bike

The mayor of Como has banned riding bicycles in certain areas of the historic Italian city after he was hit by an electric one.

Alessandro Rapinese said the ban was necessary to improve public safety. It means from September, cyclists will have to dismount through an area of around 30 streets.

He told Italian news agency Ansa: “People act based on their own experiences and I know what it’s like to be hit by one of these beasts.”

Several other local authorities around Europe, including in the UK, have restricted where and how e-bikes and other single-person vehicles can be used.

The measure put forward by Rapinese is part of a package of new traffic regulations, establishing a Limited Traffic Zone (ZTL) to manage tourist growth, and which impose stricter rules on cars and vans in the city centre.

Many of the roads covered by the ban are the widest in the old town and are popular with delivery drivers.

The measure applies to both electric and push bikes, as the Italian highway code does not distinguish between models.

Rapinese explained his decision in a video as part of a series of online videos he produces himself, known as RapiNews24.

He recounted an incident in which he had been leaving city hall in July and collided with an e-bike shortly after his administration had discussed traffic restrictions in the city centre.

The cyclist involved in the collision has not been identified.

“In this case, I didn’t even end up in the hospital,” Rapinese said. “I was hit by a bike. I gathered information, and that’s where the measure came from.”

Someday, you might be able to ride a bike from the western San Fernando Valley to Long Beach along the Los Angeles River. But not yet.

The longest unfinished stretch is the eight miles from Elysian Park through downtown to Maywood. For decades, advocates of the path have tried to complete those eight miles along the concretized river.

Yet a decade later, the unrideable gap remains. The ambitious project remains mired in planning and bureaucratic complications, with groundbreaking still two years off and the cost nearly tripling to more than $1 billion — almost $24,000 per foot — documents reviewed by The Times show.

It looked like the prospects for the bike route to the sea were getting serious after Angelenos enthusiastically passed a half-cent tax for transit projects in 2016 that earmarked $365 million for the L.A. River Path.

At the time, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the lead on the project, priced out a simple path on one side of the river.

An aerial view of bicyclists where the Los Angeles River Path ends near Golden Shore and Shoreline Drive in Long Beach.

But by last year, the proposed designs were much wider and added seven pedestrian bridges. They also included sections where the path would be elevated above the ground, supported by beams. The changes responded to community input and comments from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and L.A. Department of Water and Power, among others. Estimated completion of the initial phase is not until 2031.

Navigating the web of nearby structures, like active rail lines and historic bridges, is part of what makes the construction so complex, Metro says. An original $75 million set aside for unforeseen expenses in 2016 swelled to $309 million last year, and the rising cost of construction also added to the high price tag.

Advocates for the path say this grander plan would be great, if there were a way to pay for it.

Yuval Bar-Zemer is a board member with Streets for All, a group that advocates for safer streets in L.A. He also is a downtown loft developer and commissioned studies that helped inform a far less expensive option that would run down near the flowing river, rather than up above. The path would be unusable during heavy rains, but Bar-Zemer and others say that would be less than 20 days each year.

This option was included in Metro’s initial scoping of the path in 2016 but has since been dropped, with the agency citing safety concerns. Bar-Zemer contends that safety features could be installed to make sure pedestrians have enough time to exit the pathway if water rises swiftly. He says he’s spent $350,000 of his own funds in engineering studies and advocacy to advance the path.

A pedestrian walks with an umbrella on the L.A. River Path near Lewis MacAdams Riverfront Park.

“The benefits are so obvious, it’s such a home run and such a low-hanging fruit that for me, it’s like criminal not to make it happen,” he said.

Currently, bikers headed southbound run out of path where Riverside Drive crosses the L.A. River at Egret Park. From there, they’re forced to weave through high-traffic streets in neighborhoods including Lincoln Heights, Chinatown, Downtown L.A. and Boyle Heights before they find the path again in Vernon.

“It’s a huge chasm,” said Michael Schneider, founder and chief executive of Streets for All. He called the gap in the L.A. River path “a shame because it’s an otherwise amazing resource.”

Some 76,000 residents live within walking distance of the proposed path, and a million within three miles of the L.A. River, according to Metro estimates from 2022. Around 17% of working-age people who live within a bikeable distance already walk, bike or take transit in their regular commute.

An aerial view of downtown Los Angeles and the Sixth Street Bridge amid an unfinished eight-mile gap in the L.A. River Path.

More recent numbers could be higher since high fuel prices have motivated many to use transit, bikes, e-bikes and scooters. The path also could provide recreational benefits to an area that has some of the most limited access to green space in Los Angeles.

Metro had the eight-mile gap on its list of 28 projects it wanted ready for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. As costs soared, it quietly was taken off the list.

Yet there are recent signs of progress for the L.A. River Path.

In late May, the Metro board voted to create a committee that brings together all the players needed to push it to toward completion.

The Los Angeles River runs under the Sixth Street Bridge amid an unfinished eight-mile gap in the L.A. River Path in downtown Los Angeles.

Mayor Karen Bass chairs the Metro board. Despite the project’s stagnation, she continues to convey optimism.

“Angelenos voted in 2016 to make the L.A. River Path path a reality, and Mayor Bass is marshaling the resources necessary to eliminate further distraction that have threatened the project’s pace and cost,” her office said in statement.

