9/19/2019 - Open Streets Event 'ArroyoFest' to Shut Down 110 for One Day in 2020 - Bianca Barragan, CurbedLA
In the fall of 2020, if all goes as planned, the 110 Freeway will be shut down from just east of the 5 Freeway to its terminus near Pasadena for people to walk, bike, and move around—without cars—for an afternoon. ”We love working on projects that are ambitious, engaging, and inviting to the public,” Wesley Reutimann, the special programs director of Active San Gabriel Valley, the organization that’s putting together the event. As wild as the idea may seem, Arroyo Fest has been done before. An event of the same name took place in the summer of 2003. Read more.
In the fall of 2020, if all goes as planned, the 110 Freeway will be shut down from just east of the 5 Freeway to its terminus near Pasadena for people to walk, bike, and move around—without cars—for an afternoon. ”We love working on projects that are ambitious, engaging, and inviting to the public,” Wesley Reutimann, the special programs director of Active San Gabriel Valley, the organization that’s putting together the event. As wild as the idea may seem, Arroyo Fest has been done before. An event of the same name took place in the summer of 2003. Read more.
8/27/2019 - SGV CONNECT 47- Catching up with ActiveSGV and David Diaz- Kristopher Fortin and Damien Newton, Streetsblog LA
We're trying something new this week, both by hosting two podcasts in the same week and by conducting our first interview. In this episode both Damien Newton and Kris Fortin interview David Diaz, the Director of the Streetsie Award Winning Supergroup, ActiveSGV. Listen Here.
We're trying something new this week, both by hosting two podcasts in the same week and by conducting our first interview. In this episode both Damien Newton and Kris Fortin interview David Diaz, the Director of the Streetsie Award Winning Supergroup, ActiveSGV. Listen Here.
8/27/2019 - Taste of Baldwin Park Ride - Christine N. Ziemba, LAist
ActiveSGV organizes a night of food and fun centered around biking, The family-and beginner-friendly ride that stops at local eateries with free food samples and special raffle prizes. Read more.
ActiveSGV organizes a night of food and fun centered around biking, The family-and beginner-friendly ride that stops at local eateries with free food samples and special raffle prizes. Read more.
7/2/2019 - Metro Approves Transit-to-Parks Plan, with Motion Adding Liaison, Marketing, and $1M Downpayment- Joe Linton, StreetsBlog LA
Last week, the Metro Board unanimously adopted the agency's proposed Transit to Parks Strategic Plan, as well as amending staff recommendations to give the plan a bit more momentum for implementation. Read more.
Last week, the Metro Board unanimously adopted the agency's proposed Transit to Parks Strategic Plan, as well as amending staff recommendations to give the plan a bit more momentum for implementation. Read more.
6/28/2019 - Metro has a plan to bring more Angelenos to parks and beaches- Elijah Chiland, Curbed Los Angeles
From its mountains to its beaches, Los Angeles is full of places to enjoy the great outdoors. But accessing these places on public transportation can be time consuming and confusing. Read more.
From its mountains to its beaches, Los Angeles is full of places to enjoy the great outdoors. But accessing these places on public transportation can be time consuming and confusing. Read more.
5/19/2018 - Time to tune up that bike: Baldwin Park, Irwindale to host open streets event - Christopher Yee, San Gabriel Valley Tribune
The City Council voted unanimously Wednesday to approve furnishing $49,148 in Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority grant funding to Bike SGV, a nonprofit organization that advocates on behalf of cyclists in the San Gabriel Valley, to provide services related to the event. Read more.
The City Council voted unanimously Wednesday to approve furnishing $49,148 in Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority grant funding to Bike SGV, a nonprofit organization that advocates on behalf of cyclists in the San Gabriel Valley, to provide services related to the event. Read more.
