Whittier, California’s Greenway Trail offers  it all - fun, convenience, and conservation. The trail is for bicyclist and pedestrians ..  The Greenway is a part of Whittier’s Parks and Recreation Department; with art sculptures called Wind Sculptures by Lyman Whitaker. The sculpture are placed in three different locations along the trail.

The Greenway was originally a railroad right-of-way that wasn’t being used.  The City of Whittier with “grants received from the San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles River and Mountain Conservancy and Congressman Gary Miller” , turned this into a convenient method of travel for the local residents.

“Construction of the Greenway Trail began in 2006, and the trail was completed on January 31, 2009. The trail passes through residential, commercial, and industrial land, connecting the various areas of the community and allowing residents and visitors to hike or bike through town.” The Greenway Trail connects to four different bus lines: Norwalk Transit, Metro, Foothill Transit, and Montebello Bus Lines.  Having the 4.5 mile Greenway Trail wander through the center of Whittier helps to alleviate traffic congestion and improve air quality. A drawback to the Greenway – it crosses several large highways.

The Greenway has three stations with historical themes of Whittier:

  • The Citrus Station represents Whittier’s agricultural history in citrus growing and shipping.  The old Sunkist packing plant is currently being used as an antique mall near the Greenway
  •  Sycamore Station, the sycamore being a native tree, represents the transportation of the citrus crops via wagons, railroads, and the Pickering and Whittier railroad bridges.
  •  Oak Station represents the community roots.  Many historical figures are listed at this station, from the Quakers to the last Mexican president of California.

 To help alleviate drought stricken plants the Greenway Trail has “60 different plants, shrubs, and trees” that are drought tolerant.  The City of Whittier hopes local residents will follow suit by designing their home landscape to decrease the use of water too. This brochure used by the city offers some guidelines.

 For those who wish to reduce the consuming of water in their yards; here are some tips from Central Basin Municipal Water District:

 ✔ Reduce lawn size. Lawns are very thirsty, use groundcover plants instead of grass.

✔ Avoid over watering. After the first growing season, your California Friendly plants will need less water. Adjust water­ing habits accordingly.

✔ Add mulch. Cover around each plant with a 3-inch layer of mulch to help maintain soil moisture and control weeds. Use bark, wood chips, pebbles or compost.

✔ Reduce runoff. Select permeable materials for walkways, patios and paths to allow water to filter into our grounds and aquifers.

✔ Timing is everything. Take advantage of cooler temperatures and moister soil by planting in the fall or winter.

Courtesy of Tim and Linda Domis, Neighborhood Specialist

 

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Contact Linda and Tim at:

http://www.whittierhomes.com

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