17th Annual Los Angeles River Ride is now open and participants can choose from three routes starting in Long Beach, as well as seven routes starting from The Autry in Griffith Park, it was announced today.

The River Ride raises awareness of the need to close the gaps in the Los Angeles River Bike & Pedestrian Path, which eventually, will extend from the river’s headwaters in Canoga Park to the ocean in Long Beach, according to the release.

As LACBC’s largest fundraiser, those who ride support the organization’s year-round advocacy efforts to make Los Angeles County a healthy, safe and fun place to hop on a bike and go for a ride.

LACBC has been working with Long Beach’s local chapter, Walk Bike Long Beach, to make the city more bikeable, while the City of Long Beach has also sponsored the nonprofit’s Operation Firefly bike light distributions for the past three seasons.


 

“The L.A. River Ride is our premier event and our chance to show off all the progress that has been made along the Los Angeles River in recent years,” LACBC Executive Director Tamika Butler said in a statement.

The L.A. River Ride, which has been happening since 2001, introduced its three routes starting from Long Beach in 2012. There have been Long Beach starts every year since then, however, proposed construction at the Aquarium of the Pacific and not being able to secure a large enough space prevented LACBC from hosting any starts from the seaside city in 2016, albeit a pit stop at Shoreline Park.

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“This year, we are excited to welcome back three routes beginning in Long Beach, where hundreds of riders from the Long Beach area, South Bay, Orange County, and the Southeast Cities have joined us in the past,” Butler said in a statement.

Participants can choose from 10 different rides (100-, 70-, 50-, 36-, 25-, and 15-mile rides, plus a kids ride), starting at either the Autry Center in Griffith Park or Marina Green Park in Long Beach. The event will take place on Sunday, June 4, with staggered start times depending on the length of the ride.

Online registration will close Wednesday, May 31; riders can also sign up the morning of the event. Fees range from $30 to $70, with family rates available and free registration for children 12 and under.

For more information and/or to register, visit the website here.

Marina Green Park is located at 386 East Shoreline Drive.

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Asia Morris is a Long Beach native covering arts and culture for the Long Beach Post. You can reach her @hugelandmass on Twitter and Instagram and at [email protected].