CicLAvia 2014: Thousands bike, walk, rejoice in the absence of cars

CicLAvia took over the streets of Los Angeles on Sunday, with thousands of participants biking, walking, running and scootering their way from Echo Park, through downtown and into East L.A.

“You get to see everybody, and see the city and not get honked at by the cars,” Brian Mann said of his ride through L.A. on a scooter with his dog Bloopers helping to pull him along. “Everyone is really friendly and it’s a lot of fun, a lot of stuff to see, a lot of trees to smell.”

Along the route, participants were greeted by cheering crowds, mariachi bands, Metro representatives and CicLAvia volunteers, who tirelessly staffed intersections in the heat.

“This is the only reason why we came,” said Hector Torres, who traveled with companion Rachel Martines from Summerlin, Nev., to participate.

“Really, I love the concept,” Torres said. “It gets people of all genders out here ... different races, different backgrounds, and everybody’s the same here.”

Check out our video from the 10-mile ride, above, and share your CicLAvia photos with us on Twitter @LANow.