Stories

CicLAvia–Heart of LA, October 6, 2013

Los Angeles never seems quite as photogenic as it does on CicLAvia Sundays. Our community loves the photos that capture the highlights, the emotions, the connectivity, the art & landmarks, the people, and the atmosphere of each CicLAvia event.

Our photos are always free to use: grab one to use as a desktop or Zoom background, phone screen, or anything else! Click to scroll through our Flickr albums.

Last year, CicLAvia Chief Strategist Tafarai Bayne joined Social Venture Partners LA's Fast Pitch 2020, where he presented a fresh, dynamic vision for open streets in Los Angeles as our city was adapting to its 'new normal.' Since then, we've continued our work guiding safe streets protocol, directing aid & support to local businesses and nonprofits, and working with other transportation groups in LA.

Curious to hear what the Accelerator cohort has been up to since then?

SVPLA Spotlight Session
Wednesday, March 31
1 PM - Open to Everyone
Click Here to Learn More and Sign Up

Tafarai will be participating in a special Spotlight Session along with other SVPLA leaders, to talk about our biggest successes from the last year, what many of us are focused on in 2021, and how YOU can take action now on issues from housing and public transit to environmental justice, civic engagement, and dismantling mass incarceration.

CicLAvia–Heart of LA, October 2, 2018

Los Angeles is a sprawling, diverse city filled with countless architectural styles and pieces of history. One of the joys of CicLAvia is giving people the opportunity to explore their own neighborhoods and really get up close to the sights that they might otherwise speed past in a car (or never see at all).

We don't have one singular landmark that exemplifies our city; we have dozens! We drew together photos of our events that featured some of the true LA markers that dot our city.

“We want CicLAvia to continue as much as the rest of Los Angeles does. The institution that CicLAvia represents – the opportunity for Angelenos to come together - it’s unparalleled and will endure through this crisis. We will be right there with them when CicLAvia can resume bringing our communities together in person.”

Our partnership with AARP has helped us support diverse, people-powered transportation options for Angelenos. Getting a deeper understanding of potential mobility challenges strengthened CicLAvia as a more accessible, equitable – and fun – event.

"Every time I’m on a bike, I smile. I think the biggest part of cycling is that you never see anybody frowning on a bike. It turns you into a kid again."

Melba and Aubrey Provost have been married (and best friends) for over 60 years. They're among the city's most-devoted cyclists: they ride matching bikes, they advocate for more bike safety, they have been joining us at CicLAvia since our very first event, and they are CicLAvia Street Stars!

Something about the open streets – people going at a slower pace, communing with neighbors and friends, and experiencing Los Angeles from a new perspective that makes music really come alive. So many Angelenos are used to hearing music encased in their cars; at CicLAvia, the streets themselves become concert arenas.

At a typical event we have tens of thousands of attendees. That's a massive audience for our local artists & musicians!

As people discover their own neighborhoods at a slower pace, they often see things they never noticed before: restaurants, parks, local activities, and public art.

We looked back at some of the murals and hidden works of art we've spotted on streets all across Los Angeles County at our various events. Even as we revisit similar routes again and again, the art changes. It can be an incredible barometer of local culture and attitudes.

So much has happened in 2020 that Angelenos may forget that this was the year we explored a new route together in South LA. Across 6 miles of Central Avenue, from the north-end Jazz District and South Central down into Florence-Firestone and Watts (all the way to the edge of Watts Towers), CicLAvians jogged, cycled, skated, rollerbladed, walked, and rolled their way through open streets that celebrated so much of the art and culture of our city.

An abundance of street murals, restaurants, and historical landmarks lined the route - including new tributes to Kobe Bryant in Watts.

In commemoration of CicLAvia’s 10th anniversary, Los Angeles artist Brian Rea designed an image that captures the joy, excitement, and energy that our events bring to LA streets and communities.

We are so thrilled to collaborate with Brian on this original, creative, and detailed work. Alex Merlino, our Director of Finance, and Sandra Kulli, a member of our Board of Directors, talked with him about how his own experiences at CicLAvia, and working in Los Angeles, guided this project.

It's our birthday! That's right: the upcoming CicLAvia–Heart of LA lands right on our birthday: October 10. We have been opening streets, connecting communities, and exploring neighborhoods together all across Los Angeles since 2010!

On 10/10/10, we hit the streets for our first event, which was also CicLAvia—Heart of LA. About 100,000 people discovered the myriad joys of open, car-free streets along a 7.5-mile stretch through downtown and into Boyle Heights. We are looking back at some of the many moments, images, and even headlines from that inaugural event.