This February brought plenty of opportunities to ride, learn, and connect. The month started with a Valentine’s Day-themed Easy Access ride, where 48 participants explored the Emerald Necklace, stopped by the El Monte Historical Museum for a history lesson, and visited Cyber Yogurt, a bike-friendly local business. Later in the month, a 16-mile ride with the National Parks Conservation Association took 69 riders through Los Angeles’s historic landmarks, including Los Angeles State Historic Park and El Pueblo Historical Monument.

Several events along Merced Avenue highlighted active transportation and public space improvements. On February 8, 30 riders joined a community ride along the Rio Hondo Bike Path and Merced Ave Linear Park, with half using GoSGV e-bikes to make the ride more accessible. The ride also featured a presentation on the Merced Ave Greenway and its future improvements. A week later, 19 young riders participated in a Bike Rodeo, where they practiced helmet fittings, hand signals, and bike handling skills through a guided course. To close out the month, 40 community members participated in the Merced Ave Beautification event, working together to clean and enhance the greenway while learning about the project’s impact.

The LA County Food Equity Fund (LAFEF) team led eight nutrition education sessions at Wilkerson, Cleminson, and Shirpser Elementary Schools, guiding parents through easy ways to incorporate healthy habits into their daily lives. Participants explored simple, nutritious recipes and discovered how small changes can significantly impact overall well-being. One favorite was the Green Alligator Smoothie—a refreshing blend of fruits and greens that makes healthy eating fun and delicious. Try it at home and enjoy a boost of energy with every sip!

The Climate Team engaged with communities across the region, hosting four Merced Community pop-ups, presenting at South El Monte High School to inform teachers and staff about local projects, and connecting with residents at Alhambra’s Lunar New Year and Love at First Bark events. The emotion check-in board and mental health resources, including the Soluna and Brightlife Kids apps, provided another way to support well-being. The team also introduced the Clean Mobility Options program at three South El Monte pop-ups, guiding residents through the Clean Mobility Car Share program application process. Bicycle and pedestrian counts along Merced Avenue captured valuable data to support ongoing improvements.

As February comes to a close, we’re looking ahead to an exciting March filled with new GREEN SGV programs and community activities. Next month, we're launching a voucher program for electric family and cargo bikes and a program to install free rain gardens for SGV residents. We're also hosting Zumba classes, community hikes, nutrition and food equity workshops, and more group bike rides! Be part of the action—sign up for our newsletter to stay in the loop.