CicLAvia Presents its Inaugural CicLAmini
CicLAmini-Watts
Presented by Metro
Transforming Watts into a public park for the day with a more
pedestrian-oriented experience featuring activities sprinkled along
the entire one-mile open streets event for all
Sunday, May 21, 2023; 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
On Sunday, May 21; 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., Ciclavia introduces CicLAmini, a more pedestrian and neighborhood-oriented experience of a traditional open streets event. The first CicLAmini of 2023 turns a one-mile stretch of Central Ave and 103rd St in the iconic neighborhood of Watts into a public park for the day. The Watts CicLAmini is a slower paced, more casual experience that encourages participants to enjoy this elevated pedestrian-oriented route, welcoming all ages and abilities whether one chooses to walk, jog, skate, run, skateboard, spectate, bike, play, or hop on a pedicab. CicLAmini-Watts will feature activities sprinkled along the entire open streets route, including self-guided walking tours, scavenger hunts, street games, local business engagements, and art and cultural activities for all ages. Bike racks are provided for those who want to take advantage of the walkability of the new CicLAmini.
“We are excited to reimagine the joy of CicLAvia by introducing CicLAminis – a slower-paced variation of the CicLAvia experience that we all know and love. Like all of the previous open streets events we’ve produced, CicLAmini in Watts is about connecting and reconnecting to the communities that make up the city we love,” exclaims CicLAvia executive director Romel Pascual. “CicLAmini-Watts is a celebration of what makes our city special, and a celebration of communities and cultures that continue to shape the vibrant story of our city.”
With more than 274 miles of open streets since the beloved CicLAvia began in 2010, the inaugural CicLAmini-Watts is CicLAvia’s 45th event. Free to attend, CicLAvia is always a celebration of our diverse and vibrant communities, and CicLAvia car-free streets connect all of us to the neighborhoods where we live, work, shop, learn, and play. As active participants at CicLAvia, we use people-powered mobility to navigate our public streets in a safe and joyful way. Along the way, we shop at our local businesses, we are introduced to cultural and architectural gems, we use our streets as spaces to connect with each other, and we do our individual part to make a positive impact on our environment by creating a more sustainable and climate resilient city and region.
CicLAmini-Watts Hubs
With hubs and plenty of activities and programs along the route, the CicLAmini experience will be both fun and engaging for all to enjoy. Hubs are walking zones (bike dismounts) and meeting points along the route and offer additional programming and activities. CicLAmini–Watts will have two hubs, one at each end of the route: Central Ave Hub located at 10925 S Central Ave (at 109th St) and the 103rd St Hub (at Grandee Ave). Hubs have family-friendly activities, restrooms, free water refilling stations, free basic bike repair, bike parking, and first aid. Free pedicab rides, sponsored by AARP, are available at each information booth. In addition, there are many local gems, activities, and businesses to check out near and along the route – discover them through CicLAmini-Watts’ new Interactive Digital Map.
Over the past 13 years, CicLAvia has grown into a beloved staple of the Los Angeles landscape. More than just an open streets movement, CicLAvia helps communities re-imagine a greener and cleaner Los Angeles, while also promoting equitable transportation options, healthier lifestyles, and closer connections to community. Inspired by Bogotá’s weekly ciclovía, CicLAvia has been temporarily closing streets to car traffic and opening them as public parks in Los Angeles since 2010.
Only people-powered vehicles are allowed. No electric scooters, electric skateboards, hoverboards, electric unicycles, motorcycles and other non-people-powered vehicles are allowed at CicLAvia. Class 1 e-bike pedal-assist allowed. Class 2 e-bikes are allowed when throttle is powered off. Class 3 e-bikes are allowed when pedal-assist is powered off. Motorized wheelchairs are allowed. Learn more here.
Participants assume all known and unknown risks of participation in CicLAvia. More information regarding participants rights can be found here.
Upcoming 2023 CicLAvia events include: June 18: South LA – Vermont Ave; August 20: Koreatown Meets Hollywood; September 17: New CicLAmini – North Hollywood; October 15: Heart of LA; and December 3: South LA – Leimert Park meets Historic South Central.
Free for all, CicLAvia is a nonprofit organization committed to introducing Angelenos to the vibrant civic and cultural treasures throughout Los Angeles. CicLAvia highlights important issues to all Angelenos – from environmental health and air quality improvement to access to safe and open parks, physical and mental well-being. CicLAvia has captured the imagination of more than 1.8 million people who have traveled together along more than 270 miles of streets. CicLAvia builds unifying social fabric, joyously connecting culturally diverse neighborhoods and neighbors to each other through open streets. CicLAvia is not just about cycling, it’s also about multiple modes of people-powered transportation. Whether one walks, strolls, skate, jogs, scooters, or bikes, CicLAvia creates so many incredible moments and experiences enjoying our city streets together.
CicLAmini–Watts Details
CicLAmini–Watts; Sunday, May 21, 2023; 9:00 a.m.- 3:00 p.m. – One-mile of open, car-free streets, transforming them into public parks for the day. Jog, ride, bike, skate, run, walk, skateboard, spectate, and enjoy the route for all to enjoy – free of charge. Show up anywhere along the route on Central Ave between 103rd St to the north and 109th St to the south, and 103rd St between Central Ave to the west and Grandee Ave to the east, at any time and have fun!
More Information
Visit https://www.ciclavia.org/mini_watts23 for more detailed information
Photo credit – Courtesy of CicLAvia
