To residents and outsiders alike, Los Angeles is commonly associated with cars, traffic jams and smog, not open space and healthy transportation options. But an experimental event called CicLAvia is opening up car-free public space along major routes in L.A. three times a year.

The most recent event was held last week, with the selected route spanning from downtown L.A. to Venice Beach, according to the L.A. Times. Previous events had only been nine miles long, but this month's event marked a significant expansion in CicLAvia's popularity, as the route length almost doubled.

Though many motorists complain about the increased traffic and street delays that occur because of CicLAvia events, there must be increased promotion and support for the organization, as it represents the city's necessary shift toward alternative, sustainable transportation.

CicLAvia not only promotes the use of green transportation, but also healthy living. According to the CicLAvia website, individuals utilize the day of public space to not only bike, but to walk dogs and engage in outdoor activities like yoga classes and picnics.

The growing popularity of CicLAvia could be just the beginning of L.A.'s transition to sustainable transportation. Though the organization is backed by the mayor and L.A. City Council, the city should take a step further and implement a permanent plan to improve bike routes and facilities year-round. These efforts should be modeled after the San Francisco's Municipal Transportation Agency, which recently unveiled its goal of 20 percent of the city's trips being by bike by 2020, assisted by countless bike route and parking space improvements.

Though city-wide improvements such as these are costly and funding them is difficult, access to sustainable transportation will undoubtedly make Los Angeles a better place to live. CicLAvia producer Aaron Paley summed up the experience of healthy, open space in LA Weekly:

"So few times do you actually have access to the street. And that is your street, and that is your time—you own that street. And that day, you did."

 

Reach Contributor Daffany Chan here.