SAN DIEGO — Nearly three miles of city streets in Pacific Beach were closed to cars on Sunday for CicloSDias, an event sponsored by San Diego County Bicycle Coalition intended to encourage communities to bike, run, walk or roll on open streets.
"CicloSDias, above all else, is a celebration of people and mobility in San Diego," said Andy Hanshaw, executive director of the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition. "There’s no car noise, right? And there’s no traffic and there’s no congestion. And that’s the right thing you notice is like the silence, even though there’s a lot of activity and music and fun.”
The lack of cars was obvious on Garnet Avenue, a popular PB street known for its traffic, proximity to the beach, and nightlife.
Hanshaw said the event has been around for about a decade. The last event, in 2019, was held in the Normal Heights and City Heights.
While exploring Pacific Beach, participants tried bike rides, a free concert and a meet-and-greet with La Mesa native, NBA star and cycling advocate Bill Walton.
The idea was simple - what would you do if you went without a car for the afternoon?
"Just opening the streets," said Kevin Baross of the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition. "It’s as simple as that."
It was an event people of all ages could get behind, like Landon and Carson Gonzalez.
"I think it’s really cool to see a bunch of kids riding around [and] their parents riding around," the boys said. "You gotta get out of the house sometimes, and riding a bike is just a fun way to do that."