CicLAvia

Rain, rain stay away. Come again some other Sunday.

It was exciting, said Community Health Council's (CHC) Andres Ramirez Huiztek, that South L.A. would finally have the opportunity to "show [people] what CicLAvia can be" this weekend.

If a CicLAvia opens the city, and almost no media coverage ensues, does anybody hear?

CicLAvia! Bicycles! Hipster Invaders! Gentrification!

(Editor's Note: Sorry to run this disappointing news announced by Metrolink, when we're otherwise really excited about CicLAvia this Sunday. Don't forget, though, bicycles are not required equipment. There are lots of great CicLAvia attractions located within easy walking distance from Union Station! Including a pedestrian zone in the Broadway Historic Theater area. Also, don't forget that there are plenty of Metro rail and bus connections to the route - see this article at The Source for details. What's the solution, readers? Should cyclists press Metrolink for better service? Should Metro press Metrolink? Can we get bike share? Host more CicLAvias? Should far-flung CicLAvia participants just drive? Let us know in the comments below.) 

CicLAvia has always been an all-ages event. It's one of those rare festivals that families can enjoy together. There are lots of young kids riding bicycles much further than we parents expect. Take away the cars, and streets become safe, more like parks than anything else.

This Sunday's CicLAvia route includes some of the same neighborhoods as past events in central Los Angeles, but it's actually a very different route. Only a wiggle through Boyle Heights and the downtown Arts District remain from central CicLAvia route that debuted in 2010. There are lots of great sights to see along this new trajectory. Below is a non-exhaustive guide to some worthwhile stuff to check out. At hubs, you can get a free printed neighborhood guide which includes many of the sites I've highlighted, and other great stuff.

“¿Conoce CicLAvia?” (Are you familiar with CicLAvia?) and “¿Sabe qué es una ciclovía?” (Do you know what a ciclovía is?) were two of the questions SBLA writers Erick Huerta and Sahra Sulaiman found themselves asking Boyle Heights residents and business owners while canvassing the area with representatives of CicLAvia recently.

South L.A. residents and advocates gathered at the KAOS Network in Leimert Park last night to learn more about CicLAvia and how the 6-mile route planned through the area on December 7th, 2014, would affect the community.