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Sunday Parkways - Roads Closed!
By admin | June 23, 2008 Email Post Print Page
What’s to Love: This one is an obvious “no-brainer” - NO CARS!!! Well, there were some cars, but for 6 hours on Sunday, June 22nd in north Portland, a 6 mile loop of normally well-traveled roads was officially closed to vehicular traffic. This was the “Sunday Parkways” event and thousands of bikers, joggers, walkers, and rollerbladers enjoyed the freedom of the open road without having to worry about getting hit by a car.
This is one of the best events I’ve ever seen in Portland. Literally, an event like this can make us all better citizens, neighbors and human beings. It connects communities while people ride, smile and share greetings. More events like this must take place in the near future - I’d like to see them once per month in different sections of the city.
Besides the obvious, there were 4 parks along the route setup with music, lectures, food, vendors, workshops, entertainment, etc. The parks even had free, valet-bike-parking! Everyone seemed very happy to be out with their friends or family members having an incredible time on their bikes (or other non-motorized transportation).
Hats off to the event planners!!! Everything was perfect about the entire ride. There were plenty of volunteers to help keep riders on the right route. Police helped with busy intersections, and they seemed genuinely pleased to be involved with the event. Again, I can’t wait until the next Sunday Parkways event. Hopefully, the city will be able to secure the funding for another event soon. Here is a short clip!
Caveats: I’d like to see a longer time frame with options for longer loops, but if the event was exactly the same, I wouldn’t complain. Of course, bikers had to cross a few busy streets, but the police kept the cars at bay. Also, it would have been nice to have some additional food choices, but again, I’m getting really picky now.
Website: Portland Transportation - Sunday Parkways
Distance from Portland: This ride was within 3 miles of downtown Portland. I’m assuming that future rides will be in different parts of the city.
Recommended Ages: Because the route was flat (GREAT CHOICE!), everyone in the family could participate.
Parental Stress Factor: This was a low stress event, especially when everyone is so happy to be out riding. If your small child rides without training wheels, it can be a bit stressful watching him/her weave in and out of bike traffic. However, this is a great way for them to get an understanding of bike safety. My 4 year old was just looking for other kids to race, and of course, this caused a bit of stress.
Physical Difficulty: This ride was only 6 miles on flat terrain, so overall, it was an easy ride. Most folks probably rode their bikes to the route (we did) and that could add on miles quickly.
Family Fun Factor: High! Families were out having so much fun. If you missed this event, make sure you catch the next one.
Pet Friendly: In my opinion, this is not a good event for dogs. Obviously, some people were walking their dogs on leashes, and it was fine. Some dogs were riding in bike baskets, which also seemed okay for the dog.
Weather Considerations: An event like this needs to be blessed with good weather. The morning started out with a little rain, but it quickly cleared-up. If it would have been raining, I think the event still would have been a smashing success.
Insider Info: If your child is just starting to bike without training wheels, I recommend attaching a “Burley” chariot behind an adult bike. That way, whenever the child gets tired, they can hop in the Burley with their bike as well. Bring some bungee cords to help attach the small bike to the chariot.
Watch events like these for $5 bike helmets!!! My inlaws, who did the route with us, both needed new helmets and were both able to get them for $5/helmet. You cannot beat this deal!
Family Tips: Make sure you bring along enough snacks and water. There is food along the way, but lines might prevent you from getting food immediately. Also, you may want to bring some sporting goods for the stops at parks. There was plenty of entertainment, but you may want to throw around a frisbee or shoot some hoops with your kids.
Technorati Tags: Sunday Parkways, biking on closed streets, north Portland, biking with kids, roads closed
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