By Ariyana Griffin
Contributing Writer
SOUTH LOS ANGELES — More than 200 community members and bike riders met at Augustus Hawkins Nature Park for a community bike ride along the Slauson Rail to Rail path on Aug. 4. The gathering commemorated what organizers hope will become an annual event.
The event was a collaboration between T.R.U.S.T South LA, People for Mobility Justice and the county Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
The Rail to Rail trail opened in May 2025. The $143 million project has transformed what used to be old and abandoned railroad tracks into a development that community members can use.
The five and half mile trail is open to the community from sunrise to sunset and was made with cyclists and pedestrians in mind, promoting sustainability and healthy transportation choices for Angelenos.
The trail is lined with trees, benches and smooth pavement making it easy to utilize. It currently connects from the K Line at Fairview Heights to the A Line at Slauson Station.
The MTA provided more than 20 free rental bikes and electric bikes for participants to ensure accessibility for everyone who wanted to participate in the event.
T.R.U.S.T South LA is an advocacy and community-led group that focuses on the stabilization of neighborhoods south of downtown Los Angeles regarding housing, transportation and recreation.
“T.R.U.S.T. South LA has been involved for the past 10 to 15 years trying to activate this community in South Central, and ensuring that there are open spaces for people to be able to bike and just enjoy the neighborhood,” said Kwesi Broadway, the organization’s communication manager.“So, with this bike path being open recently, within the last year, we wanted to be able to bring the community out in order to take advantage of this resource.”
Broadway explained that they look forward to hosting other events on the Rail to Rail to promote community fellowship and exercising.
People for Mobility Justice, an organization that advocates for mobility access in Los Angeles and provides bike safety classes and rides, ensured that participants wore helmets correctly, rode safely along the trail and provided assistance to bike concerns.
Participants were able to have free tacos and agua fresca at the end of the community ride.
“I’m very happy to be part of this,” said Ian Davis, a participant. “L.A. is becoming more and more bike friendly, day by day, I feel very happy to see that more people are getting out, two wheels, three wheels, even with their kids.”
