CONNECTCicLAvia: The Route to LA’s Future
CicLAvia 2016 will expand its open streets program by integrating iconic routes with new ones: Southeast Cities; Northeast San Fernando Valley; the Heart of LA, and Wilshire Blvd. By blending the old with the new, car-free Angelenos can bear witness to social, cultural and economic renaissances happening from one neighborhood to the next. The opportunity to see Los Angeles, up close and personal vs. in a car and through the rear view mirror, redefines the meaning of connection.
In what areas of Los Angeles will you be directly working?
Central LA
East LA
San Gabriel Valley
San Fernando Valley
South LA
City of Los Angeles
LAUSD
Southeast Cities – Huntington Park, South Gate, Lynwood, Florence/Firestone & Walnut Park; Northeast San Fernando Valley - Pacoima, Panorama City, Arleta, & North Hills; Downtown Los Angeles, Wilshire Center, Little Tokyo, Chinatown, Boyle Heights
How do you plan to use these resources to make change?
Conduct research
Engage residents and stakeholders
Expand a pilot or a program
Mobilize for systems change
Implement and track policy
How will your proposal improve the following CONNECT metrics?
Rates of volunteerism
Voting rates by race
Adults getting sufficient social & emotional support
Attendance at cultural events
Number of public transit riders
Participation in neighborhood councils
Percentage of Angelenos that volunteer informally (Dream Metric)
Government responsiveness to residents’ needs (Dream Metric)
Total number of local social media friends and connections (Dream Metric)
Attendance at public/open streets gatherings (Dream Metric)
Describe in greater detail how you will make LA the best place to CONNECT.
On the thousands of miles of road we travel by car everyday, we connect to Los Angeles via destination points, from point A to point B. CicLAvia shows us what we miss in between those points. CicLAvia presents an almost still photograph of our city and allows us to focus and engage with our built environment and with each other. In essence, we self-propel through our streets using our body’s inertia as pedestrians, bicyclists, skateboarders, roller skaters and other non-motorized forms of movement. There are no windshields to block out the ambient noise of the car’s engine. Instead, it is replaced by the ambient noise of footsteps pounding, skateboards running, bicycle wheels spinning, gears shifting, chains rubbing, horns and whistles sounding, and conversations continuing. We become open to exploring old and new neighborhoods in the safety of a car-free environment, thus rediscovering our city and region as newly-engaged participants.
Initiated in 2010, CicLAvia is now a major force in transforming attitudes and lifestyle behaviors regarding health, civic engagement, active transportation and the environment. These free open-street events have changed the conversation and are now having a direct impact on related local policy issues. As we complete our fifth year and fifteenth event, we remain enthralled by the stories that CicLAvia tells about our city and region. We are a region of more than 10 million people, and a city that spans more than 465 square miles. But four times a year, CicLAvia makes us feel that our city is small enough to explore in one fell swoop. LA is still relatively young, but we have wise souls willing to share experiences and secret treasures.
Please explain how you will evaluate your work.
CicLAvia will evaluate impact on:
- Public space CicLAvia creates for people to connect
- Physical activity increase compared with a normal Sunday (surveys on site)
- Reduction in crime levels (LAPD stats comparing non-CicLAvia days)
- Behavior change towards the use of active transportation (surveys on site and after event)
- Increase in pedestrian and bike use (data from public agency counts)
- Direct impact on local policy changes on active transportation (implementation of local and regional mobility plans)
- Number of participants at CicLAvia and track increase in social media penetration using key platforms (Facebook, Twitter, etc.)
How can the LA2050 community and other stakeholders help your proposal succeed
Money (financial capital)
Volunteers/staff (human capital)
Publicity/awareness (social capital)
Infrastructure (building/space/vehicles, etc.)
Education/training
Technical infrastructure (computers, etc.)
Community outreach
Network/relationship support
Quality improvement research