Pacoima Preps For Sunday CicLAvia Event

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) —   A little rain or even a lot of rain is not likely to dampen Sunday's planned CicLAvia event in Pacoima.

Sunday's event will see a four-mile stretch of Van Nuys Boulevard -- from San Fernando Road in Pacoima to Roscoe Boulevard in Panorama City -- closed to vehicle traffic for seven hours.

From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., the thoroughfare will belong to bicyclists, pedestrians and others looking to spend time outdoors with family and friends.

Councilwoman Nury Martinez, whose district includes part of the route, told City News Service that a street closure of this scale is unusual for the area.

"Van Nuys is such a wide street. We've never shut it down for cyclists," Martinez said "It's going to be interesting to see people's reactions."

Martinez also urged an optimistic view of the forecasts of rain on Sunday, saying it will likely not be too cold and attendees can still come out if they throw on a poncho.

The event is "an opportunity for those who grew up in the area to explore Van Nuys Boulevard like we've never before," and it should offer "a sense of community" for residents, Martinez said.

Actor Danny Trejo will join Mayor Eric Garcetti and other city leaders to mark the start of the event at 8:30 a.m.

Hubs in Panorama City, Arleta and Pacoima will offer up food, art and activities.

More than a dozen CicLAvia events have been held throughout Los Angeles with Sunday's festival the second to take place in the San Fernando Valley.

Such "open street streets" festivals -- inspired by Ciclovia in Bogota, Colombia, the car-free event that began in 1974 -- has gathered steam around the world and the United States in recent years.

(©2016 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)