Leadership Manhattan Beach’s Class of 2026 marked its graduation Wednesday with the unveiling of “Iron Rails to Green Trails,” a three‑station historical signage project celebrating the past life of Veterans Parkway – the city’s beloved greenbelt that once carried freight trains through town.

The temporary cardboard mock‑ups on display will soon be replaced with permanent steel signs, now in fabrication, that will feature archival photos and short histories of the rail corridor.

The project was conceived last Fall by class member Scott Anderson, who called the greenbelt a "jewel that we need to celebrate," and said he was inspired by the number of residents who use the path daily without knowing much about its origins.

“I moved here in the ’90s... and had no idea this strip of green existed,” Anderson said. “I’d hear rumors about how the Red Car trolley used to run on this, but ... no, freight trains actually ran through here. There’s a history gap.”

Scott Anderson discusses the "Iron Rails to Green Trails" project his leadership class conceived.

The class partnered with the Manhattan Beach Historical Society to source images and stories documenting the corridor’s evolution from railroad right‑of‑way to open space. 

One of the day’s most vivid recollections came from former councilmember Russ Lesser, who grew up near the tracks long before the greenbelt existed.

"When I was about six years old, and the city hadn't developed sewers, all the water from the Hill Section ran onto Ardmore, so there was a big drain pipe that went under the tracks," Lesser said. "And as six-year-olds, we would crawl into the drain pipe when the trains went by, and it would all shake, and we'd get scared. It was really fun."

Lesser later served on the City Council when Manhattan Beach purchased the land from the Santa Fe Railway and dedicated it permanently as open space.

City leaders praised the project for helping residents connect with a familiar but often‑overlooked piece of local history. Mayor David Lesser noted that many newcomers walk the path without realizing its origins. “You really captured something that we can all enjoy,” he told the class.

The permanent signs are expected to be installed in early summer.