Yesterday kicked off the month of “Walktober”, and the organization Los Angeles Walks is putting together a line up of events that began this morning and afternoon with super hero crosswalk defenders at several major intersections. The inspiration for the kick off event came from the extraordinary work of Peatonito, a lucha libre masked crusader for pedestrian rights and respect in Mexico City.
Also this month the city of L.A. and the L.A. DOT are supporting and celebrating international walk to school day on the 9th (volunteers and organizers are being sought to expand efforts). In Santa Monica we have Bike It! Walk It! day happening at Santa Monica High School today October 2nd, and Bike It! Walk It! week at other SMMUSD schools from Oct 7th to 11th. A free skills class for students and parents on bicycling is coming to beach bike campus area off Ocean Park Blvd. in Santa Monica on the 6th from 9am to noon. New this time around there will also be a street party with The Cove skate team preforming and other events and activities on the 11th closing out the week.
At CicLAvia, Los Angeles Walks will be kicking off their four “Walktoberfest” events featuring, well, walking and beers after. The first of these will be at CicLAvia (which all L.A. area breathing humans able to attend should be at of course) this Sunday, walking from Mariachi Plaza at 10am to Chinatown at 12:00pm for drinks. The group Walk Beverly Hills will be hosting an event on the 14th featuring architecture, public art and secret alleys, and Walk Bike Glendale is hosting it’s 2nd annual Zombie Walk.
In Santa Monica I’m going to be leading a “walking train” highlighting under construction and new public works projects in the Expo Line corridor of Santa Monica, a collaboration with the newer local group Santa Monica Walks. We’ll be stopping at each of the three future rail stations, the new Library branch under construction at Virgina Avenue Park, parts of Michigan Avenue where neighborhood greenway proposals are under consideration, and finishing at the new Tongva Park. Drinks will be at the famous Chez Jay right next to the park afterward.
If you enjoy walking, infrastructure wonkery, and or bars seeped in urban legends, and that haven’t changed much in half a century, I hope to see some of you join us on the 26th (Facebook event page).
