Rio Hondo bicycle path

The Rio Hondo bicycle path is a Class 1 bicycle path that parallels the Rio Hondo through Los Angeles County. The North end of the path begins at the Peck Road Water Conservation Park, about 1/2 mile South of Live Oak Avenue (which becomes Myrtle Avenue just North of Live Oak Avenue as it enters Monrovia, California) on Peck Road, on the West side of the street. Even on weekends, the path is only sparsely populated by bicyclists and pedestrians. The trail is mostly level.

One highlight of the trail is a section that parallels the runway at the El Monte Airport, where it is possible to watch planes take off and land.

The bike trail also passes by the radio controlled model airplane field at the Whittier Narrows Recreation Area, also an interesting stop for aviation buffs.

Yet another wonderful feature of this path is its connection, through the back side of Whittier Narrows Recreation Area along a very rural stream bed, to the San Gabriel River bicycle path. As noted below, the proximity of the Rio Hondo Bike Path to the massive El Monte Bus Station makes it one of easiest ways access a variety of local bike paths without the extensive use of car drop-offs and pick-ups.

Entry Points / Parking

*Peck Road Water Conservation Park in southern Arcadia has ample parking.
*Live Oak Avenue in Arcadia between Hempstead and Eight Avenue at the entrance to the Arcadia Par-3 Golf Course.
*Whittier Narrows Recreation Area corner of Loma Ave and Rush Street in El Monte, with ample parking.
*El Monte Bus Station (LACMTA station) on the lower level island for passenger route changes.

Maintenance

Current condition

There is some debris on the trail around areas where path-side parks are being built. The trail is in good repair, there are some cracks that have been filled with tar are slightly raised. There are also some metal plates across the trail that can give cyclists a jolt.

Future plans

There seem to be several path side parks being built along the trail. Lashbrook Park in El Monte is one of these new additions.

Combining bus and bike travel

One of the best features of the Rio Hondo Bike Path is its proximity to the massive El Monte Bus Station near the corner of Valley Blvd and Santa Anita Avenue. If you are taking your bike on a bus to start or finish your trip, you will find that many buses operated by the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) have a rack in front of the bus that can accommodate two bicycles (free of charge). See the "Riding Metro" link below for more information on bus routes and bicycle racks. As noted below, there is an entrance to the Rio Hondo bike path right across the driveway from the island where passengers wait to change to new bus lines. NOTE: There is also a "secret" dedicated entrance ramp to the San Bernardino Freeway (I-10) carpool lane also from this passenger island.

References

External links

*http://www.labikepaths.com/RioHondo.html
*http://www.metro.net/riding_metro/default.htm