Our first CicLAmini is in the books thanks to an amazing turnout from the Watts community! To start off our 45th event, LA Councilmember Tim McOsker (Council District 15), John Jones III (East Side Riders Bike Club President/Co-Founder), Connie Llanos (Interim GM, LA Department of Transportation), Frank Ching (Deputy Executive Officer, LA Metro), and Romel Pascual (CicLAvia Executive Director) spoke at our press conference. They shared updates on the infrastructure improvements the neighborhood of Watts and the LA Department of Transportation (LADOT) has implemented to ensure safer streets for cyclists and pedestrians.
To close out the press conference and kick off our day, we were treated to a wonderful musical performance from the Edwin Markham Middle School Band!
The most evident improvements seen on the route were all along Central Ave. LADOT added freshly painted bike lanes to allow cyclists to be in their own lane, away from car traffic. Near those new additions, People for Mobility Justice and East Side Riders Bike Club had free helmet fittings and a bike safety course for participants to test their knowledge and skills on basic bike safety.
With beautiful weather and a more walkable route it was hard to leave our furry friends at home! As we get closer to summer time, be sure to keep in mind that the pavement can get extremely hot and injure our fur babies. If the floor is too hot to place your wrist down on, then it is definitely too hot for them. Have them wear shoes to avoid any burning of their paws.
Whether you had a sweet tooth, craved something savory, or were looking for some comfort food from local vendors, there were plenty of food options packed into the route for you to choose from. Nomad Ice Pops had a variety of unique hispanic flavors to choose from such as guava limeade as well as mango and Kogi BBQ Taco Truck set up shop at the Central Ave Hub and served their fusion short rib tacos to name just a couple!
Did you complete the Friends At Mafundi historic photo challenge? This challenge had CicLAmini participants venture out to historic sights along the route to snap photos and learn more about the area. Some sites included the pyramid and obelisk at Historic Watts Train Station and the Kobe Bryant mural at the Historic Fire Station #65. Those who did received some awesome CicLAvia swag once completed!
There was a list of freebies, deals, handouts, and info sessions at both the Central Ave Hub and 103rd St Hub from our partner organizations. The LA Phil provided two free complimentary tickets to specific upcoming events this summer at the Hollywood Bowl and The Ford. The SAMO Fund informed us on the benefits of having native plants in the area and helped construct “seed bombs” to take home. And what better way to celebrate bike month than to rent a bike at the Metro Bike Share Pop-Up!
Near the 103rd St Hub, our friends over at East Side Riders Bike Club showcased many talented groups and individuals from Watts and neighboring communities. On stage there were cultural performances by S.H.I.N.E. Muwasi, dance-alongs and music by DJ Boss, plus a live mariachi performance featuring members of the LAPD!
Activities were everywhere you looked along the route! The Tree Yoga Cooperative held free group yoga sessions, the Hoopbus, a converted school bus with a basketball hoop, attracted many participants who were looking to pick up a quick game of basketball! The Garage Board Shop had a pop up skate ramp and a station to design your very own skateboard and Watts t-shirt.
As a non profit organization, we could not have made this CicLAmini happen without the financial support and help from our community. Click here to make a tax-deductible donation and learn more about becoming a CicLAvia Street Star.
Interested in volunteering at the next event? Click here for more information.
And what better gear to wear than your very own CicLAvia swag! If you didn’t get a chance to swing by our merch tent no need to worry, you can find everything there and more on our online store.
There are 5 events left in the 2023 year! Make sure you are signed up for our mailing list so you don’t miss any details about upcoming events.
Did you enjoy these photos? There’s plenty more to see here on our Flickr album!
Photos: Sandy Altamirano, Farah Sosa, and Jason Williams.
