CicLAvia!

On April 15, 2012, 10 miles of streets were car-free from 10 AM – 3 PM. In 2012, we are doing the initial route again, and adding new spurs to El Pueblo/Olvera Street and South LA!

CicLAvia makes the streets safe for people to walk, skate, play and ride a bike. There are activities along the route. Shop owners and restaurants are encouraged to open their doors to people along the CicLAvia.

Ciclovias started in Bogota, Colombia, over thirty years ago as a response to the congestion and pollution of city streets. Now they happen throughout Latin America and the United States.

Connecting communities and giving people a break from the stress of car traffic, the health benefits are immense. Ciclovias bring families outside of their homes to enjoy the streets, our largest public space. In Los Angeles we need CicLAvia more than ever. Our streets are congested with traffic, our air is polluted with toxic fumes, our children suffer from obesity and other health conditions caused by the scarcity of public space and safe, healthy transportation options. CicLAvia creates a temporary park for free, simply by removing cars from city streets. It creates a network of connections between our neighborhoods and businesses and parks with corridors filled with fun. We cant wait to see you at CicLAvia! Photos by Anna Jones.

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