CicLAvia map: Bicyclists take over streets in Studio City, NoHo

Bicyclists, skaters and walkers were set to take over streets in North Hollywood and Studio City Sunday in the first CicLAvia car-free event in the San Fernando Valley.

From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., all Angelenos using nonmotorized forms of transportation can travel along a 5.5-mile stretch of Lankershim Boulevard and Ventura Boulevard without battling traffic.

One leg of the route extends from the Metro Red Line stop at Universal City and heads north on Lankershim to North Hollywood. The other leg extends west from the Universal City station on Ventura Boulevard and ends at Coldwater Canyon Avenue.

Low clouds and fog are expected for Sunday morning in the Valley, which will turn into partly cloudy conditions later in the day. Highs were expected in the low to mid 70s, the National Weather Service said.

Sunday’s CicLAvia marks the 12th open-streets event in Los Angeles since 2010. The festivals are based on the Ciclovia custom in Colombia, where some streets are closed to cars every Sunday.

Music, activities and food trucks will highlight four spots along the route, at Coldwater Canyon, the Studio City Farmers Market, Universal City and the North Hollywood Arts District.

In North Hollywood, city transportation officials have staged a temporary demonstration of a cycletrack, a bike lane that physically separates cars and bikes in traffic. The organizers say it’s a chance for Angelenos to try out a type of bicycle infrastructure that’s uncommon in Los Angeles.

Activities will also be offered on the banks of the Los Angeles River at Laurelgrove Avenue, including nature walks, poetry readings and a scavenger hunt.

CicLAvia is also offering an interactive iPhone app for pedestrians that plays a blend of interviews, music, historical sound clips and nature sounds based on the user’s surroundings.

The event kicked off at the Metro Red Line North Hollywood station at 8:30 a.m. Sunday, with comments from Mayor Eric Garcetti, City Councilman Paul Krekorian and other elected officials.

Participants are encouraged to arrive on foot, by bicycle or on mass transit. The Metro Red Line subway stops in Studio City and in North Hollywood, and the Metro Orange Line dedicated busway also serve that area.

Cars can cross the route at five designated intersections: Ventura and Laurel Canyon boulevards, Lankershim Boulevard and Moorpark Street, Lankershim and Riverside Drive, Lankershim and Vineland Avenue and Lankershim and Magnolia Boulevard.

According to Caltrans, several 101 Freeway off-ramps will close during the event: northbound and southbound at Vineland; northbound at Campo de Cahuenga; and the left-turn lane of the northbound Lankershim exit.

For more Los Angeles transportation news, follow @laura_nelson on Twitter.