CicLAvia is returning to the streets of Los Angeles, announcing plans for three full-scale open streets events in 2021. Kicking off on Sunday, August 15, the first event will be CicLAvia-Wilmington where the joys of biking, skating, walking, and community activities take place. On October 10, CicLAvia will celebrate its 11th anniversary with a fan-favorite route through downtown for CicLAvia–Heart of LA. The third event on December 5 will be CicLAvia-South LA.
By turning public streets into public parks for a day, many Angelenos credit CicLAvia with illustrating how accessible neighborhoods can be to visitors and to their own residents, as more people can safely travel, commute, and reconnect via active transportation.
“We are thrilled to share this news with Los Angeles,” said Romel Pascual, CicLAvia’s executive director. “With the state now open, Angelenos are eager to return to some of the enjoyable and memorable activities and routines we’ve been missing for the past year, while hopefully maintaining slower streets, outdoor dining and cleaner air. Our mission promotes positivity and safety, and we hope to help instill social confidence and restore comfort to the community.”
After CicLAvia had to cancel five events in 2020, the nonprofit shifted its focus to conducting outreach to inform and facilitate small mom-and-pop restaurants maximize their use of outdoor dining via the City of LA’s L.A. Al Fresco Dining program. It also championed safe biking, as well as pedestrian and people-powered activities, encouraging people to safely get out in their neighborhoods for exercise, fresh air, and respite from being confined to home.
“The return of CicLAvia is a bright light as we slowly recover together as a city," said LADOT General Manager Seleta Reynolds. "Our streets and public spaces should be places of joy and connection for communities. There is no event like CicLAvia to make that real for Angelenos.”
“CicLAvia is an important component of LA’s recovery and the experiences we’ve collectively shared at CicLAvia reinforces how dynamic, connected and resilient we are as Angelenos,” adds Pascual. “Please come out and celebrate with us whether it’s your 35th CicLAvia, or your first.”
Our latest CicLAvia at a Glance fact sheet is below, which includes the measurable impact CicLAvia has had these past 11 years. You may also find this CicLAvia video of interest: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1R0jKthJefM, and for more information please visit https://www.ciclavia.org/.
More information: CicLAvia’s eleven years of catalyzing vibrant public spaces, active transportation and good health through car-free streets - The first CicLAvia event took place on October 10, 2010, with a stretch of open streets from East Hollywood through downtown L.A. into Boyle Heights. More than 100,000 Angelenos turned out with people-powered transportation (bicycles, walking, skateboarding, scooters, running, pedicabs, etc.), exceeding expectations.
Inspired by the Bogotá, Colombia’s ciclovía events that started 45 years ago, CicLAvia began as a grassroots initiative by individuals who recognized that Open Streets events could address active transportation, urban land use, and public health needs in L.A.
• Eleven years and 35 CicLAvia Sundays later, more than 1.8 million people (averaging 53,000 participants at each event) have explored nearly 226 miles of open streets in L.A. County. Each CicLAvia route is 6-8 times larger than the median size of L.A.’s existing public parks.
• Attendees come from both the host neighborhoods – and all over L.A. and beyond – to share and enjoy the day. CicLAvia builds a unifying social fabric connecting neighborhoods and neighbors to each other through a spirit of play and exploration.
• CicLAvia is free, fun and inclusive. Neighbors, families and new friends can more intimately explore neighborhoods, historic sites, and hidden gems along with food, shopping and educational resources available along each route.
• For those participating with children, CicLAvia is an opportunity to get exercise, explore the city, have fun, to bike and walk in a safe environment without traffic, and to simply get their children outside, as well as enjoying the activities our many sponsors offer.
• CicLAvia has allowed L.A. to imagine what air quality, mobility and public health would be like via car-free Open Streets events. CicLAvia routes change every other month creating greater equity for L.A.’s most park-poor communities – extending its reach and impact beyond any one community.
• By locating routes near public transportation, a broad range of local communities can easily participate. CicLAvia entices people to go places they never visited or always wanted to. Metro ridership increases 30% during CicLAvia, with some riders taking trains and buses for the first time. CicLAvia happens with communities not to communities. All routes, whether unique or recurring, are designed, planned, and implemented in partnership with local communities.
• CicLAvia’s participants mirror L.A.’s demographics. They come from 75% of City of L.A. zip codes, and 50% of LA County zip codes. In a region that has at times struggled for harmony, CicLAvia creates a joyous, shared urban forum. Everyone is welcome… even dogs. Attendees start wherever they want along the route and enjoy as long as they like.
• These well-coordinated days are due to the hundreds of volunteers who work alongside public safety workers to close streets to cars and open them to celebratory fun. By design, CicLAvia routes traverse the centerpiece boulevards that distinguish LA’s many unique neighborhoods.
Image Credit: Farah Sosa
