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No carfree open streets for Sunday Parkways again this year


A scene from a 2019 Sunday Parkways — something we’ll have to wait at least one more year to experience together.
(Photo: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)

Despite relaxed federal Covid guidelines for outdoor activities, the Portland Bureau of Transportation says it’s still too risky to have a full-blown open streets event, so Sunday Parkways 2021 will look similar to last year.

Today the bureau announced several initiatives that aim to capture the activity and fun of this beloved event without creating public health concerns.

It’s not the marked-off-carfree-route-without-the-activity-hubs approach we hoped for, but at least it’s something to inspire folks to get out and walk, ride, and roll through their neighborhoods.

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On May 1st, a slate of “Choose your own Adventure” activities will launch. Those will include “digital adventures” on the Sunday Parkways website and social media channels. Participants can expect various guest stars to host dances, fitness clinics, and more. PBOT will also host an online educational series that will help you learn bike repair, traffic laws, and how to paint intersections.

PBOT will partner with Sunday Parkways title sponsor Kaiser Permanente for a Sticker Hunt that will encourage folks to walk and bike all over the city to find treasures and win prizes.

New walking and biking maps are also in the works that will, “Encourage Portlanders to get out and get active in a safe, physically distanced way with their favorite COVID-19 crew.” These are likely to be similar (or perhaps the same?) as the routes we shared last week.

For more on 2021 Sunday Parkways, check out the official announcement.

— Jonathan Maus: (503) 706-8804, @jonathan_maus on Twitter and jonathan@bikeportland.org
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