Thousands of cyclists, skaters and pedestrians gathered in downtown Los Angeles on October 16th , 2016 for the 19th CicLAvia, a recurring street festival that celebrates non-vehicular forms of transit. Attendees traversed a 5.75-mile car-free route that started in MacArthur Park, stretched along Broadway in downtown Los Angeles, and extended east to Mariachi Plaza in Boyle Heights. USC Master of Planning (MPL) students worked as volunteers for the event, helping to guarantee safety by keeping posts in the middle of East 4th Street and encouraging riders to slow down.

Kora McNaughton, a second-year graduate student majoring in urban planning reflected, “CicLAvia is an event that allows people to see their city in a whole new way: by bicycle, scooter or skateboard or just walking without worrying about cars. I wanted to organize the MPL volunteer team to participate because it's a great example of how events can allow people to get to know the city in a different way. I also wanted MPLs to visit neighborhoods they've never been to. We had a great time working together to keep people safe on the route and enjoying the best of LA.”

Andrea Maldonado Lopez, one of the volunteers said, “I love CicLAvia because the car barrier was eliminated at least for a while, and people in the community came closer. I was fun to greet strangers with a high five!”

I was also fortunate to have the opportunity to volunteer, and felt a strong sense of freedom coming from the people who were walking or biking on these motor vehicle lanes.

Janet Li, a second-year graduate student majoring in both public policy and urban planning shared, “CicLAvia might be my favorite event in L.A. I love to see people using the streets as their playground, and being able to access a huge amount of open space that’s normally a scarcity in L.A. I especially love the creativity that people bring to public life, from sticking pinwheels in helmets that resemble antennae, to biking with infants and tiny puppies, to figure skating on roller skates.”

CicLAvia is a 501(c)3 non-profit that catalyzes vibrant public spaces, active transportation and good health through car-free streets.  CicLAvia engages with people to transform our relationship with our communities and with each other. In 2016, CicLAvia has hosted open streets events in the Valley, the Southeast Cities, Wilshire Blvd., and in the Heart of LA.

For more information, see  http://www.ciclavia.org .

Meiduo Ji

Meiduo Ji is a first-year graduate student majoring Urban Planning at the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy. Her concentration is transportation planning and real estate. She also has a GIS and Map Design background. She can be reached at [email protected].

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