Maybe it's the name.
Maybe it's that cyclists are so hungry for safe streets, they swarm to it like bees to honey.
Maybe it's the way it's been treated in the press.
For whatever reason, CicLAvia has yet to capture the public imagination as a giant open street carnival. The vast majority of the attendees are cyclists, and there were complaints after the second CicLAvia that in the Downtown those cyclists were acting as though this was an event just for bikes. There's a heavy irony to a cyclist yelling to a pedestrian to "get off the road" at CicLAvia that I just can't shake.
One of the ways the CicLAvia team is fighting that perception is their mini-grant program for CicLAvia III on October 9th. If you have an idea on a way to make CicLAvia about more than an amazing bike day, this is your chance. Do you want to program a giant pillow fight? A slip and slide down the 7th Street hill that ends on Figueroa Street? A Dr. Who themed parade that hustles through Downtown? The only limit on what you can do is your imagination.
To support people's creativity, CicLAvia is offering $500 grants to the best ideas to help make CicLAvia the best outdoor party it can be. Applications are due on Thursday, September 8. Click here for more information.
CicLAvia's namesake, the amazing Ciclovia in Bogota has giant yoga classes, open dances, and a host of outdoor activities beyond bike riding. If we want CicLAvia to ever reach the status and support level of Ciclovia, it's up to everyone to invest their time and energy to do so.
