What the LA City Budget means for CicLAvia
We have some good news to share —and a moment to seize.
The Mayor's proposed 2026-2027 Budget for Los Angeles (FY27) includes meaningful support for open streets, like CicLAvia Sundays. We're encouraged to see dedicated resources for the LA Department of Transportation (LADOT), a vital partner in bringing open street events to neighborhoods across the City. This is significant, and it wouldn't have happened without years of community support for CicLAvia. Thank you for getting us to this moment!
This investment reflects something we've always known: CicLAvia Sundays are not just events. Open street events are social infrastructure investments. The kind of investment that builds trust between neighbors, strengthens local economies, reduces isolation, and creates the conditions for a healthier, more connected Los Angeles. Just like parks, libraries, and transit, open street events are essential to the fabric of our City.
As a nonprofit organization, CicLAvia depends on a combination of public funding and private support. The City's budget investment is not just a line item; it is a signal. Budgets are powerful statements of what we value as a community.
Our philanthropic partners look for public commitment as proof that our work is sustainable. This budget assures them that it is and allows us to raise the additional funds critical to keeping CicLAvia a foundational part of Los Angeles. Without City support we lose a significant funding source. Equally important, we lose the ability to bring additional dollars into Los Angeles at a time when we need it most.
Our goal for the City’s Fiscal Year 2027 (July 2026–June 2027) is to deliver up to seven CicLAvia Sundays across Los Angeles by summer 2027. Two of these events, CicLAvia—Meet the Hollywoods and CicLAvia—Pasadena, are already funded through the Metro Open Streets Program. With additional support from LADOT and dedicated open streets funding in the City of Los Angeles budget, we aim to add up to five more CicLAvia Sundays to expand access and impact across the region.
LADOT has been with us from the very beginning and is indispensable. Since 2010, they have been leading vital city services to ensure our events are safe and coordinated across departments. That's why we're proud to stand alongside them and call on the Los Angeles City Council to fully fund both open streets and LADOT's priorities in the Mayor's proposed 2026-2027 Budget for Los Angeles.
But here's the reality: a proposed budget is not a final budget.
The progress we're celebrating today can still be undone. In the coming weeks, the City Council will hold a series of committee meetings to review, revise, and negotiate funding priorities before adopting the final budget in early June. We need your voice now more than ever to maintain the City’s investment in CicLAvia. Personal voices carry real weight with decision-makers, and your story is proof that this social infrastructure works.
Take action between now and the end of May. Here’s how you can make your voice heard:
- Email or call your City Councilmember and urge them to protect full funding for open street events and LADOT in the FY27 budget. Remind them that this is a social infrastructure investment and that Los Angeles cannot afford to underinvest in the programs that bring our communities together. Find your council member here.
- Provide written public testimony to show support for open streets and LADOT in person.
- Share your CicLAvia story. Tell what CicLAvia Sundays means to you, your family, and your neighborhood. Simply, post on social media and tag your representatives and @ciclavia to show them that our community stands behind open streets and the city teams that make them happen.
- Spread the word. Share these actions with your friends and family so they can use their voice too.
This is our moment to secure a promising final budget and make sure that open street events become institutionalized social infrastructure. Together, let’s make sure CicLAvia and LADOT receive the support needed for Angelenos to thrive.
If you believe in creating more spaces for connection and conversation around active transportation, help us keep the momentum going.
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