CicLAvia returning Sunday with expanded car-free route

CicLAvia -- L.A.’s outdoor experiment in car-free urbanism -- is set to return for a sixth time on Sunday, with an expanded route offering bikers, roller-bladers, walkers and others a route stretching from downtown L.A. to Venice Beach.

Organizers said the expanded route will cover more than 15 miles, allowing individuals to make their way through several neighborhoods. The event had previously been confined mostly to the downtown and Hollywood areas, covering approximately nine miles.

Sunday’s CicLAvia is set to run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. The route starts in downtown L.A. and stretches west on Venice Boulevard to the beach.

PHOTOS: Arts and culture in pictures by The Times

The last CicLAvia took place in October and drew thousands of participants.

Drivers can expect delays, road closures and parking restrictions on and around the route, though there will be specially designated crossing points for automobiles, organizers said.

They also said there will be nine hubs located along the CicLAvia route, offering free water, restroom facilities and first-aid stations. Food trucks will also be located at spots along the route.

The CicLAvia name is derived from ciclovia, the Spanish word for “bike way.” Its objective is to “encourage safe, vibrant public spaces, sustainable transportation, and public health through a program of car-free street events,” according to the official website.

The next CicLAvias are scheduled to take place June 23 and Oct. 6.

ALSO:

Wilshire Boulevard, a Main Street that stands apart

Cyclists roll through downtown L.A., East Hollywood and more

CicLAvia returns to downtown L.A. on Sunday; expect road closures

MORE

INTERACTIVE: Christopher Hawthorne’s On the Boulevards

CHEAT SHEET: Spring Arts Preview

PHOTOS: Arts and culture in pictures