Sunday’s early morning rain cleared up in time for another excellent installment of L.A. County’s premiere open streets festival. CicLAvia Culver City Meets Mar Vista + Palms took place on six and a half miles of Westside Streets from Venice Boulevard’s Great Streets project to Culver City and Palms Metro Expo Line stations. The route was similar to earlier Washington Boulevard-centered Culver City routes in 2015 and 2107, but included a Palms Motor Avenue spur for the first time ever. The event was presented by Metro, as part of the agency’s ongoing open streets grant program.
Early on, the streets were wet from morning rains. Though many people showed up around the 9 a.m. start time, the crowds were not massive. As it became clear that early rain would given way to cloudy skies, tens of thousands of cyclists, runners, skaters, and others crowded onto the route.
“CicLAvia has a superpower. It helps us reimagine our streets as vast public spaces. It helps us imagine what the future can be like with less cars.” —@CulverCityGov Vice Mayor, @M_Sahli_Wells pic.twitter.com/B9Iwf2c2qp
Nearly ten years into the phenomenon that is CicLAvia, it is difficult to find more to say about the popular recurring event. As usual, all kinds of people of all shapes, sizes, ages and ethnicities smiled their way along wonderfully quiet streets. Restaurants along the route were crowded with bikes out front. Angelenos got a glimpse of what a safer, healthier, more sustainable, and better connected city might look like.
Making their first appearance at Southern California open streets were some new mobility options available on the Westside: Metro Bike Share’s new white smart-bikes and Jump’s orange dockless shared e-bikes. Many participants used e-scooters to enjoy the route – though trusty tried-and-true bikes remain predominant.
Readers – how was your CicLAvia yesterday? Share via the comments below.
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