Sunday, Sunday, Sunday. One day only, ONE DAY ONLY !!!!! 7 miles of L.A. streets will be closed off so people can frolic, worry free about getting hit by a stupid driver who’s not paying attention to the road. But what exactly is CICLAVIA, from their site,
“A CiclovÃa is not just for recreation. It is social integration.
CiclovÃas started in Bogotá, 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. CiclovÃas 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.”
It’s pretty self explanatory, so grab your bike and cruise around. I’ll be at Hollenbeck Park from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. helping out before I head out and ride. The event goes on from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. See ya there. P.S. I’ll be wearing a cape 😀
I hope the bikers will share the road with pedestrians! Long live The Walking Class!
I agree on sharing with pedestrians!!
Hopefully it won’t be just one day only – Bogota Colombia does it weekly – 80 miles – every Sunday. We want this weekend’s to be a success, then expand next year and do around 5 next year, and, someday, weekly!
I am so into this. I kind of hope that an explosion of things like this are the silver lining to the ongoing collapse of the US economic model. Now all we need to do is make it every week and have it cross the whole town like they do in Bogota.
When I was Mexico City, I was surprised to see all these streets around the Zocalo closed and then a rush of bike riders. I heard they close some of the streets to cars every Sunday.
People think the US is the best in everything but I tell you, Mexico has us beat in the public transportation department. If you dropped me off in Tijuana, I could get to a tiny village on the top of a mountain in Oaxaca by public transportation. I can’t even get to my mom’s house in South San Gabriel without a car!
It’s on!
Just need to buy an couple of inner tubes, got another flat the other night : (
This sort of things spur in me the ideas/things that would occur, on the daily, in a truly non-coercive, participatory society. It wouldn’t just be a single event.
I wish it was at least once a month. Then again, that’s what critical mass does.
I’m excited. I really do hope this does catch on here in LA.
I hope you folks with political ties encourage your suit wearing, city hall types to ride along and make this monthly or weekly.
I enjoy Critical Mass, but its hard to get to (too early for me) and you do have to keep up with the pace so it’s not too welcoming for families trying out something new.
This closing of streets for a few hours opens up many possibilities.
Let’s just hope traffic doesn’t get all snarled and drivers complain too much.