By Darlene Donloe
Contributing Writer
LOS ANGELES — Since the beginning of the year, CicLAvia has been traversing through various sectors of the city.
Previous routes include Lincoln Heights (Sept. 15), Meet the Hollywoods (Aug. 18), South Los Angeles (June 23), CicLAmini — Wilmington (May 19), Venice Boulevard (April 21), and Melrose Avenue (Feb. 25).
Up next is CicLAvia — Heart of LA, known as CicLAvia’s popular signature route. The 7.5-mile course explores historic downtown, Chinatown, Little Tokyo, Boyle Heights, the Arts District, Echo Park, and the Sixth Street Viaduct. It’s a chance for residents to check out some of the many local gems in the area outside of a car.
The 56th Los Angeles open streets event, presented by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and CicLAvia, takes place 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Oct. 13.
Participants are invited to jog, ride, bike, skate, run, walk, skateboard, spectate and play while enjoying the route.
“Heart of L.A. is CicLAvia’s anchor route,” said CicLAvia Executive Director Romel Pascual. “It’s where the inaugural CicLAvia took place in October 2010, and the route we return to every fall. Each year the route varies slightly to see more of our beautiful city from outside the confines of a car.
“For 2024, we’ll be going back over the spectacular Sixth Street Viaduct, one of L.A.’s most celebrated and iconic landmarks. We will also travel a bit farther into Boyle Heights along East Cesar Chavez Avenue.”
Guillermo Piñon is the owner of Distrito Catorce (14th District), a restaurant/bar located along the Boyle Heights route at 1837 E. First St.
Distrito Catorce is a popular brunch spot in Boyle Heights serving up unique dishes like chorizo breakfast burgers, fried oyster sandwiches and horchata french toast. During CicLAvia there will be live music on the rooftop.
Piñon, who has owned the establishment for the last three years, said he looks forward to CicLAvia every year.
“I wish they did it three of four times a year,” he said. “It’s the best event of the year for us. It helps me keep my doors open until April. Usually, December through February are slow months.
“When CicLAvia comes through, it helps us. It gets us through those tough months. I usually have to bring in extra staff and have plenty of stock. We also have entertainment.”
Piñon said CicLAvia can “stimulate the economy.”
“There is no downside to CicLAvia,” he said. “The amount of foot traffic and exposure that it brings to the community is fabulous. It has a long-term effect. I love the way they do things. I love the community outreach. They are very professional. I appreciate them. This truly turns into a large community event.”
Always free, CicLAvia participants can show up anywhere along the route at any time to enjoy the open streets and to take the time to explore the ‘Heart of LA.’
Along the route are five hubs filled with activities and programs designed to be engaging for all participants.
Hubs are walking zones (bike dismounts) and meeting points along the route with the Echo Park Hub located on the south side of Echo Park Lake on Bellevue Avenue at Glendale Boulevard; the Chinatown Hub located on North Broadway near Chinatown’s historic Central Plaza; the Little Tokyo Hub located on Central Avenue between First and Second streets; the Mariachi Plaza Hub located on First Street east of Boyle Avenue, and the Evergreen Hub located on Cesar Chavez Avenue, west of Evergreen Avenue.
The hubs offer family-friendly activities, restrooms, free water refilling stations, free basic bike repair, bike parking and first aid. Free pedicab rides are also available at each information booth.
CicLAvia was inspired by the weekly ciclovía in Bogota, Colombia. It is designed to connect neighborhoods where residents live, work, shop, learn and play without cars. Along the route is shopping at local businesses and access to cultural and architectural landmarks.
For the last 14 years, CicLAvia has helped communities re-imagine a greener and cleaner Los Angeles, while also promoting equitable transportation options, healthier lifestyles and closer connections to the community.
Only people-powered vehicles are allowed. No electric scooters, electric skateboards, hoverboards, electric unicycles, motorcycles, or other non-people-powered vehicles are allowed at CicLAvia. Class 1 e-bike pedal assists are allowed. Class 2 e-bikes are allowed when the throttle is powered off. Class 3 e-bikes are allowed when pedal-assist is powered off. Motorized wheelchairs are allowed.
Participants assume all known and unknown risks of participation in CicLAvia. More information regarding participants’ rights can be found at https://www.ciclavia.org/ciclavia-safety.
The last CicLAvia event for 2024 will take place Dec. 8 in the West San Fernando Valley.
Darlene Donloe is a freelance reporter for Wave Newspapers who covers South Los Angeles. She can be reached at ddonloe@gmail.com.