The first CicLAvia in the San Fernando Valley is now less than two weeks away.  The free mega-event that celebrates Los Angeles-area street environs via walking, biking, roller skating and more will take place Sunday, March 22, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and is presented by Metro through its Open Streets Program.

This CicLAvia will extend approximately six miles as it travels along Lankershim Boulevard and Ventura Boulevard in North Hollywood, Universal City and Studio City.  For those planning to attend, here’s how to get there via Metro:

•  Metro Red Line: Those traveling to the hub of the CicLAvia route should take the Red Line to North Hollywood.  Alternately, the Universal City Station is located at the approximate mid-point of the CicLAvia route for those who can’t decide which initial direction they want to travel. Event organizers warn that station parking at both these rail stations may be limited due to the event, so driving to a Park & Ride is not an attractive option.  (UPDATE 12:25 p.m., March 11:  CicLAvia organizers report no parking will be allowed in Metro’s Universal City Red Line station parking from 6 p.m. on Saturday, March 21 through 8 p.m. on Sunday, March 22 (the lot south of the 101 on Ventura Blvd will remain open).
  The Metro Red Line parking lot at the North Hollywood station will be open for parking. Transit riders are encouraged to park at this lot due to the Universal lot closure).
• Metro Red/Purple, Expo and Gold Lines will follow their regular Sunday schedule with longer length trains on the Red Line in anticipation of increased ridership. Check out Metro’s CicLAvia service advisory page for more details.
• Bikes are welcome on Metro Rail, but trains can get very crowded during CicLAvia.  Please see “Rules for Bikes on Metro Rail” on Metro’s Bike page.
• Metro Orange Line: People traveling to North Hollywood from the northwest San Fernando Valley can arrive by Metro Orange Line, which travels through 18 miles of the Valley.  Metro will be boosting service frequencies on the busway to about every 4 minutes during the event.  It’s important to note that Orange Line buses only have three-bike racks, so if racks are full, you may have to wait for another bus, or, alternately, use the Metro Orange Line-adjacent bike path if traveling to/from North Hollywood (see below).
• Metro Orange Line Bikeway: the 18-mile bikeway is adjacent to the Orange Line and can offer a better alternative for people that want to bypass the 3-space bike rack limit and get a few (or more than a few) extra miles of riding in that day.
• Other Metro Bus Lines:  please remember regular Metro Buses have two-bike racks rather than the Orange Line’s three-bike racks.  If racks on those buses are full, you may want to ride your bike to the CicLAvia event location instead.  Several Metro bus lines will also be detoured during the event, including: Metro Bus Line 150, 152, 155, 156, 162, 163, 167, 183, 218, 224, 230 and 240. Detours are shown on the map above.

Feeder Rides and Walks

Also look out for organized feeder rides and walks that allow a group of people to meet up at a specific location and ride or walk together to the CicLAvia route. While not officially sponsored or produced by CicLAvia, feeder rides or walks can be a lot of fun while more safely introducing event-goers to new or unfamiliar routes.

Valley riders who want to get to North Hollywood bright and early without worrying about getting a bike rack space should meet at the Van Nuys Metro Orange Line Station at 7:30 a.m. for a feeder line that rolls out by 7:45 AM. The ride will arrive by  8:45 AM at the North Hollywood station via the Orange Line Bike Path and the Chandler Bike Lane in time for the planned CicLAvia press event at North Hollywood Station at  8:45 a.m. State Sen. Robert Hertzberg will participate in this ride.  See related post for more info.