While our team is hard at work planning future CicLAvia events, we are capitalizing on our expertise in community outreach and creating public spaces to expand the L.A. Al Fresco program. In partnership with the City of LA and LADOT, we're helping neighborhood businesses (restaurants, bars, and cafes) re-envision some of their own spaces, to test how streets and lots that primarily serve cars can be opened up to people-centered activity.
L.A. Al Fresco helps local businesses relax the rules that regulate outdoor dining, and therefore increase the space restaurants have for outdoor use. We continue to build upon our work in LA, one street and neighborhood at a time.
CicLAvia has been working on L.A. Al Fresco since late 2020, specifically in communities most impacted by the pandemic, helping them expand outdoor dining options. The LA 2021-22 budget proposal now includes creating permanent areas for outdoor dining as part of the program.
“CicLAvia has been utilizing its open streets planning expertise in a new way by reaching out to smaller ‘mom and pop’ restaurants in communities most impacted by the pandemic,” says CicLAvia’s Executive Director Romel Pascual. By offering free assistance to these ‘hidden gems’ via the L.A. Al Fresco program, the restaurants are able to accommodate more customers, so they can serve their neighborhoods safely and with greater capacity, stay open and to continue to prosper.
The City and LADOT turned to CicLAvia because of our extensive experience reaching out to communities and small businesses around L.A., not only engendering their support and participation in the open streets events, but giving local businesses exposure along the way. “The work CicLAvia is doing with the L.A. Al Fresco program is an extension of our outdoor work for which we are so well-known,” adds Pascual.
Click here to find out how your business can participate in the L.A. Al Fresco program.
Help us get back to the streets bigger than ever by becoming a CicLAvia Street Star with a monthly donation that shows your support for active transportation, small businesses, open streets, and good health. Plus, we'll send you gifts!