4/27/2018 - Bike San Gabriel Valley puts finishing touches on a 5-city plan - Steve Scauzillo, San Gabriel Valley Tribune
Of those five, San Gabriel, Baldwin Park, El Monte and South El Monte have projects in the ground, Reutimann said. The fifth city, Monterey Park, is at the early stages of designing a bike lane for Monterey Pass Road. The latest plan is seen as an extension of the first Bike SGV plan, designed by Alta Planning + Design, a bike and pedestrian planning firm. The current effort is being designed by the same group but will try to plan for bike lanes and paths that connect across city lines. This plan also considers pedestrians and greenways, he said. Read more.
Of those five, San Gabriel, Baldwin Park, El Monte and South El Monte have projects in the ground, Reutimann said. The fifth city, Monterey Park, is at the early stages of designing a bike lane for Monterey Pass Road. The latest plan is seen as an extension of the first Bike SGV plan, designed by Alta Planning + Design, a bike and pedestrian planning firm. The current effort is being designed by the same group but will try to plan for bike lanes and paths that connect across city lines. This plan also considers pedestrians and greenways, he said. Read more.
2/14/2018 - BikeSGV Tests Idea of E-Bike Rebates - Melanie Curry, StreetsblogLA
Bike San Gabriel Valley could see the potential of e-bikes, and knew that many people in its community would have trouble coming up with the money for an electric bike. “We support the adoption of e-bikes, especially given that rebates are being thrown at cars,” said Wesley Reutimann, Executive Director of BikeSGV. “They have good utility, and with our topography and the more and more hot days that we are experiencing, they make sense." Read more.
Bike San Gabriel Valley could see the potential of e-bikes, and knew that many people in its community would have trouble coming up with the money for an electric bike. “We support the adoption of e-bikes, especially given that rebates are being thrown at cars,” said Wesley Reutimann, Executive Director of BikeSGV. “They have good utility, and with our topography and the more and more hot days that we are experiencing, they make sense." Read more.
1/18/2018 - Monterey Park to finally get its first bike lanes — here's where - Christopher Yee, San Gabriel Valley Tribune
The protected bike lanes would be created on Monterey Pass Road, best known as an industrial corridor that connects Garvey , Fremont and Floral avenues. None of the existing traffic lanes or parking spaces would be affected by the creation of bike lanes — instead, 8 feet of the existing 15-foot parkway would be reclaimed to create a 5-foot bike lane, a 3-foot buffer zone that would be striped and have decorative planters. Read more.
The protected bike lanes would be created on Monterey Pass Road, best known as an industrial corridor that connects Garvey , Fremont and Floral avenues. None of the existing traffic lanes or parking spaces would be affected by the creation of bike lanes — instead, 8 feet of the existing 15-foot parkway would be reclaimed to create a 5-foot bike lane, a 3-foot buffer zone that would be striped and have decorative planters. Read more.
11/6/2017 - Bicyclists with traffic tickets can now get their fines waived at Southern California’s first bicycle traffic safety school in El Monte - Steve Scauzillo, San Gabriel Valley Tribune
Maria Valenzuela rode her beat-up stingray bike down the empty sidewalk along Valley Boulevard in downtown El Monte on Tuesday. She crossed the street at the light and continued on the other sidewalk into the shopping center, eventually parking her bike in front of the 99 Cents Only Store.When asked if she knew that riding a bicycle on the sidewalk is illegal in the city of El Monte, she said no. “Where do I ride?” she asked with a shrug. Although Valenzuela did not get a ticket that day, many others have received tickets for sidewalk riding, as well as running stop signs, not stopping at red lights, having poor brakes and other infractions — even speeding. Bicycle citations are treated the same as driving tickets by the courts. The fines are the same. For example, a stop sign violation can cost $200 and running a red light costs as much as $400. If you don’t pay them, the consequences could lead to garnishing wages or jail time. Read more.
