Santa Monica Canyon resident Sharon Kilbride reported on Friday, February 14, that the walking path next to the bicycle bridge that ran along the beach collapsed and that debris went into the ocean.
“I can’t believe that they have not blocked that area from people walking over that section of the path,” she said. The bike/pedestrian cement path is located near Tower 15 at Will Rogers State Beach.
If someone walks out of the Roosevelt Tunnel (that goes under PCH, which allows access to the beach), the city would be liable if that unstable walk path, being held by one piece of rebar, collapsed on them.
Part of the cement bike path, which was part of the Marvin Braude Beach Trail Gap Closure project collapsed in February 2024 during heavy rains. The other half collapsed last night, February 13.
Outgoing Pacific Palisades Community Council President Maryam Zar wrote in a June 26, 2024, email to Zachary Gaidzik, Coastal and Westside Field Deputy for L. A. County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, “Can anyone in charge give me information about when and how this path will be restored?”
Horvath’s field deputy assured Zar that there had been much behind the scenes progress in terms of getting everything in place for repairs but without any specific date confirmed.
This past October, Kilbride reached out to Horvath’s office again about the status of the repair.
Horvath’s field deputy responded that they were waiting for Coastal Commission before repairing the existing bridge. Hopefully we’ll be starting before the summer so it “will be ready for next summer and will be there for many more summers to come.”
Today, Horvath’s deputy wrote “I’m trying to get beaches and harbor out there ASAP to restrict access. Repairs were going to start very soon I believe in the next month or two. I’m asking what it will look like now for repairs and if we can expedite as part of fire recovery.”
The bridge, which was built under a County/City joint powers agreement, began construction in February 2022, and included the construction of a concrete slab bridge, removal and replacement of culverts. The funding was $2.2 million in an active Transportation Program Grant and $3.8 million in Los Angeles County Measure R Local Return Funds.
The bridge and path were opened in May 2023 and at that ceremony, Supervisor Lindsey Horvath said, “The Marvin Braude Trail is a Los Angeles County gem, beloved as a destination for pedestrians and recreation as well as a commuter corridor for cyclists. Los Angeles County has invested in making the path safer and more enjoyable for those on foot and bike.”
Summary of taxpayer dollars:
Cost to construct the bridge/bike path $6 million in 2022.
The path is dedicated by L.A. County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath in May 2023.
Part of the bridge/bike path collapses in February 2024. It was never repaired, although the Supervisor’s office had said repairs were in the works.
February 2025 the remainder of the bike path collapses.
Why does everything in Los Angeles seem subpar? Honestly, it’s one step above a Third World country.
Maybe it’s time to elect leaders who actually care about the city and not their paycheck and pension.
Lindsay Horwath could not even clear Topanga Blvd after a rock slide last year for over 3 months. She and her office called the rock slide “a very complicated “ rock slide, that’s why it took over 3 months. In reality, She buckled to Caltrans union. She needed the Governor to come in and settle it. Per Caltrans at that time – “Caltrans discovered last week that the landslide was not as deep as experts originally approximated.”
It is a no-brainer that the most of the Palisades and Malibu burned to the ground,
WE HAVE INCOMPETENT LEADERS and city employees who have not been paid very well – LINDSAY – where is all the money going?
As a Topanga resident who had to go around, using Las Flores from PCH, for 3 months because of the depth-defying incompetence of Horvath’s office which, mind you, starts at the top, is beyond unconscionable. I honestly do NOT know how these people sleep at night. Oh . . . that’s right . . . they don’t have a conscience so they sleep just fine!!!