REDONDO BEACH, Calif. (July 3, 2023) – Beach Cities Health District (BCHD) has named the contractor and announced the timeline for construction of the Diamond Street Bike Path in Redondo Beach, with work starting July 10 and expected to be complete by the end of September.
In 2019, BCHD was awarded a $1.83 million grant from Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro), to build a bike path stretching between Redondo Beach and Torrance. The project has been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and drawn-out negotiations with the city of Torrance, which has declined to participate in the project.
Last week, the BCHD Board of Directors approved the selection of Cornerstone Construction Group, Inc. of Redondo Beach as the contractor for the project. Project Management will be conducted by Turner & Townsend Heery of Los Angeles. Paul Murdoch Architects of Los Angeles have done the design work.
The Redondo Beach phase of the project will install a Class I bike path from the Torrance border southwest to Diamond Street. The bike route will also utilize Class III sharrows (used in situations where cyclists and drivers must coexist in the same lane) on the Diamond Street cul-de-sac ending at Prospect Avenue. The project also includes a new 6-foot retaining wall and regrading of the hillside adjacent to the Class I bike path in Redondo Beach, along with new drainage and irrigation systems, and new trees and plantings. The project will also include pedestrian lighting, new pavement, bicycle video detection sensors at the traffic signal, and new landscaping and trees in the Diamond Street median and existing walkway.
Work hours for the project will be Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., well within Redondo Beach regulations, which allow for work from 7 a.m. – 6 p.m. and on Saturdays. For safety reasons, the pathway is expected to be closed during construction until the project is complete, so regular users of the existing pathway are encouraged to find alternate routes during this time. For questions about the project, residents can visit bchd.org/bikepath, call (310) 374-3426, ext. 0 or email Diamondbikepath@bchd.org.
To alleviate traffic on the Diamond Street cul-de-sac during the project, areas on the BCHD property will be utilized for construction parking and storage.
“This infrastructure project will encourage people to be more active while making the route safer for young people traveling to Redondo Union High School or the beach,” said Tom Bakaly, CEO for BCHD. “Our work with the Blue Zones Project has shown that improvements in the built environment can deliver benefits that enhance life for residents. We are grateful to Metro, the City of Redondo Beach and the South Bay Cities Council of Governments for their assistance with this project.”
The project is outlined in the South Bay Bicycle Master Plan that was adopted by seven cities in 2012. Enhancing the built environment with infrastructure that promotes walkability and bikeability are concepts championed by BCHD through the Blue Zones Project® and its “Living Streets” philosophy, which incorporates people-friendly street designs to provide benefits including increased safety plus health, economic and environmental benefits.
“This project will create an important connection for the cycling community,” said Jim Hannon, President of the South Bay Bicycle Coalition Plus, a nonprofit focused on making city streets safer for all road users. “During a series of outreach meetings to develop the South Bay Bicycle Master Plan, this particular route was identified by the residents of Redondo Beach and Torrance to be vital for the safety of children trying to get to school, families trying to get to the beach and other local popular destinations in the Beach Cities.”
Media Contact: Dan Smith, dan.smith@bchd.org or 310-374-3426, ext. 8165
