List of Los Angeles bike paths

Bike paths in the greater Los Angeles area are divided into "classes" which seem to vary in definition from document to document, but essentially are:

• Class I Bike Path - Completely separate from traffic.
• Class II Bike Lane - A lane set aside in city streets exclusively for bikes. California traffic laws state that cars may only pull into a path when within 200 feet of making a right turn. The most common cause of injuries in these lanes is from automobiles making a right turn in front of a cyclist after passing the cyclist. This is due to motorists not being accustomed to watching for traffic on their right when they are in the "slow lane".
• Class III Bike Route - Purportedly safe city streets connected into a means of getting from one place to another on a bike.

These bike paths are completely uncovered by any warranties as to fitness for safe cycling. This is in direct contrast to ordinary city streets. There are two pieces of case law which establish this clearly, one of them being Prokop v. City of Los Angeles.

It is legal in Los Angeles to ride on sidewalks as long as riders do not show "wanton disregard" for the safety of other sidewalk users. In California, when mounted and riding on the road, cyclists are required to 'behave like vehicles' when it comes to obeying signals, signage, and lane restrictions (see the "California Driver Handbook" for details). In brief: Ride with lane position appropriate to own speed, traffic flow, and destination. For example, in the right third of the lane when traveling slower than other traffic. In the center of the lane when traveling the speed of traffic or at any intersection (e.g., stoplight, stop sign). In the left turn lane when making a left turn.

Paths

• Arroyo Seco bicycle path
• Azusa River bicycle path
• Ballona Creek bicycle path
• Bolsa Chica bicycle path (includes Huntington Beach)
• Browns Canyon Wash bicycle path
• California Aqueduct bikeway
• Coyote Creek bicycle path
• Culver Boulevard Median bicycle path
• Duarte bicycle path
• Hermosa Valley Green Belt path
• L.A. River bicycle path
• La Mirada bicycle path
• Lario bicycle path
• Legg Lake bicycle path
• Long Beach bicycle path
• Long Beach Green Belt path
• Metro Orange Line bicycle path
• Mount Lowe Railroad Trail
• Puddingstone Reservoir bicycle path
• Rio Hondo bicycle path
• San Diego Creek bicycle path
• San Gabriel River bicycle path
• Santa Ana River bicycle path
• Santa Clara River Trail
• Santa Monica bicycle path
• Sepulveda Dam bicycle path
• The Strand (South Bay bicycle path)
• Thompson Creek bicycle path
• Watts Towers Crescent Greenway
• West Los Angeles Veloway
• Yorba Linda bicycle path

See also

• List of cycleways
• List of San Diego bike paths

External links

• Bicycle Friendly Community
• [1]
• Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
• "California Driver Handbook"
• "Metro Bike Map" Map of many Class I, II, and III bikeways in Los Angeles County (876kB PDF, April 2006)
• California Streets and Highway Code 890.4 Definition of Class I, II, & III bikeways