Monday, March 16, 2026

Altadena Bicycle Club Consortium Wins National Grant for Post-Fire Trail Concept

The $2,000 award funds planning for a trail loop connecting West Altadena neighborhoods affected by the Eaton Fire

A consortium of Altadena bicycle advocacy groups has been awarded a $2,000 grant from the League of American Bicyclists to develop a concept for a continuous trail loop connecting fire-affected neighborhoods, the national organization announced last week.

The grant to TEAM SoCalCross, Altadena Bicycle Club, and Lotus Rising funds concept development for the Altadena Cultural Town Trail, a proposed network of trails and sidewalks that would connect residential areas in West Altadena, according to the League’s announcement.

The project was one of 10 selected from 197 proposals nationwide in the fifth year of the League’s Community Spark Grant program. The concept must be completed by December 31, 2026.

Dorothy Wong, founding member of the Altadena Bicycle Club and an Altadena Town Council member who chairs the Safe Streets – Traffic Safety & Mobility Committee, is leading the effort, according to the announcement. Wong also led a 2022 Community Spark Grant project through the Altadena Town Council that funded a safe routes demonstration focused on bicycle routes to parks and schools, according to a League profile of Wong.

The trail concept was developed in response to the January 2025 Eaton Fire. All but one of those killed lived west of Lake Avenue, in the predominantly Black neighborhood that the trail project specifically targets for improved connectivity.

Wong and her partner, Jeff Herring, lost their Altadena home of more than 20 years in the fire, according to a fundraising page established after the blaze.

“The Altadena Cultural Town Trail Concept, supported by the Community Spark Grant, is a visionary initiative designed to bridge the gaps in our town’s connectivity while celebrating its heritage,” Wong said in a statement included in the League’s announcement. “By centering on equitable mobility and safe access, the project will create a continuous loop of trails and sidewalks that better connect residential areas, particularly in West Altadena.”

“This year’s application pool was the most competitive yet, and really showed how much financial need exists for these small but mighty projects that turn communities into better places for biking,” a League spokesperson said in the announcement.

The $2,000 grant funds concept development and planning, not trail construction. What the eventual project would require for implementation beyond the planning phase is not addressed in the grant announcement.

The consortium partners have an existing relationship in post-fire recovery work. In October 2025, Lotus Rising and the Altadena Bicycle Club organized Sun & Spokes, a 10-mile community bike ride in Altadena that drew more than 30 cyclists, according to Lotus Rising’s website.

The League’s program, which has awarded grants since 2022 with support from General Motors, funds projects ranging from pop-up events to tactical urbanism demonstrations and accessibility audits.