After CicLAvia was nearly cut due to funding, Mayor Karen Bass and rest of the Metro Board wants to protect this beloved open street event

Yesterday, following the potential Metro cuts, including to Los Angeles County non-profit CicLAvia, Mayor Karen Bass called for the establishment of additional dedicated funding for Open Street and Slow Streets Events through March 2028.

During her first meeting as L.A. Metro Board Chair, Bass sought to secure funding for these types of events, including CicLAvia, which has relied heavily on Metro for funding and has reportedly helped increase public transit use throughout the county.

At Thursday’s meeting, the Metro Board unanimously voted to order staff to search for funding to sustain CicLAvia as well as other open street events. This comes after last week’s Planning and Programming Committee voted 4-1 to reallocate CicLAvia’s money to pay for more fan zones during the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

“As a lifelong biker and native Angeleno, I know how important open street events like CicLAvia are to our city and the L.A. region. I’ve participated in many CicLAvias over the years, in neighborhoods all across Los Angeles,” Bass said. “The way these events bring people together, support local businesses, and help us reimagine public spaces in the second-largest city in the country, while fostering a sense of community, is something to be proud of — and something we must protect.” 

Bass added that she implores Metro to find dedicated funding through 2028 to ensure these events continue with full force and she personally asked Metro CEO Stephanie Wiggins to find more creative funding sources to ensure these events continue to benefit all L.A. residents.

Alongside Bass, L.A. County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath urged Metro to find the funding to keep CicLAvia and Open Streets alive if they wish to take sustainable transportation and reduced traffic seriously.

“On behalf of CicLAvia, we are especially grateful to Mayor Karen Bass for her leadership, and to LA County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, who has been a steadfast champion for open streets,” CicLAvia executive director Romel Pascual said on Thursday, thanking both for their support of the organization and its events.

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Supporters of CicLAvia allegedly submitted over 3,000 pages of public comment urging leaders to keep these open street events alive.