Maria Valenzuela rode her beat-up stingray bike down the empty sidewalk along Valley Boulevard in downtown El Monte on Tuesday. She crossed the street at the light and continued on the other sidewalk into the shopping center, eventually parking her bike in front of the 99 Cents Only Store.When asked if she knew that riding a bicycle on the sidewalk is illegal in the city of El Monte, she said no. “Where do I ride?” she asked with a shrug. Although Valenzuela did not get a ticket that day, many others have received tickets for sidewalk riding, as well as running stop signs, not stopping at red lights, having poor brakes and other infractions — even speeding. Bicycle citations are treated the same as driving tickets by the courts. The fines are the same. For example, a stop sign violation can cost $200 and running a red light costs as much as $400. If you don’t pay them, the consequences could lead to garnishing wages or jail time. Read more.
3/5/2017 - Organizers say 100,000 biked or walked ‘626 Golden Streets’ event from South Pasadena to Azusa - Steve Scauzillo, San Gabriel Valley Tribune
Despite afternoon showers, about 100,000 people rode bikes, walked or ran an 18-mile carless course on Sunday through the streets of the San Gabriel Valley as part of the largest ciclovia-type event in North America. The 626 Golden Streets brought out parents pedaling rusty Schwinn cruisers with their kids on bikes with training wheels, spandex-wearing racers, unicyclists, riders on tall bikes, teenagers balancing on one-wheeled electric skateboards, plus 600 runners of a half marathon. More than a dozen streets were filled with a colorful array of human-powered vehicles along such major thoroughfares as Mission Street, Huntington Drive and Foothill Boulevard through seven cities: South Pasadena, San Marino, Arcadia, Monrovia, Duarte, Irwindale and Azusa. “There were a lot of folks out there,” said Wes Reutimann, executive director of Bike San Gabriel Valley, the organizer of the event. “But the most gratifying was seeing all the families.” Read more.
SGVT Photos: 626 Golden Streets
Despite afternoon showers, about 100,000 people rode bikes, walked or ran an 18-mile carless course on Sunday through the streets of the San Gabriel Valley as part of the largest ciclovia-type event in North America. The 626 Golden Streets brought out parents pedaling rusty Schwinn cruisers with their kids on bikes with training wheels, spandex-wearing racers, unicyclists, riders on tall bikes, teenagers balancing on one-wheeled electric skateboards, plus 600 runners of a half marathon. More than a dozen streets were filled with a colorful array of human-powered vehicles along such major thoroughfares as Mission Street, Huntington Drive and Foothill Boulevard through seven cities: South Pasadena, San Marino, Arcadia, Monrovia, Duarte, Irwindale and Azusa. “There were a lot of folks out there,” said Wes Reutimann, executive director of Bike San Gabriel Valley, the organizer of the event. “But the most gratifying was seeing all the families.” Read more.
SGVT Photos: 626 Golden Streets
3/9/2017 - Thousands Experience San Marino’s Huntington Drive By Bicycle, On Foot - Kevork Kurdoghlian, San Marino Tribune
The long-awaited 626 Golden Streets ciclavia paraded down the north side of Huntington Dr. in San Marino on Sunday, Mar. 5. Thousands participated according to Wes Reutimann, a project organizer at BikeSGV, which planned the open streets event. “An estimated 100,000 participants attended at least part of the 18+ mile long event, with thousands of people on foot, bike, and skate traversing the 3-mile segment within the City of San Marino,” said Reutimann, a San Marino High School grad. He continued, “In light of the ominous forecast all week, the BikeSGV planning team was thrilled that thousands of local residents and visitors, big and small, young and old, came out to enjoy the historic ‘626 Golden Streets’ ciclavia through the heart of San Marino and the (626) area code.” Read more.
