By Terelle Jerricks, Managing Editor
Street closures in August are going to transform the Los Angeles Harbor Area towns of Wilmington and San Pedro into safe spaces for pedestrian and bicycle traffic and everything in between.
CicLAvia produces temporary car-free days that transform streets into safe spaces for thousands of people to explore the city by foot, bike and other forms of non-motorized transport. This CicLAvia event is produced in partnership with the City of Los Angeles, Metro and CicLAvia Inc. (a non-profit).
After 21 events, CicLAvia has become one of the largest open-streets event in the country.
It is modeled after Bogota, Colombia’s aim to promote a bike friendly city dominated by automobiles. The city closed the streets and filled them with performances and different community-based activities happening on the sidewalks.
As in the city of Bogota, CicLAvia aims to fill the sidewalks with community participants, from vendors to local nonprofits and community residents. In Bogota, there was music, turning the event into a full-blown festival.
Here is the Harbor Area, cyclists and pedestrians are encouraged to travel in both directions while spending time at four different hubs spread throughout the route including Banning Manning and Waterfront Park in Wilmington, the Port of Los Angeles Building on 5th and Palos Verdes streets and 22nd Street and Pacific Avenue.
These hubs will feature food trucks and kid zones and serve as stops for repairing bikes.. There will be media kick off event staged at the Port of Los Angeles hub.
The CicLAvia route (see map), will be closed to car traffic from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 13. Also parking will not be allowed on the CicLAvia route from 1 a.m. to 6 p.m. These restrictions will be enforced and vehicles will be towed starting at 1 a.m. Additional street parking near the route may be restricted for residents and non-residents alike. Driveways on the route will be blocked and inaccessible beginning at 7 a.m. Check posted parking restrictions in your neighborhood.
Vehicles will not be allowed on the route from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. There will be, however, crossing points at several intersections for vehicles. Buses that usually run along the CicLAvia route will be detoured. To limit further traffic confusion, CicLAvia organizers are submitting the road closures to Google maps and Waze for those that normally spend their Sunday afternoons at Ports O’ Call Village.
For those unlucky residents or workers scheduled to work that day who have to come out of pocket to pay for parking, they will be reimbursed for up to $20 per vehicle incurred from 8 p.m. on Aug. 12 through 6 p.m. on Aug. 13. Just mail a copy of your parking receipt and proof of residence or employment to CicLAvia, at 525 S Hewitt St, Los Angeles, CA 90013 for reimbursement.
Time: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 13
Details: ciclavia.org, metro.net