Look mom, no cars! Cyclovia 2015

Cyclovia returned to Downtown Tampa Sunday with a day of outdoor fun. The day was full of walking, biking, running, skating, playing, jumping, dancing, laughing and singing. The event extended ten blocks on Kennedy Boulevard (between Nebraska and Tampa Streets) in Downtown Tampa, which was closed to vehicles from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

Cyclovia, also known as ciclovía, is a Spanish term that means “cycleway." It can refer to either a permanent bike path or the closing of certain streets to automobiles, a practice often called ”open streets”. This weekly practice began in Bogota, Colombia in the 1970s, where major city streets were temporarily closed and repurposed into safe and open car-free environments. Every Sunday and public holidays from 7 a.m. until 2 p.m., certain main streets are blocked off to cars, permitting only pedestrians, skaters and cyclists access. In addition, stages full of aerobic instructors, yoga teachers and musicians simultaneously lead people through various performances in parks throughout the city. Thank you Colombia!

The half-mile Cyclovia route commenced with a VIP kickoff ride that rolled out at 10 a.m. to celebrate a city that is becoming more bike-friendly every day. The event was an all-day celebration of physical activity, healthy movement, and active transportation.

The family-friendly event brought hundreds of people of all ages downtown for an array of activities on Sunday. There were bike safety courses, bike decorating stations, a story bike adventure from Florida Bike Tours, free flu shots, roller derby demonstrations, a bike safety taxi, slow races at the Coast Bike Share tent, interactive games presented by the Tampa Bay Rays and even a dance walk led by Thunderbug and the Lightning girls with a local-motion of sound steered by Ryan Swanson, founder and director of Urban Conga.

The event included lots of room to stroll or roll, games with prizes like bike helmets, safety vests and bicycle lights, food trucks, and much more.

Cyclovia Tampa Bay was hosted by Tampa Downtown Partnership, with the help of sponsors City of Tampa and Florida Department of Transportation, and many supporting community partners. For a list of sponsors and the next Cyclovia event to take place in St. Pete in the Spring of 2016, please visit cycloviatampabay.com.