Mark Bixby Bike Path Opens May 20

In 2013, the Port of Long Beach began a construction project on a new bridge to replace the Gerald Desmond Bridge. The project for the new bridge was funded by the Port of Long Beach, Caltrans, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration and Los Angeles Metro. Along with a new bridge, the project also called for a new bike path to be created, for Long Beach’s local cyclists.

The new bridge opened in late 2020, with the city officially renaming it the Long Beach International Gateway Bridge. However, officials kept the bridge’s bike path closed for safety as work to demolish the old bridge continued.

And now, nearly two years after a private dedication ceremony honoring the man who helped make it possible, the city and Port of Long Beach are happy to announce that the Mark Bixby Memorial Bicycle Pedestrian Path will officially become open to the public, on May 20.

According to the Port of Long Beach, the new bike path offers a safe, convenient way for members of the public, on foot or on bicycle, to access elevated views of the Port and of the surrounding area. At its crest, the Bixby Path reaches a height of 205 feet above the water.

The Ocean Boulevard Connector, built in partnership with the City of Long Beach, includes a viewing area with a time line of the Port and other architectural features. The Bixby Path also has several overlooks for members of the public to get stunning views of the Long Beach Port.

“The Bixby path has three spots that overlook the port and harbor, including the Palos Verdes Peninsula and Downtown Long Beach,” said Lee Peterson, the media relations manager for the Port of Long Beach. “You could even possibly see Catalina Island on a clear day.”

The bike path is named after one of Long Beach’s leading bicycle advocates, the late Mark Bixby. Bixby helped create the city’s Bicycle Master Plan and founded the Long Beach Bicycle Festival. He also spearheaded the successful grassroots effort to have a bike path included in the design of the new bridge.

Mark Bixby, who the new bike path is named after, unfortunately lost his life in a tragic plane crash on March 16, 2011. His family was one of Long Beach’s founding families, more than a century ago. The Bixby family owned and operated both Rancho Alamitos and Rancho Los Cerritos. Both ranchos are now national historic landmarks in both Bixby Knolls and Bixby Hill.

Rep. Robert Garcia, who at the time was on the City Council, wrote immediately after Bixby’s death that he was “the leading city voice on bike policy, advocacy and community engagement.”

It wasn’t long after Bixby’s passing when the Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners approved the addition of the path to the Gerald Desmond Bridge Replacement Project.

The opening of the bike path officially starts at 9 a.m. in the Long Beach Civic Center Plaza, 411 W. Ocean Blvd., with a program at 10 a.m. followed by a procession of bikes to the Ocean Boulevard connector to the new bridge path. After the ceremony, the bike path will be open to the public daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., according to Lee Peterson. The city and Port of Long Beach have also timed the bike path’s opening to coincide with Beach Streets, a day-long event that closes several major thoroughfares to vehicles.

The city and Port of Long Beach encourage its residents to come out to the opening of the Mark Bixby Memorial Bike Path on foot, bicycle, skateboard or other active transportation mode to meet their neighbors, visit local businesses and enjoy entertainment and family activities.

For more information about the opening of the new bike path, you can visit the Port of Long Beach’s official website at https://polb.com/port-info/event-details/?e=16884. You can also find a full map of the bike path, using the link above.