Ballona Creek Bike Tour

CULVER CITY, JULY 13,
2014 – Walk ‘n Rollers presents
Walk-Bike Ballona, a series of free, family-friendly activities this summer to
highlight the recreational and ecological value of Ballona Creek. Activities
include Fun Rides, Group Walks and Walk ‘n Roll Festivals - bicycle-pedestrian
safety and skills festivals.

Ballona Creek is one of
the greatest natural resources in the Los Angeles area. Draining 130 square
miles of a vital watershed, stretching nine miles form Baldwin Hills to the
Pacific Ocean. The Ballona Creek Bike Path runs from Syd Kronenthal Park in the
east end of Culver City to the Marvin Broad Bike Path in Marina del Rey. Along
the way, the path connects various schools, parks and recreation
centers.

Walk-Bike Ballona is made
possible by a grant from the Rails to Trails Conservancy. The primary goal is to
highlight Ballona Creek as a viable transit corridor that provides easy and safe
access to six elementary schools and two middle schools. The Group Fun Rides
focus on routes that connect the school’s neighborhoods to the path and include
docent-lead talks by Ballona Creek Renaissance on the ecological value of
Ballona Creek and Group Walks lead by Walk with a Doc.

“Ballona Creek is used
every day by hundreds of people,“ states Walk ‘n Rollers founder Jim Shanman.
“Families, commuters, students and fitness enthusiasts take advantage of Ballona
Creek Bike Path all year long to connect with communities and schools from Playa
del Rey to Culver City. It’s a safe and beautiful resource that in many ways
remains under utilized. We hope to highlight it’s accessibility to encourage
parents, students and faculty to drive a little less and walk or bike a little
more to and from school”.

Three rides are scheduled,
each exploring a different section of the Bike Path. The first (June 28) ride
and walk touches on the middle, from Duquesne to Centinella connecting Culver
City’s Farragut Elementary and Culver City Middle and High schools. The second
ride (July 13) explores the West end of the path from Centinella to Marina del
Rey and connects Marina del Rey Middle School, Short Elementary and Braddock
Elementary Schools to the path. The third ride (August 16) focuses on the East
end from National to Overland connecting Echo Horizon and Turning Point schools
to the path, including the Expo Bike Path.

The Festivals focus on
bicycle and pedestrian safety for both children and adults. Participants receive
guidance on how to properly fit their helmets and check their bikes before each
ride. Riders progress through a series of skills stations and then put their
knowledge to use on instructor-lead on-street group rides. To make the event as
accessible as possible, Walk ‘n Rollers brings a fleet of bicycles and demo
helmets, so even kids without bikes are able to participate. For the children
with their own bikes, local bicycle co-op, Bikerowave, will be on-site to
provide safety checks and minor repairs on the kids’ bikes.

In addition to the skills
stations and bike repair, a separate obstacle course will be available to the
children along with fun bicycle crafts where children can make their own spoke
card, race plate, custom button and work on engaging activity pages.

For more information on the Walk-Bike
Ballona Project, please visit www.walknrollers.org/walk-bike-balllona