I ride a bike every day. I don’t own a car and my e-bike is my primary mode of transportation, and while that has its perks (like not paying for gas or parking) it also can be limiting. I wrote a whole column about it that you can read here, but the biggest problem is that many streets in Long Beach just aren’t safe for bike riders. This affects where I feel safe riding around the city to the point where I don’t venture outside certain areas without catching a ride in a car.
The city, for its part, is slowly doing something about that. Long Beach says it has a goal of eliminating traffic deaths in the city entirely, and a big part of that plan is to increase the number of people riding bikes instead of driving. Officials have acknowledged that one of the best ways to do that is to build safe bike routes around the city so more people can ride their bikes to more places, eliminating vehicle traffic in the process.
Here are six projects the city completed, planned or at least discussed in 2023 to help make that happen.
Mark Bixby Memorial Bike Path (completed)
The Mark Bixby Memorial Bike Path that spans the Long Beach International Gateway Bridge opened in May of this year. The long-awaited bike path named for the late Mark Bixby, whose advocacy helped ensure it was built, finally is open to the public, and, although it doesn’t connect to anything at the other end, it gives cyclists a chance to enjoy some pretty stunning views of the harbor before turning back to find another route. You can see our reel about it below.
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Artesia Great Boulevard Project (broke ground)
A portion of Artesia Boulevard in North Long Beach stretching from Long Beach Boulevard to Downey Avenue will be getting a major facelift, and the project broke ground this year. Along with center medians and other traffic safety improvements, the design includes protected bike lanes along the exterior for a significant portion. Read more about this project here.
Bike lane upgrades on Market Street (began construction)
Construction has also started on Market Street in North Long Beach where bike lane upgrades will be added to most of the road from Deeboyer Avenue to the Los Angeles River. Unfortunately for the longest stretch, from Long Beach Blvd to Lewis Avenue, the lanes will be unprotected, painted lanes that place riders between parked cars and moving traffic (also known as the “door zone”). But from Lewis to Cherry they will have protective buffers and be oriented between parked cars and the sidewalk, away from traffic. More information can be found here.
Bike lane backbone (announced)
The city is completing the design on a “Backbone Bikeway” that will run north and south along Orange and Atlantic avenues connecting North Long Beach to Downtown with an 8.3-mile-long protected bike route. There will also be bus islands, curb extensions, and other pedestrian improvements that you can read all about here.
Studebaker Road bike lanes (early stages)
The project that was expected to start in 2023 has been delayed as the cost has increased, but it is moving steadily forward and will hopefully break ground in the new year. Originally expected to cost around $18.5 million, the new price tag is pushing $40 million, but the city is working to get it done and add protected bike lanes along the road from Second Street to Los Coyotes Diagonal along with new landscaping, crosswalks and other pedestrian safety improvements. Read more here.
Pacific Avenue Cycle Track (early stage)
The city this year provided more updates on the planned separated bikeways from Ocean Boulevard to Pacific Coast Highway that are expected to begin construction this coming year. The project will also reduce lanes to lower vehicle speeds and provide shorter pedestrian crossings, all things residents of the Washington neighborhood have been asking the city to provide for years. For more information on this project and others click here for the 2023 update on the Safe Streets Long Beach Action Plan.