Frequently Asked Questions

Sign up for our mailing list so you don’t miss out on updates on future 2024 events.

CicLAvia is a 501c3 non-profit that catalyzes vibrant public spaces, active transportation and good health through car-free street events. CicLAvia engages with people to positively transform our relationship with our communities and with each other.

CicLAvia temporarily opens streets across Los Angeles county to all Angelenos to bike, walk, skate, dance, and play. Free to the public, the event turns the streets into a park space that connects diverse portions of the city.

Currently, CicLAvia has four or more events per year, always on a Sunday.

Years and months of planning, partnerships, outreach, and development goes into each CicLAvia. Click here to see how it happens.

At 1 am the night of CicLAvia the official no parking signs on the route go into effect. If any car is parked on the route after 1:00 a.m. on Sunday, it will be towed.

At 6 am the city begins closing streets to secure the route, with full closures in effect by 8 a.m.

At 9 am CicLAvia officially begins!

*At 4 pm the city begins to re-open the route to car traffic, as CicLAvia comes to a close. The route is fully open to cars by approximately 6:00pm.

*February and December routes end at 3pm due to Daylight Savings Time

The safety and security of our participants is always a top priority at CicLAvia. We partner with city agencies to ensure both the visible and non-visible presence of security personnel and additional safety measures throughout the route. Teams of emergency responders are also on-site to respond to any medical or security emergencies. We encourage all participants to be aware of their surroundings and report any suspicious activity to security personnel. By working together, we can create a safe and enjoyable event for everyone.

Walk outside and come play with us!

Please take note that any cars parked on the CicLAvia route after 1:00am on the Sunday of the event will be towed. Cars will not be allowed back on these streets until approximately 6:00pm (5:00pm for February and December events) on day of the event. Additionally, all driveways along the route will be blocked from 7:00am - 6:00pm (5:00pm for February and December events).

If you need to park your car somewhere else on that day because your parking spot is blocked, CicLAvia will reimburse you up to $20 for parking fees. Please simply mail the receipt to: CicLAvia - 525 S. Hewitt Street, Los Angeles, CA 90013 or email it to [email protected]. SUBJECT: Parking Reimbursement.

Are you a business on the route? Visit our event page for information on business participation at our next event. 

Yes! We care about your safety and highly recommend that everyone planning to come on a bike, scooter, skateboard, rollerblades, skates, and other wheeled forms of people-powered mobility wear a helmet at CicLAvia. Don’t worry- we are big fans of helmet hair.

Helmets are required by California law for all kids under 18 if they are on a bike, scooter, skateboard, skates, traveling in a seat on a parent's bike, bike trailer, or other types of geared or wheeled transportation.

A general rule of thumb for any vehicle is that if it is primarily powered by a person, it's allowed at CicLAvia. If it is solely powered by a motor, it's not. For many people, CicLAvia provides an escape from motorized vehicles for the day - and an opportunity to use active mobility. We want to keep it safe for everyone who participates.

We also allow many e-bikes, but not all. In broad terms, e-bikes are bicycles with a battery-powered “assist” that comes when you pedal or, in some cases, use a throttle. We encourage people to pedal, and to keep street speeds safe for everyone. So if you use a “class 1” e-bike, which is a low-speed (usually maxes out at ~15mph) pedal-assisted bike, you are fine to use it on the route.

If you use “class 2”, which do not require the participant to pedal (they simply turn a throttle), or “class 3” e-bikes, which go faster than other e-bikes, you can only use these on the route if the power is switched off.

So these e-bike uses are allowed:

• Common pedal-assist e-bikes (top speeds: 15mph, Class 1)
• Any e-bikes that have throttles if the power is switched off and the user is pedaling (Class 2)
• Faster e-bikes whether they have throttles or not, if the power is switched off and the user is pedaling (Class 3)

The key point to keep in mind: if you’re primarily pedaling, and keeping with the flow of traffic, you’re fine.

You don't need a bike to participate! At CicLAvia people run, walk dogs, rollerblade, picnic, dance, shop and more.

