CicLAvia the West Valley finally brought open streets back to the 818 once again battling the elements.

Even with heavy showers during most of the day and a wintertime shortened time frame, people still took to the streets as the skies cleared.

That may have only been a couple of hours, but considering the uncertainty of what was probably the wettest CicLAvia in thirty-three events, I was pleasantly surprised how many still made it out.

In what likely set the bar for CicLAvia furthest away from a Metro Rail station you saw a large number of elementary school age kids take the opportunity to ride their bikes safely where cars move at high speeds otherwise.

The weather was also unfortunate for Councilmember Bob Blumenfield who not only has been pushing for a CicLAvia for five years, but also persevered rescheduling a number of his “Bike with Bob” rides that have fallen victim to rainouts.

 

 

I wasn’t able to make it out with CV Jr. until noon which was just as well as on again / off again showers still came for another hour.

While there was a lot of residential zones along the route, you could see in the commercial areas businesses ready to accommodate the flow.

My favorite part was stopping by the Gr818ers out of the Unite Cultural Center which provides such a positive vibe through hip hop dance.

Most importantly, it was a glass-half full experience for many people there with their delight of experiencing open streets for the first time and looking at their neighborhoods in a different light.

Just like how the Pacoima / Panorama City / Van Nuys event was given a second opportunity after some rains on its first try, let’s hope CicLAvia the West Valley will get another run in the near future.