Metro staffers are reviewing comments on the draft environmental impact statement, the agency said. They intend to recommend a path forward in the fall.

Bolton Abbey and the Yorkshire Dales from the Wharfe

Last summer, I enjoyed a six-mile walk along the fast-flowing River Wharfe from Ilkley to Bolton Abbey, with calming vistas of the Yorkshire Dales every step of the way. I set out at Ilkley’s Riverside Gardens on the south bank, near the remains of a Roman fort. Trace the path to the ancient stone bridge and along to the picturesque village of Addingham with its Low Mill weir and views of late bronze age or early iron age Castleberg fort. Simply carry on hugging the riverbank to the splendid remains of 12th-century monastery of Bolton Abbey, situated in wonderful woods and parkland.
Helen

Cruising the Bure in the Norfolk Broads

A week cruising along the River Bure in Norfolk from Acle to Coltishall is an unforgettable experience. With a speed limit of 5mph, life is slow, and there is plenty of time to enjoy the ever-changing landscape and wildlife. Numerous stopping places give access to nature reserves, quintessentially English villages such as Belaugh, the romantic ruins of St Benet’s Abbey, as well as riverside pubs and the Broads themselves. Not to forget “the world’s largest village store”, Roys of Wroxham – an essential port of call to restock supplies before the atmospheric last stretch to Coltishall with its cafes and shops. Boats can be hired from several locations and are easy to handle – no experience needed.
John

Wildlife in the city on Coventry’s River Sowe

For a peaceful walk close to Coventry city centre, try the Sowe Valley Footpath. This 8½-mile riverside trail runs from Hawkesbury Junction to Whitley Grove Wood, following the River Sowe – a tributary of the Avon – through woodland, waterways and urban landscapes. Look out for herons, moorhens and other wildlife along the way. I love that it shows how nature can be found in unexpected places.
Deborah Dixon

Edinburgh’s sublime Water of Leith

The Water of Leith Walkway is a 13-mile riverside journey through Edinburgh from Balerno to Leith, lovingly cared for by the Water of Leith Conservation Trust. A good introduction is to walk from Roseburn (a mile west of Princes Street) downstream to Stockbridge. It’s about two miles and will take roughly 45 minutes through Dean Village and passing St Bernard’s Well. If you’re lucky, you might see a kingfisher.
Keith Cumming

From the Midlands to the Fens and the sea along the Welland

I create my own long-distance walks using the Ordnance Survey app. My favourite was a five-day walk following the 65-mile long River Welland from source to sea. Starting at Sibbertoft, near Market Harborough in Leicestershire, I walked the Rutland-Northamptonshire border past Rockingham Castle near Corby, through Stamford and the poet John Clare’s birthplace at Helpston. The route then headed out into the fens, stopping at the ruined medieval abbey at Crowland and the elegant canal-side town of Spalding. The final day was spent slowly watching the Boston Stump (St Botolph’s church) grow larger as I walked to where the river met the sea.
Alex

Cruisng down the Shannon, Ireland’s ‘Mississippi Delta’

Shannon Harbour in the Irish Midlands marks the spot where the Grand Canal meets Ireland’s River Shannon. As children we often walked the canal, stopping in McIntyre’s pub for Irish tapas (Tayto crisps). But the biggest treat was when my father’s childhood friend would take us in his boat from Shannon Harbour to the Shannon proper. The landscape changes utterly. On a warm day it feels like leaving rural Ireland and going down the Mississippi Delta. On a wet day you can’t see the other side. But McIntyre’s will be open when you get back, whatever the weather.
Eve

Roman ruins along York’s Ouse

North Yorkshire’s River Ouse takes you on a gorgeous walk through York and beyond. You can start by crossing Scarborough Bridge before strolling down Dame Judi Dench Walk, then meander past Roman and medieval ruins at the Museum Gardens. The Perky Peacock cafe in a medieval tower on the riverside is a highlight. You can follow the river down to Rowntree Park and Millennium Bridge. Just beware of the cobbles and some step-only access along the way.
Mary

Waterfalls on the Tees in County Durham

The River Tees crashes over High Force waterfall amid dramatic moorland before bubbling over Low Force downstream. Park at Bowlees and cross the Tees at Low Force on the historic Wynch suspension bridge, built in the 1830s (it replaced Britain’s first suspension bridge, built by lead miners in 1741). It’s a good place to stop and watch kayakers tackle Low Force. Continue upstream through the moorland to the roar of High Force. After all that fresh air, finish with cake at Bowlees visitor centre, bliss!
Hannah S

Winning tip: along the Ouse through the South Downs

Following the River Ouse (one of five British Ouses) to the sea is great fun, on foot or bike. I usually start near Horsham in West Sussex, and track the Ouse Valley Way which passes through South Downs. This route lets you cross rolling fields and wander through woodland paths and you can even pause at the beautiful Nymans, an extraordinary garden owned by the National Trust. The river walk goes under a 37-arch Victorian railway viaduct near Balcombe and leads to the historic town of Lewes in East Sussex, where you can have a break at the John Harvey Tavern and watch the waters flow past. The final part is an easy stretch of flat riverside walking as you the coast comes into sight, leading into Newhaven.
Peter