As a general rule of thumb, only people-powered vehicles are allowed, with exceptions for persons with disabilities. That means we do not allow electric scooters, skateboards, hoverboards, unicycles, motorcycles and other non-people-powered vehicles, but we do allow motorized wheelchairs and related vehicles for people with disabilities.

We want to make sure that everyone can enjoy our route.

Motor-powered vehicles are not permitted:

• Electric scooters
• E-bikes with throttles (if you're not pedaling with the power off)
• Hoverboards
• Electric skateboards
• Segways
• Electric unicycles
• Mopeds
• Motorbikes
• Motorcycles
• Cars

Some vehicles, like hoverboards and motorized scooters, aren’t necessarily fast, but they’re still disruptive to the active and people-powered spirit of CicLAvia. It’s great to find an efficient and enjoyable way to get around Los Angeles; they just aren’t allowed on the CicLAvia route.

The following non-motorized vehicles are welcomed:

• Bicycles
• Rollerskates
• Rollerblades
• Scooters
• Skateboards
• Unicycles
• Tricycles
• Pedestrians
• Runners
• Power wheelchairs/mobility scooters (or similar) for participants with disabilities

Need to rent a bike, board, or blades for CicLAvia? We've compiled a list of places around LA County that do one-day rentals. Remember to call ahead and pay for your reservation in advance, as these rentals often sell out! Remember: nothing is required to participate. You can just bring yourself and some comfy walking shoes to join in!

If you're a rental shop near the route that would like to be listed here, email us at [email protected] and we'll add you to the list.

Open streets initiatives temporarily close streets to car traffic and open them for people to walk, bike, skate, dance, play, and more. Check out the Open Streets Project for more information.

No, CicLAvia is an experience, not a race! There is no starting point or finish line, and participants are encouraged to join at any spot on the route. At CicLAvia, the streets operate as a platform for participants to enjoy anway they see fit. Plan for a leisurely day of riding, jogging, eating, exploring, and more.

At CicLAvia, traffic flows both ways, much like a traditional street. We ask that fast traffic keep to the left, and that riders pass on the left.

At CicLAvia, there's no start or end point, and no "right" place to join the route. All you need to do is pick your starting point, choose a direction, and join in on the fun!

Yes! Any form of people-powered transport is allowed at CicLAvia. Skateboards, trikkes, rollerblades, skates - basically anything without a motor. 

Yes! CicLAvia utilizes the infrastructure of the city of Los Angeles, so participants can enter or exit anywhere along the route, making use of city streets, ramps and sidewalks. When facilities are added to the route (restrooms, water areas), we make every effort to make these ADA compliant.

Participants with mobility limitations are welcome to use motorized wheelchairs, scooters, pedal-assist bikes, and adaptive bicycles. There are minimal inclines along each route and any portion deemed steep will have proper signage. While steep areas and congested areas are usually mandatory dismount zones, participants unable to dismount are not required to do so. Service animals are welcome. 

Yes! CicLAvia is for everyone, especially children and families. There will be ample space for strollers along the route - simply stay to the right to avoid faster traffic. 

Yes. There are portable toilets, including ADA accessible ones, at every hub on the CicLAvia route.

There will be hydration stations and water fountains offering free water at every hub. Please bring a refillable bottle to use at these stations.

On CicLAvia event day, the roads begin re-opening to cars at 4:00pm (3:00pm for February and December events) and are fully open by approximately 6:00pm (5:00pm for February and December events). Please plan on giving yourself enough time to return to your starting point!

The CicLAvia route varies each time to allow Angelenos to explore different parts of their city, to connect various neighborhoods, and to spread its benefits to as many neighborhoods and people as possible. 

Selecting CicLAvia routes hinges on a combination of community support and available resources. While the event has proven extremely popular since the inaugural event in 2010, the demand for “open streets” events in Los Angeles County exceeds the organization’s current resources. However, in the coming years  CicLAvia aims to engage with communities in 11 identified regions in Los Angeles County, as well as all 15 council districts in the City of Los Angeles.

