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Sunday, tens of thousands of Angelenos participated in CicLAvia’s Heart of L.A. open streets event. The 7.5-mile route opened streets through Boyle Heights, Chinatown, MacArthur Park, Little Tokyo, and Downtown L.A. With cars temporarily removed, streets filled with people of all ages – on bike, on foot, on skates, scooters, and more.
The very first CicLAvia took place on October 10, 2010 – 10-10-10, so yesterday’s event celebrated 15 years of Southern California CicLAvias. Before CicLAvia, people said that it couldn’t be done, that it just wouldn’t work in car-centric Los Angeles. Now it’s almost difficult for many participants to imagine L.A. without CicLAvias taking place in various neighborhoods throughout the year.
CicLAvia on the new Sixth Street ViaductCicLAvia under Chinatown’s dragon archCicLAvia on Metro Bike ShareThe Heart of L.A. CicLAvia route includes many historic buildings, including the 1927 Fine Arts Building on 7th StreetCicLAvia in Little TokyoCicLAvia through downtown L.A.CicLAvia through downtown L.A.
Joe Linton is editor of Los Angeles Streetsblog. He is also a longtime urban environmental activist. His main areas of interest have been restoring the Los Angeles River and fostering bicycling for everyday transportation. He’s worked for many Los Angeles livability non-profits, including Friends of the L.A. River, Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition, C.I.C.L.E., Livable Places, and CicLAvia. He also served as deputy to Los Angeles City Councilmember Ed Reyes.
