Nearly 7.5 miles of city roads will be closed to motor vehicles for about five hours Sunday for the second annual CicLAvia, when bicyclists, skateboarders, skaters, wheelchair users and pedestrians can take to Los Angeles streets without competing with motor traffic.
The event, patterned after Ciclovia, a similar ride in Bogota, Colombia, will begin at 9:30 a.m. with a grand opening ceremony at the Japan America National Museum Plaza at First Street and Central Avenue in Little Tokyo.
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong are among the dignitaries slated to attend.
FOR MORE INFORMATION | Our Streets, No Cars, Lots of Bikes
The ride itself will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and organizers stressed that it is not a race but a leisurely ride through neighborhoods. Participants can start and stop anywhere along the route.
Last year's event drew an estimated 100,000 people, and organizers hope more will participate this year, said Brad Rehak, a spokesman for CicLAvia.
The two-way route runs between Hollenbeck Park in Boyle Heights and Heliotrope Avenue, just north of Melrose Avenue, in Hollywood.
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The route will also include Fourth Street into downtown, the Westlake District, MacArthur Park, Silverlake and Koreatown.
There will be selected spots where cars can cross shut-down streets. A complete map and other important details of the day's events are available at the CicLAvia website.
FOR MORE INFORMATION | Visit the CicLAvia website
City officials warned drivers that street closures, which were marked on Saturday, went into effect at 1 a.m. Sunday, with cars scheduled for towing after 6 a.m. At 3 p.m. streets will revert to full use and remaining bicyclists and pedestrians will have to move over to bike lanes. At 3:30 p.m. officials say the street will be fully reopened to regular traffic.
There will be four rest stops along the route with portable bathrooms and hydration stations. The stops are located at Hollenbeck Park, Fourth Street and Cummings; South lawn of City Hall, Northwest corner of First and Main streets; MacArthur Park, Seventh Street between Alvarado Avenue; and Lake and Orange 20 Bikes parking lot at Heliotrope and Melrose avenues.
Rehak said organizers hope to expand the route into the Westside for upcoming events planned for July and October.
