RTC TrailBlog : compton creek

In Los Angeles, Locals Show Some Love For Compton Creek Bike Path

Jake Lynch — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 21:48:00 GMT

The urban environment of Compton, Los Angeles, provides a strong example of why Rails-to-Trails Conservancy's (RTC) Urban Pathways Initiative is such urgent and important work.

With less than one acre of open space per 1,000 residents, well below the national recommendation of 10 acres per 1,000 residents, the people of Compton have few opportunities to incorporate physical activity in their day-to-day lives - to ride a bike, to jog, to walk to the store or even to take a relaxing stroll with friends.

Improving access to trails and pathways, and the appeal and usability of those pathways, has been one of the focuses of our work in Compton since first getting involved there in 2009.

Running through the center of Compton, the 5.3-mile Compton Creek Bike Path (right) passes schools, parks, businesses and neighborhoods, offering a valuable resource to the community for physical activity and active transportation.

Unfortunately, concerns about safety and maintenance on the trail are keeping people from using it as often as they could. It is a cycle that can repeat itself - with less activity on the trail there is less impetus to improve its condition, less community ownership, and so it goes.

In order to address these issues, the City of Compton has started an initiative of hosting community volunteer days to clean up and beautify the bike path. We are very pleased to report that the first event of that program was held early this month, thanks to volunteers from the excellent Hub City Teens (below). The Hub City Teens Trail Ambassadors are all graduates of an RTC Earn-a-Bike program, and are now trail champions in their own right, helping to educate other local students about the importance of the trail, the creek, and of regular physical activity. More cleanup events have been scheduled for December and January.

"It is terrific to see a community of people who use and care about the trail slowly coming together," says RTC's Manager of Trail Development in the Western Region, Barry Bergman. "As we have seen in our other urban project areas across the country, building this kind of lasting ownership takes time. But in the long term this is how you build a community pathway that is loved, cared for and well-used."

As part of RTC's ongoing Urban Pathways Initiative work in Compton, our western region staff have started collaborating with the City of Compton and local groups to produce monthly calendars of trail-related events and outdoor activities in the greater Compton community. To keep updated on Cleanup Days, and other trail-related events, check the events calendar on the City of Compton's website, or contact RTC's Western Region Office at western@railstotrails.org, or 415-814-1100.

Photo of Compton Creek Bike Path courtesy www.traillink.com
Photo of cleanup event courtesy Hub City Teens

Compton Rolls out for First-Ever BikeFest

Steve Schweigerdt (RTC) — Wed, 25 May 2011 21:18:00 GMT

Last Saturday, May 21, 120 Compton, Calif., residents rolled out for the first-ever Compton BikeFest. In celebration of Bike Month this May, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) joined forces with the city of Compton Parks and Recreation Department and Hub City Teens to teach local riders about bike safety and the best ways to get around on two wheels in Compton.

Participants visited several stations featuring demonstrations on bike maintenance, how to ride safely on roads, footpaths and bike lanes, and even took slalom runs through a mini course set up in Gonzales Park just for the occasion. The majority of participants did not come with bikes, so they borrowed a friend's or took turns on donated bikes to spin through the course.

A few lucky locals who didn't have a set of wheels rode away with a brand-new bike of their own, thanks to RTC and our partners Kaiser Permanente and the LA County Sheriff's Department, with seven new bikes offered as raffle prizes at the end of the day.

For those bikes that needed a touch-up here and there, Watts Cyclery mechanics and Cyclists Inciting Change Thru Live Exchange (CICLE) helped out with some running repairs, teaching kids how to take care of their own bikes with some simple maintenance tips.

For more photos from Compton BikeFest, visit hubcityteens.com.

Photo of BikeFest by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy.

RTC Releases New Report on Trail Crossings at Major Roadways

Steve Schweigerdt (RTC) — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 17:44:00 GMT

One of the challenges we face on urban pathways, and particularly in our work with the Compton Creek Bike Path, is how to get a continuous and extended trail experience when the trail is regularly bisected by major streets with high traffic volumes and speeds.

Trail users need and should be able to get across these streets to continue their journeys. Many cities are able to bridge over or tunnel under these major streets, but in some cases it is not feasible or desirable to invest in grade separation.

Fortunately, there are devices that can be used to improve the safety of these crossings with signs and markings, raised medians and refuge islands, and new beacons and signals. RTC's Western Regional Office has compiled a report of methods that can be used to improve at-grade mid-block crossings of multilane roadways, including examples of the treatments used together and examples of improved and planned crossings in California. You can download the report from our library.

Youth Activity Leagues Connect Kids to Trails

Steve Schweigerdt (RTC) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 20:40:00 GMT

Activity Leagues operated by local law enforcement agencies are often a good match for trail advocates looking to encourage cycling among youth. As part of our Urban Pathways Initiative work along the Compton Creek Bike Path in southern California, RTC came across a program of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department called Bicycle Education and Registration (BEAR). This program gives local youth the opportunity to work with deputies and learn about bicycle education, safety and repair. In addition, the program recycles confiscated bicycles and offers them to local youth who successfully complete the five day course. After completion of the class, local youth gain bicycle education, a new bike, a helmet, parts, and a positive relationship with law enforcement. The program graduates about 60 new riders each year and has about 100 graduates so far. As a part of our work in Compton, we are investigating ways to improve the connections between the trail and the Youth Activity League location so that the new riders can access the trail safely.

Youth Activity Leagues or Police Activity Leagues are located across the country and can be found through the National Association of Police Athletic/Activities Leagues.

Photo from Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department