Villaraigosa to Host CicLAvia Press Conference Next Wednesday

Things are picking up for Los Angeles’ first CicLAvia – a car-free festival taking place on October 10th 2010 – that’s Ten-Ten-Ten! For those unfamilar with the CicLAvia concept, check out Streetfilms’ Ciclovias All over the World page for examples from Bogotá to New York to San Jose. From 10am to 3pm on Sunday October 10th, 7.5 miles of Los Angeles streets will be open for people, and closed to cars. The event is free, and while a lot of bicyclists are excited to ride that day, it’s not just bicycling, but walking, skating, strollers, wheelchairs, and just hanging out in public space.

L.A. Streetsblog just got word that Mayor Villaraigosa has scheduled a CicLAvia press conference. The mayor has been supportive of CicLAvia since he participated in Vía Recreactiva in Guadalajara, Mexico last year. He and his staff have pulled together a great deal of event support from the L.A. Police Department, the L.A. Department of Transportation, Metro, and others. The mayor’s press conference will take place at 9am on Wednesday, September 22nd 2010 at the South Lawn of Los Angeles City Hall. The event is open to the public; cyclists are encouraged to arrive by bike. Streetsblog will be there.

In other CicLAvia news, the city has published their Transportation Management Plan, available on CicLAvia’s maps page. It shows the route in detail, including where LAPD/LADOT traffic officers will be stationed and diverting car traffic. Streetsblog announced it earlier this week, but don’t forget CicLAvia’s Bicycle Beauty Pageant fundraiser – in Atwater Village tomorrow night.