The San Fernando Valley’s very first CicLAvia, presented by Metro, is now scheduled for March 22. Other planned CicLAvias dates are now available as well. See news release below:

Metro Presents CicLAvia – The Valley

Hello Valley! CicLAvia Heads over the Hill for First Event of 2015

North Hollywood, Studio City, Ventura Boulevard to Welcome Thousands on March 22

LOS ANGELES – CicLAvia will make the San Fernando Valley its home on March 22 when Metro Presents CicLAvia – The Valley takes place from 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. The first CicLAvia of 2015 represents the inaugural visit of LA’s renowned open streets event to the Valley. Participants will be able to travel between North Hollywood and Studio City on car-free streets, using foot, pedal and non-motorized wheel power.

Metro Presents CicLAvia – The Valley runs 5.5 miles along Lankershim Boulevard between the North Hollywood Metro Red Line stop at Chandler Boulevard and the Universal Studio Red Line stop, and along Ventura Boulevard between Campo de Cahuenga and Coldwater Canyon. The route will highlight some of the gems of the East Valley including the North Hollywood Arts District, Universal City, the historic Campo de Cahuenga, Studio City Farmers Market and the famed Sportsmen’s Lodge.

“People are always asking us ‘When are you coming to the Valley?’ and we are thrilled we can finally tell them, ‘March 22!’” said CicLAvia co-founder and Executive Director Aaron Paley, a proud Valley native. “This is our first time in the Valley and it is by no means our last. We plan on making our spring slot an annual exploration of different parts of the great San Fernando Valley.”

“As someone born and raised in the Valley, and as Metro Chair, I’m especially proud that Metro is sponsoring the very first Valley CicLAvia to give Angelenos a chance to enjoy a new open space and explore our neighborhoods from a new perspective,” said Los Angeles Mayor and Metro Board Chair Eric Garcetti. “This is a great opportunity for people to see how Metro can get them where they need to go without driving.”

“I’m so proud to welcome CicLAvia to the Valley for the first time this spring,” said LA City Councilmember and Metro Board Member Paul Krekorian. “It is going to be a phenomenal and rewarding event for San Fernando Valley residents and people throughout the region. CicLAvia, Metro and I have worked in close partnership with the community for months to create a fun, family-friendly day on a route that will showcase local neighborhoods and businesses. Everyone should come out to enjoy our public streets and help us inaugurate this new Valley tradition.”

Metro Presents CicLAvia – The Valley is the first of four CicLAvia events in 2015, the others being Metro Presents CicLAvia – Pasadena (May 31), Metro Presents CicLAvia – Culver

City/Venice (August 9) and Heart of LA (October TBD). The funding for the first three routes is provided primarily by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) as part of a $4 million Open Streets grant that was awarded to municipalities throughout Southern California to sponsor car-free events in 2014-2016.

The program allocates $2 million annually for these types of events within L.A. County. The program seeks to increase sustainable transportation mode share, including transit, bicycle and pedestrian trips, create opportunities for first time transit usage, and encourage cities to develop multi-modal polices. Other benefits include economic public health benefits and opportunities to highlight and promote cultural resources.

CicLAvia Explores, a program that provides CicLAvia fans the opportunity to explore a part of the route prior to the event, will have “Noshing in NoHo” walking and food tours on February 7. The tours will will be held from 10:30am-noon and 12:30pm-2:00pm with a maximum of 20 participants per tour. Tour highlights include:

History of NoHo, including its cowboy roots, commercial boom and the evolution of the Valley’s “home of the peach” into the NoHo Arts District

The food and retail evolution of the neighborhood with three food stops

A visit to the Television Academy Plaza, home base of the Emmy Awards and the Television Hall of Fame

CicLAvia has held 11 open streets events since 2010 and is recognized as being a world leader in transforming streets into temporary urban parks. Hundreds of thousands of people have participated in CicLAvia as they connect with their communities, businesses, healthy activity and each other in a way that isn’t possible by car.

About CicLAvia

CicLAvia is a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit organization. CicLAvia 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. With the full support of Metro, local governments, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, the Los Angeles City Council, Police Department, Fire Department, Department of Transportation, the Department of Water and Power, and the Department of Parks and Recreation, CicLAvia is an innovative model for creating new public space and enriching civic life.

Partners include Metro, the City of Los Angeles, the Wasserman Foundation and an Anonymous benefactor. Supporters include the Annenberg Foundation, Ralph M. Parsons Foundation, Rosenthal Family Foundation, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, Durfee Foundation and LA 2050. Sponsors include Los Angeles County Department of Water and Power, David Bohnett Foundation, Roth Family Foundation, Southern California Gas Company, Tern Bicycles, Indie Printing and Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition. Media Sponsors include The Los Angeles Times and Laemmle Theatres.

About Metro

Metro is a multimodal transportation agency that is actually three companies in one: a major operator that transports about 1.5 million boarding passengers on an average weekday on a fleet of 2,000 clean air buses and six rail lines; a major construction agency that oversees many bus, rail, highway and other mobility related building projects, and Metro is the lead transportation planning and programming agency for Los Angeles County.

Overseeing one of the largest works programs in America, Metro is, literally, changing the urban landscape of the Los Angeles region. Dozens of transit, highway and other mobility projects, largely funded by Measure R, are under construction or in the planning stages. These include five new rail lines, the I-5 widening and other major projects.

Stay informed by following Metro on The Source and El Pasajero at metro.net, facebook.com/losangelesmetro, twitter:metrolosangeles, twitter.com/metroLAalerts and instagram.com/metrolosangeles.