The long-awaited 626 Golden Streets ciclavia paraded down the north side of Huntington Dr. in San Marino on Sunday, Mar. 5. Thousands participated according to Wes Reutimann, a project organizer at BikeSGV, which planned the open streets event. “An estimated 100,000 participants attended at least part of the 18+ mile long event, with thousands of people on foot, bike, and skate traversing the 3-mile segment within the City of San Marino,” said Reutimann, a San Marino High School grad. He continued, “In light of the ominous forecast all week, the BikeSGV planning team was thrilled that thousands of local residents and visitors, big and small, young and old, came out to enjoy the historic ‘626 Golden Streets’ ciclavia through the heart of San Marino and the (626) area code.” Read more.
9/26/2016 - Nearby Nature Trails: Bike San Gabriel Valley - Brenna Muller, Sierra Club
Congregational spaces such as churches, community centers, schools, and parks are essential to communication in our communities. The San Gabriel Valley has a plethora of languages spoken so people rely on community spokespersons or organizations to help connect them with resources and information. Due to the lack of parks and open space, many youth have very little experience with wild and open spaces other than their school playground. BikeSGV has made efforts to coordinate events where local youth can experience the local San Gabriel Mountains for the first time. Read more.
Congregational spaces such as churches, community centers, schools, and parks are essential to communication in our communities. The San Gabriel Valley has a plethora of languages spoken so people rely on community spokespersons or organizations to help connect them with resources and information. Due to the lack of parks and open space, many youth have very little experience with wild and open spaces other than their school playground. BikeSGV has made efforts to coordinate events where local youth can experience the local San Gabriel Mountains for the first time. Read more.
9/15/2016 - BikeSGV to host women-only group bike ride to Alhambra's Certified Farmers Market - Karin Chan, Alhambra Source
If you want to know whether your city is bike friendly, find out how many women are biking. Safety is the most important concern for women when deciding to bike on the road, according to Pacific Standard. But the rush of fast-moving car traffic that defines Los Angeles might be stopping women from biking. A homegrown team of environmental justice and bicycle advocates wants more bicycle, pedestrian and transit friendly streets in the San Gabriel Valley, and they believe one strategy is to get more women biking on the road.The El Monte-based bicycle advocacy organization, BikeSGV, has a project called Women-on-Wheels that plans women-only rides “to create a safe supportive space for women to gain confidence riding bikes, and empower them to become bicycle advocates in our San Gabriel Valley community," said Amy Wong, BikeSGV’s outreach coordinator. Read more
If you want to know whether your city is bike friendly, find out how many women are biking. Safety is the most important concern for women when deciding to bike on the road, according to Pacific Standard. But the rush of fast-moving car traffic that defines Los Angeles might be stopping women from biking. A homegrown team of environmental justice and bicycle advocates wants more bicycle, pedestrian and transit friendly streets in the San Gabriel Valley, and they believe one strategy is to get more women biking on the road.The El Monte-based bicycle advocacy organization, BikeSGV, has a project called Women-on-Wheels that plans women-only rides “to create a safe supportive space for women to gain confidence riding bikes, and empower them to become bicycle advocates in our San Gabriel Valley community," said Amy Wong, BikeSGV’s outreach coordinator. Read more
4/22/2016 - Bike Train Explores the San Gabriel Valley - Michelle Mills, San Gabriel Valley Tribune
In car-centric Southern California, riding a bicycle allows you to experience the world from a different perspective. It’s slow enough for you to take in the details of the scenery, including the scents and sounds, but fast enough for you to arrive at a destination a good distance from where you started in a reasonable length of time. It’s also something that almost anyone can do — and even better in a group. BikeSGV is a local organization that offers the Bike Train, a monthly ride along the San Gabriel Valley’s Emerald Necklace. Its next outing will be the Love Mother Nature Ride April 24, which will depart from El Monte. Read more
In car-centric Southern California, riding a bicycle allows you to experience the world from a different perspective. It’s slow enough for you to take in the details of the scenery, including the scents and sounds, but fast enough for you to arrive at a destination a good distance from where you started in a reasonable length of time. It’s also something that almost anyone can do — and even better in a group. BikeSGV is a local organization that offers the Bike Train, a monthly ride along the San Gabriel Valley’s Emerald Necklace. Its next outing will be the Love Mother Nature Ride April 24, which will depart from El Monte. Read more
10/25/2015 - The SGV’s new bicycling hub opens in El Monte - Brian Day, San Gabriel Valley Tribune
Cycling enthusiasts and officials cut the ribbon of the new San Gabriel Valley Bicycle Education Center in El Monte on Sunday, paving the way for a more bike-friendly valley. The new center, operated by the nonprofit organization Bike San Gabriel Valley, is housed within the Jeff Seymour Family Center, 10900 Mulhall St. in El Monte.It’s designed to be a one-stop destination for pedal-powered education, repairs and camaraderie among fellow riders of the region’s streets and bike trails, BikeSGV representatives said.
