Thousands enjoy slower Los Angeles on bikes

Families with young and old, friends and young couples, most pedalling bikes, some others skating or riding three-wheeled bikes, all abandoned their cars Sunday in downtown Los Angeles, a city known for traffic jam and air pollution. It is the eighth CicLAvia bike festival, for which 7.5 miles (about 12 km) of road through downtown Los Angeles was closed to motorized traffic. The event's organizers expected to gather 100,000 people on their bikes or skate boards in downtown LA on Sunday to enjoy the fun of rolling. It would provide people "a chance to do something different and experience the city in a completely different way," said Aaron Paley, founder and executive director of the CicLAvia. Seventeen-month-old Carly was among the youngest participants of the event. She sat quietly in a bicycle baby trailer pulled by her grandfather Wayne Bandine, 65. It is a good family gathering of the Bandines, with nine family members attending, including Wayne's children and grandchildren. Some of them came far from Washington and Arizona states. "It is good to slow down and enjoy the sights of the city," said one of Wayne's daughters. "And it's good for the heart of an old man," added Wayne with a big smile. The first CicLAvia was held in LA in October 2010, with a purpose to connect communities and give people a break from the stress of car traffi. "In Los Angeles we need CicLAvia more than ever. Our streets are congested with traffic, our air is polluted by toxic fumes, our children suffer from obesity and other health conditions caused by the scarcity of public space and safe, healthy transportation options," the CicLAvia organizers advocated on their website. The idea of the event was said to be borrowed from similar events that started in Bogota, Colombia, over 30 years ago. In some other Latin American countries and U.S. cities, there are similar events as a response to the congestion and pollution of city traffic.