“It’s a party on wheels,” exclaimed one participant last Sunday, “it’s so cool.”  Cyclovia Tucson, held on March 27, saw over 10,000 cyclists, walkers, skaters, roller-bladers and strollers take over a 5-mile loop through the cities of Tucson and South Tucson.

On April 11, CyLAvia takes over the streets of Los Angeles. In its second year, this event is sponsored by the City of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition and Metro. San Francisco sponsors car-free streets throughout the year, with the first Sunday Streets event held on March 20 on the Embarcadero.  On April 10, San Francisco will close streets in Golden Gate Park and the Great Highway.

The events are modeled on Bogota, Colombia’s Cyclovia which closes down the 70 miles of major thoroughfares every Sunday for people of all ages to enjoy car-free boulevards.  The central business district is closed to cars to people can bike and socialize throughout downtown. The Bogota event regularly draws over 2 million participants. Ciclovía is one of the few places where Colombians of different classes mix. Ciclovía is democratic-- everyone's on a bicycle, mixing, meeting on an equal level.

Living Streets Alliance coordinated Cyclovia Tucson with funding from Pima County and Tucson.  Tucson Medical Center, TriSports.com, and the Permiter Bicycling Association of America also provided support.  Along the route, cyclists could stop by Armory Park for the Solar Rock festival or go indoors to the neighborhood center for the Synergistic Water Festival.

Solar Rock was a 100% solar-powered concert and fair in its fourth year. The event was  powered by GeoInnovation’s on-site trailer outfitted with solar panels, inverters, and battery packs that will act as a teaching tool for individuals to see how solar electricity is generated.  The Synergistic Water Festival integrated arts, science and culture to raise awareness, promote stewardship, inspire ideas, and foster creative expression about Tucson’s water future.

Yoga, bike jousting, Mexican dancing, Native American drumming, and rock climbing walls were just a few of the many activities in parks and open spaces along the Cyclovia Tucson route. People rode all kinds of bikes from fixed gear to tandems, wearing flip flops, wearing helmets, wearing clown costumes, pulling kids along behind their bikes. And with car-free streets, lots of kids rode their own bikes. Girls riding bmx bikes decorated with fake fur and flowers jumped off ramps and curbs for extra fun.

Chris Hinkle and TucsonVelo’s Mike McKisson teamed up for a Cyclovia photo booth where participants could pose, then purchase their photos for a small fee. See the photos here. Up next for Tucson is Bike to Work Week, April 5-11, also coordinated by Living Streets Alliance.

In Los Angeles, the seven and a half mile CyLAvia route will travel through many neighborhoods. At one end of the route is the Bicycle District, home to the non-profit Bicycle Kitchen repair shop and Orange 20 Bikes along with great ice cream shops and restaurants. The route travels through West Lake/MacArthur Park and Downtown districts, with the eastern terminus in Hollenbeck Park in the Boyle Heights neighborhood. Los Angeles plans to hold two more CyLAvia events this year on July 10 and October 9.

For photos of last year's CyLAvia, go here. For more photos from Tucson’s Cyclovia, visit Esens Photography and Tucson Velo.