“It’s a place to come and learn everything you want to know about bicycles,” said BikeSGV member and volunteer Jose Jimenez.
Once fully operational in the coming weeks, BikeSGV plans to offer classes in ridership for cyclists of all skill levels, as well as courses on bike repair — “everything from flat (tire) repair to building a bike up from scratch,” Jimenez said.
Read more
Cycling enthusiasts and officials cut the ribbon of the new San Gabriel Valley Bicycle Education Center in El Monte on Sunday, paving the way for a more bike-friendly valley. The new center, operated by the nonprofit organization Bike San Gabriel Valley, is housed within the Jeff Seymour Family Center, 10900 Mulhall St. in El Monte.It’s designed to be a one-stop destination for pedal-powered education, repairs and camaraderie among fellow riders of the region’s streets and bike trails, BikeSGV representatives said.
“It’s a place to come and learn everything you want to know about bicycles,” said BikeSGV member and volunteer Jose Jimenez.
Once fully operational in the coming weeks, BikeSGV plans to offer classes in ridership for cyclists of all skill levels, as well as courses on bike repair — “everything from flat (tire) repair to building a bike up from scratch,” Jimenez said.
Read more
12/18/2014 - Monterey Park Puts Bicycle Master Plan in Motion - Nancy Martinez, EGP News
Five cities in the San Gabriel Valley have each unanimously approved master bike plans that will expand bike lanes in the region. Bicyclists in the lead city, Monterey Park, may see some of these improvements as soon as spring 2015. Monterey Park’s city council approved its master bike plan during their Dec. 3 meeting. The plan proposes 52.7 miles in bike lanes and routes citywide including some in the city’s busiest streets, Garfield and Garvey Avenue at a cost of $2.2 million to be implemented over 20 years. Read more
Five cities in the San Gabriel Valley have each unanimously approved master bike plans that will expand bike lanes in the region. Bicyclists in the lead city, Monterey Park, may see some of these improvements as soon as spring 2015. Monterey Park’s city council approved its master bike plan during their Dec. 3 meeting. The plan proposes 52.7 miles in bike lanes and routes citywide including some in the city’s busiest streets, Garfield and Garvey Avenue at a cost of $2.2 million to be implemented over 20 years. Read more
12/11/2014 - Creating a Network of Complete Streets in the SGV - Krista Carlson, KCET Departures
"The streets are very dangerous, but I manage to maintain my safety going along the rivers, and the streets of El Monte, South El Monte, Arcadia, Monrovia, and Duarte," said Martinez. "I love riding my bike. My real goal is to have complete streets in El Monte, to have cyclists everywhere, less polluted air from cars, and have more people out around the city." Read more
"The streets are very dangerous, but I manage to maintain my safety going along the rivers, and the streets of El Monte, South El Monte, Arcadia, Monrovia, and Duarte," said Martinez. "I love riding my bike. My real goal is to have complete streets in El Monte, to have cyclists everywhere, less polluted air from cars, and have more people out around the city." Read more
11/25/2014 - San Gabriel Valley Regional Bike Plan Faces Two Hearings Tonight - Joe Linton, Streetsblog LA
The 5-city San Gabriel Valley regional bike plan is currently making its way through a complicated series of city approvals. Two important bike plan hearings are taking place tonight in the cities of El Monte and Monterey Park. Specific details on those hearings after the jump. Folks who live, work, bike, or breathe in the San Gabriel Valley are encouraged to attend in support of plan passage. Read more
