Oakland celebrated improvements to Lake Merritt in style on June 9th,
closing the streets ringing the city's historic centerpiece to
cars--and opening them to cyclists, joggers, skaters, street
performers and families. The 3.3-mile Ciclovía-style event coincided
with the dedication of Lake Merritt Boulevard, a multimillion dollar
project that has brought bike and pedestrian improvements to the
lake's southern flank, along with a sparkling new amphitheater, a
four-acre park, and a restored estuary connection to the San Francisco
Bay.The "Oaklavia" celebration was modeled after Bogota, Colombia's
Ciclovia that have become a fixture in nearby San Francisco and Los
Angeles; and while Oakland's was the first in three years, planners
expect many more to come
