Metro orders staff to find funding for CicLAvia and other open street events
After an outpouring of support, the Metro Board unanimously voted on Thursday to order its staff to find funding for CicLAvia and other open street events.
The car-free gatherings heavily relied on Metro's funding to host the events, but their futures were jeopardized after the transportation agency's Planning and Programming Committee voted 4-1 to use the money to pay for fan zones during the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
CicLAvia said supporters submitted more than 3,000 pages of public comment urging leaders to keep the popular events alive.
Organizers thanked Mayor Karen Bass and LA County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath for their support.
"On behalf of CicLAvia, we are especially grateful to Mayor Karen Bass for her leadership, and to LA County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, who has been a steadfast champion for open streets," CicLAvia executive director Romel Pascual said on Thursday.
Since 2010, CicLAvia has hosted 67 open-street events that allow people to bike, walk and skate around car-free roads throughout LA County. Organizers said the events have allowed hundreds of thousands of people to reconnect with the neighborhoods where they live, work and shop.
Bass praised CicLAvia for fostering a sense of community following the decision to find additional funding for open street events.
"As a lifelong biker and native Angeleno, I know how important open street events like CicLAvia are to our city and the L.A. region. I've participated in many CicLAvias over the years, in neighborhoods all across Los Angeles," Bass said. "That's why I'm calling for Metro to identify dedicated funding through 2028 to ensure these events continue with full force."