The 5-city San Gabriel Valley regional bike plan is currently making its way through a complicated series of city approvals. Two important bike plan hearings are taking place tonight in the cities of El Monte and Monterey Park. Specific details on those hearings after the jump. Folks who live, work, bike, or breathe in the San Gabriel Valley are encouraged to attend in support of plan passage. Read more
2/26/2014 - Huntington Drive Event Could be a Healthy Start - San Gabriel Valley Tribune Editorial
A South Pasadena city councilman’s proposal to close a 10-mile stretch of Huntington Drive to automobiles for a day is a good idea in this car-choked, gridlocked region. The idea spearheaded by BikeSGV, a nonprofit group that promotes bicycling for a healthier lifestyle, is still in the beginning stages but the notion is a strong one that could work beyond a single event. Read more
A South Pasadena city councilman’s proposal to close a 10-mile stretch of Huntington Drive to automobiles for a day is a good idea in this car-choked, gridlocked region. The idea spearheaded by BikeSGV, a nonprofit group that promotes bicycling for a healthier lifestyle, is still in the beginning stages but the notion is a strong one that could work beyond a single event. Read more
12/22/2012 - Bicycle People Make the Connection - Steve Scauzillo, San Gabriel Valley Tribune
As a student studying social ecology at UC Irvine, I learned the term "paradigm shift." I thought of that term when I finished talking to Vincent Chang, president of BikeSGV, a bicycle advocacy group from the San Gabriel Valley. Chang sees transportation in terms of two wheels, not four. When he sees a way to get from Point A to Point B, he thinks pedal power not piston power. Read more.
11/21/2012 - Alhambra Council Begins Bike Plan Revision Process - Lauren Gold, San Gabriel Valley Tribune
The City Council has launched a public comment and revision period on a draft of its first-ever Bike Master Plan, fielding suggestions by local bikers for more public outreach and significant improvements to the plan. Many speakers at a council meeting this week commended the city's efforts to be bike-friendly, but they also pointed out holes in the draft plan, including a lack of marked bike lanes. Read more.
04/21/2012 - Four Cities Begin Regional Bike Plan Effort; Bike Commuters to Benefit - Steve Scauzillo, San Gabriel Valley Tribune
It took a bunch of bicycle-minded young people from the fledgling group BikeSGV to convince four local cities to ignore city borders and begin a multi-city bicycle master plan. For possibly only the second time in the country, multiple cities are working together to devise a regional plan for more bike lanes, routes and trails that will bring bicycle riders in and through at least four different cities, according to bicycle groups and city officials. Read more.
It took a bunch of bicycle-minded young people from the fledgling group BikeSGV to convince four local cities to ignore city borders and begin a multi-city bicycle master plan. For possibly only the second time in the country, multiple cities are working together to devise a regional plan for more bike lanes, routes and trails that will bring bicycle riders in and through at least four different cities, according to bicycle groups and city officials. Read more.
09/14/2011 - La Puente Council Approves a City Bike Tour - San Gabriel Valley Tribune
In a 4-0 vote, the City Council on Tuesday approved a 5-mile bike ride in La Puente planned for Oct. 1. The council voted to approve some funding and staffing for the La Puente Bike Ride, which will run for 5 miles on Glendora Avenue, Temple Avenue, Azusa Avenue and Main Street. Cyclertopia is a community-based organization founded in 2010 in an effort to raise awareness of the social, community, environmental and individual health benefits of riding a bicycle. Read more.
