There’s good news for cyclists, and particularly those who like to ride toward downtown Los Angeles from the southeast edge of the San Fernando Valley. But you’ll have to wait until the next decade for it to become a reality.

Metro is aiming to close an 8-mile cycling gap with a bike path that would take you through downtown L.A, the agency announced on its blog this week.

For years, the Los Angeles River path has been incomplete, forcing cyclists to ride around the gap.

Right now, one stretch of the path along the river runs from Atlantic Boulevard in Vernon to downtown Long Beach. The other segment runs from Griffith Park, near the L.A. Zoo, to the Elysian Valley neighborhood, known to many Angelenos as Frogtown. That’s just north of downtown L.A.

But there’s no unifying path through downtown L.A. and south to Long Beach.

Under a plan funded by Measure M — the recent transit funding measure approved by voters — $365 million would help close that gap.

The Metro project, known as the Los Angeles River Bike Path Gap Closure Project, would break ground some time between 2023 and 2026.

Ultimately, according to Metro’s blog, The Source, “this means that we’re getting closer to the day when there will be a bike and walk path along all 51 miles of the L.A. River from the San Fernando Valley to downtown L.A. to Long Beach.”

Planners also see the project as a way to better connect the river to dozens of other local paths for shorter rides.

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But none of it will be easy, according to Metro.

Building a bike path requires planners to figure out how to weave the path through railroads, control walls, bridges, pipelines, power lines, parking lots and buildings.

So, what will it look like?

According to Metro, the path will be mostly on the river’s west bank, likely either on the top — or near the top — of the channel walls.

In some places, the path could be carved into the existing channel walls.

Metro has completed a technical study on the project and found last year that it’s feasible.

On Oct. 31, the agency released a request for proposals from contractors to submit planning and design ideas for the project.