ENCINITAS — Plans for the first-ever “Cyclovia” event in Encinitas received the unanimous thumbs up of the city’s Traffic and Public Safety Commission on Jan. 14.
Cyclovia, which has its roots in the 1970s in Bogota, Colombia, is an event during which cities close off major roadways to motor vehicle traffic and open them to cyclists, skateboarders, roller skaters and other nonvehicular transportation modes.
The San Diego County Bike Coalition over the past few years has held a series of open-streets events in San Diego and Chula Vista.
In the case of Encinitas, officials are planning to close Coast Highway 101 through downtown on Sunday, Jan. 12, 2020.
Earlier, a committee composed of four environmental and traffic commissioners Joy Lyndes, Amy Flicker, Christina Simokat (who has since left the traffic commission) and Brian Grover were planning the event to coincide with the city’s holiday parade — running for several hours after the conclusion of the parade — in early December.
Grover said Jan. 14 that city staff didn’t support the concept, and that the committee settled on a date that would impact businesses along Coast Highway the least, though the committee is hoping that businesses will open their doors and get involved with the event.
The Parks and Recreation Commission, which also must weigh in on the proposal, will likely consider it during its next regular meeting in February, at which time the commission will recommend a budget for the event to the City Council, which will give final approval.
Traffic commissioners enthusiastically supported the event.
“It’s really something we hope won’t be the last, and we could move it to different corridors throughout the city, celebrating multi-modal transportation,” Grover said.