CicLAvia prioritizes communities that meet most or all of the following criteria:

Underserved Demographics: CicLAvia strives to bring open streets to areas that are low-income, park poor or experience significant inequities in access to health services, education, and cultural facilities.

Population Density: CicLAvia seeks communities with high population density in order to bring the benefits of open streets to the largest possible audience.

Favorable Geography: CicLAvia looks for communities that easily connect to other communities in the region, and have wide streets easily traversable by bike and on foot.

Cultural Diversity: CicLAvia celebrates diversity by connecting communities that highlight the multicultural reality of Los Angeles.

Main Commercial Corridors: CicLAvia aims to create routes that highlight local businesses, seeking commercial streets with limited driveways and buildings that abut the street. Studies have shown an increase in sales on CicLAvia day for businesses along the route.

Public Transit Connections: CicLAvia seeks transit-rich areas to allow participants from all over Los Angeles to access the event in a car-free way.

Details about the routes are available our events page. 

Every CicLAvia is unique, and reflects the part of LA that the route is highlighting. The purpose of the CicLAvia is first and foremost to connect people with their city and each other. CicLAvia is about exploring cultural, architectural and historical destinations within the city.

Routes vary in length due to many factors including geography, location of commercial corridors, and cost. We work with each city's traffic engineer, transportation department, and economic development department to determine the best route for each area. We work to have a minimal negative impact on resident access as well.

CicLAvia is not about logging miles: it's about discovering our city in a different way, and taking our time to stop at new places. CicLAvia does not have specific minimum/maximum mileage requirements as part of our routes, and each route is decided based on location, city planning, transportation, and other key production elements. The goal of CicLAvia is to create vibrant public spaces, active transportation and good health through car-free streets.

Remember: if the route feels too short for you, just do it more than once, or change up what you're riding!

The following are not permitted at CicLAvia due to LA City law: Unauthorized solicitation, alcoholic beverages, narcotics or illegal drugs, bathing in pools or fountains, damage to property, feeding animals, firecrackers or explosives, firearms, fires, littering (including pet waste), public intoxication, unauthorized driving or parking, unauthorized vending, unleashed animals, and weapons.

Under the terms of CicLAvia's permit, no stationary objects are allowed in the street itself.

People or businesses interested in setting up a table or pop-up-shop along the route should talk to local businesses and organizations along the route to see if they will allow something to be set up on the sidewalk in front of their location. Often, activation outside businesses will lead to more participants coming into the business, so this works well for both parties. If you cannot find a business to work with, you can set up on the sidewalk, as long as you give 4' clearance for pedestrians, and are not blocking an active business or home.

Please note that you are not permitted to set up a table or booth within the CicLAvia hub areas without permission in advance - if you set up without permission you will be asked to move outside of the hub area. Hub space is reserved for our sponsors, city departments and community partners. If you are interested coming in as a sponsor please email [email protected].

CicLAvia encourages interested businesses and organizations to have a presence on the route. There are sponsorship options, group volunteer opportunities, and ways to set up a presence on the sidewalk. Additionally, organizations and individuals who would like to set up a table along the route or at one of the many parks or public spaces during CicLAvia are encouraged to reach out to local businesses along the route for permission to set up on their property.

CicLAvia events are produced in partnership with the City of Los Angeles.

CicLAvia is funded through a mix of public funds, foundation grants, and individual donors. Our major partners include the City of Los Angeles, Metro, and The Wasserman Foundation.

For a list of supporters & sponsors, click here.

To make a donation, click here.

CicLAvia started as a grassroots initiative in 2008 as the outgrowth of discussions held by a number of individuals who recognized that open streets events could address active transportation, urban land use and public health needs in Los Angeles.

Inspired by the ciclovía events that started over 45 years ago in Bogotá, Colombia, the first CicLAvia was held on October 10, 2010. 11 years and 36 CicLAvias later, more than a 1.8 million people have explored more than 228 miles of open streets in Los Angeles County. 

CicLAvia is a non-profit organization with 501c3 status from the IRS.