The 50th CicLAvia event will stretch neighborhoods across Melrose Avenue. (photo courtesy of CicLAvia)

It has been 14 years since Los Angeles took inspiration from Bogotá, Colombia’s weekly ciclovía to create its own car-free community event, opening the streets to pedestrians and people-powered vehicles. Coinciding with the 50th anniversary of Bogotá’s original event, L.A. will host its 50th CicLAvia on Feb. 25.

Covering a four-mile stretch of Melrose Avenue, CicLAvia will be bookended by Fairfax and Vermont avenues, with hubs on each end, as well as a third hub near Gower Street. The hubs will have family-friendly activities, water refilling stations, basic bike repair, bike parking, first aid and restrooms. AARP will also sponsor free pedicab rides, which are available at the information booths.

Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky, 5th District, will be sponsor the main stage hub at Farifax Avenue.

“We’ll have a kids play area, food trucks, free giveaways and entertainment all day long,” Yaroslavsky said. “I hope [people will] come join in the fun, and stop by our tent.”

“We are thrilled to welcome CicLAvia to Melrose Avenue,” Melrose Business Improvement Association executive director Donald Duckworth said. “We anticipate this will draw thousands of Angelenos back to Melrose, reminding them of the street’s vibrancy for shopping, dining, entertainment and its incredible arts scene. As the largest outdoor art gallery in L.A., the Melrose Arts District offers all kinds of street art for visitors to enjoy, whether it’s on shop walls, back alleys or utility vaults. We can’t wait for people to experience the creativity of their favorite artists in our neighborhood.”

“It’s a brand-new route,” CicLAvia executive director Romel Pascual said. “Melrose is a very historic quarter, stemming from the ‘70s and ‘80s. Over time, it’s transformed to a very community-oriented corridor, and it’s a very diverse corridor, as well. On the western end, we have a lot of shops, and on the eastern end, we have a lot of the emerging local businesses.”

Only people-powered vehicles are allowed along the route. Electric skateboards, unicycles, motorcycles and scooters are not to be used.

As of Feb. 21, no rain was forecasted for Sunday, though Pascual noted that the event will go on rain or shine.

“[Rain is] another way to experience Los Angeles, right? We’re so used to sunny days, 300 days of the year, but at the same time, there’s also an inherent beauty around the rain in Los Angeles,” he said.

The aim of CicLAvia is to give people the opportunity to navigate the typically car-filled streets of Los Angeles in a new way. Local businesses participate, working to connect residents to their community. It also promotes green transportation and exercise. The nonprofit organization positions itself as “committed to introducing Angelenos to the vibrant civic and cultural treasures throughout Los Angeles.”

“Closing down a major thoroughfare to traffic and opening it to bikes, skates or walking fosters a sense of community by encouraging social interaction, promoting physical activity and creating a shared experience for residents to enjoy together, thus strengthening bonds and enhancing local connections,” Duckworth said. “Additionally, it provides an opportunity for individuals to explore their surroundings in a safe and leisurely manner, encouraging a greater appreciation for their community and fostering a sense of belonging among participants.”

Pascual said that CicLAvia provides residents with a unique, rare opportunity to even hear Los Angeles in a new way.

“Listen to what it sounds like when there’s no cars in the world. You start hearing conversation. You start hearing the bike chains or footsteps or folks that are running or skateboarding. You begin to have a different sense of Los Angeles,” he said. “It makes you realize that there are more people than there are cars, and that we are connected by all of these various cultures that make up L.A.”

The street will be open from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. For information, visit ciclavia.org/ciclavia/melrose.