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By Joseph Witt
Portland Department of Transportation announced an expansion of the popular but controversial Portland Sunday Parkways program. Taking inspiration from an enormously popular program in Bogota, Columbia, Portland creates temporary parks, areas reserved for walking, bicycling, and other form of non-motarized travel.
The events, which take place on Sundays so that families can enjoy the temporary park together, feature food and group activities throughout the day.
The first, and so far only, Sunday Parkways program took place on June 22 of last year. Some 15,000 people took part, and the event was declared a success. Last year’s event went smoothly, but critics complained that the event cost too much, at $150,000. This year will cost significantly less per event, and the city will only be on the hook for $50,000 in staff time.
North Portland’s Sunday Parkways will be first, on June 21, 2009. The 7.5-mile two-way route will have two loops, a 3.2-mile loop through Kenton and Arbor Lodge neighborhoods and a 4.5-mile loop connecting Arbor Lodge and Piedmont neighborhoods via the Bryant Pedestrian Bridge and North Ainsworth. The scenic Willamette Bluff will feature prominently in the days entertainments.
The Second event will be in Northeast Portland, on July 19. The 6.6-mile Northeast route will showcase portions of the Vernon, Concordia, Cully, Alameda, Sabin, and Beaumont-Wilshire neighborhoods. The route will also feature the Ainsworth parkway, Alameda bluff and will cross the Alberta, Beaumont and 42 Avenue business districts.
The final Sunday Parkways program will be in Southeast Portland on August 16. This 9-mile event will feature two loops.
A 5-mile relatively flat loop will roll through portions of the Buckman, Kerns, Laurelhurst, Richmond, Sunnyside neighborhoods. A second, more challenging, 4-mile loop will allow the more athletic to summit Mt Tabor, the only volcano in the City limits. The route will also cross the SE Hawthorne, Division and Belmont business areas.
All days will begin at 9am and run until 4 pm. Volunteers and donations are needed, with a variety of opportunities for helping out available. Contact Janis.McDonald@pdxtrans.org or call 503-823-5358, if you are interested. If you would like to perform, (for free) lead a public activity, offer a class, of be a vendor, contact Rich.Cassidy@pdxtrans.org or call 503-823-6051.
While corporate sponsers are donating $150,000 for this year’s events, Sunday Parkways is surprisingly expensive. The organizers want to get you involved too. To become a sustainer of this new Portland tradition, or find out more about the program, check out the website at www.portlandonline.com/transportation/index.cfm?c=46103.
Joseph Witt is an Alliance volunteer.
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