CicLAvia Volunteer Profile: Allan Alessio
1. Tell us a bit about your background
I've been riding ever since I can remember actually. I remember my father letting go of my bike after the training wheels came off, and haven't looked back since.
2. How did you get involved with CicLAvia? I stepped up to help out when Joe was running the show. Haven't looked back since then either!
3. How do you think we can make CicLAvia better?
Well there's many ways. It's young and vibrant and has enjoyed a great reaction from the community. I think the last ride showed that there needs to be a little flexibility worked into the day. It would have been great if we could have expanded Venice Blvd and also been flexible on the hours available. Having the streets closed for a couple of more hours would have been great. They (the people in charge) need to look at all the users of the street. If all the users were weighed equally, it would have showed that the bicyclist and pedestrians far outnumbered automotive traffic in the area. And don't tell me they don't work closures for cars that way? :-/
4. How have you volunteered? Why have you volunteered?
I've always enjoyed volunteering for different organizations that I felt needed to flourish and be a part of our community. Street closures for the neglected part of our users in our infrastructure is a no-brainer!
5. What's in store for you? What's coming up in your life?
Well I'll keep riding with or without the bicycle community. Any chance of getting over a quarter of a million bicyclists on our roads at one time is a win-win idea to me! I'm going to see about possibility of dabbling a little bit into the online social networking scene. It doesn't really appeal to me, but I'll give it a go and see if it's as bad as I think it is.
CicLAvia couldn’t happen without the best volunteers in the world. From pre-production volunteers who come into the office to do research, hit the streets to do outreach and canvassing, and who rummage through our merchandise tirelessly to take inventories, to the day-of volunteers who keep participants safe at intersections, provide information at the hubs, and roam the route with tools and pumps to fix your bike, every single volunteer plays a vital role in making CicLAvia the greatest car-free, open-streets event. Join the volunteer team! Check out CicLAvia.org/Volunteer for an overview of the opportunities, and then email[email protected] to sign up!
If you’d like to see yourself profiled next join the CicLAvia Volunteer Team. Plus you’ll get a snazzy CicLAvia t-shirt and an invite to our exclusive post-CicLAvia volunteer party!
