Up the Road: San Gabriel Valley Greenway Network

Well that was exciting stuff. I am not much of a meeting person, just ask the people where I work from which direction the snoring comes every Monday morning, but this one was good. Though much of the excitement had to do with the topic of presentation, credit must also be given to the people sitting around me. Many of bicycling's local movers and shakers could be counted in the audience, including Sarah and John of the PVBC, Walt, who is far more involved in matters related by cycling than many of us knew, Paul of Bicycle Revolution, Marcus, who leads the RAP every month and, of course the evening's guest, Claremont City Councilman Sam Pedroza. I was sort of out of place among all the doers, but I heard there would be snacks and beverages and that was good enough for me.

Mr. Pedroza, now in his tenth year on the City Council (which, I believe, means he has served as mayor twice) has also long been involved in various regional governmental and transportation bodies, besides holding down his regular full-time job, gave a brief slide presentation on the San Gabriel Valley Greenway Network. Never heard of it, you say? Don't worry, neither had I. Get ready, though, because you will. Soon. It is big, and it is coming. In fact last nights presentation served as a kind of dry run for a much larger presentation Mr. Pedroza is giving today before representatives of the many San Gabriel Valley cities, as well as stakeholders from local, state and federal agencies. After that, look for more information to begin flowing to the public and involved community groups.

What is the San Gabriel Valley Greenway Network. In basic terms it is a cohesive system of active transportation routes, mostly off-street, taking advantage of river and stream channels, and utility and railroad corridors, linking cities within, and even beyond, the San Gabriel Valley. I am going to leave things at that, but keep your eyes and ears open; I am sure you will be reading and hearing much more about the network in the near future. Jump to the big map by clicking here. 

A couple more things to note came out of the meeting - first, this Saturday's RAP, which will be visiting some of Pomona's interesting signage; and if you want a little more distance there is going to be a feeder ride from Claremont. Second, Bicycle Revolution is in the process of producing a film based upon the class and the information collected by students of the class. A production screening is scheduled for May 10th in the afternoon, with the potential for additional screenings, and ultimately shows beyond that. This is sounding good, and is a positive reason to follow along on the Bicycle Revolution page on Facebook. Naturally, I will also continue to share announcements from these groups whenever they come to my attention.