Sunday Parkways will return to downtown Portland in 2025. The Portland Bureau of Transportation says a funding boost via a grant from the Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund (PCEF) has allowed them to expand their offerings. Now in its 18th year, the annual open streets event will also expand to four events this season, the most since 2019 (which is also the last year the event was held downtown).
Last year, PBOT reported an estimated 50,000 Portlanders took part in the three events. This year, Sunday Parkways will return to southwest on May 18th, northeast on June 29th, east Portland on July 27th, and downtown on Sept. 14th.
Routes for three of the four routes are available now, but PBOT says they’re still working on the downtown route. “This route will be unique as there is so many gems to feature in the heart of Downtown Portland for Portlanders and visitors,” reads a PBOT press release. “The event will have a block party feel to celebrate the spirit of Portland and spotlight what makes our city truly unique…. This event route is designed to showcase Downtown businesses, public spaces, and cultural destinations.”
I’m so excited for a return downtown. When Parkways was first held downtown in 2011, I wrote that it was, “Like a living concept drawing sprung from the pages of a visionary planning document, or a scene stolen from a transportation activists’ dream… Of all the Sunday Parkways locations, the downtown edition holds the greatest potential in terms of opening the eyes of Portlanders — and our elected and civic leaders — to the vision of what our city could look like when we put people first.”
It’s also great to note that PBOT is already putting business front-and-center. In 2011, my one quibble with the event was how businesses failed to take advantage of tens of thousands of potential customers cycling by. I hope PBOT continues to partner with business to make sure they get involved.
This will be the first time Sunday Parkways has taken place under our new form of government, where we have district representation. I expect commissioners from each of the four districts represented in the routes to participate.
Get all the route info and more on the official Sunday Parkways website.
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Are any of the events in District 3? It sounds like 2 events in District 4 and one each in Districts 1 & 2.
My understanding (as a long-standing SP volunteer since event #1) is that part of Sunday Parkways mission is to bring a cycling/walking/ alternative transportation event to areas of the city with lower cycling mode share.
District 3 has the highest mode share of cyclists in the city; less people in District 3 need to be convinced of the possibility of cycling/walking/scooters, etc for transportation. And the area that’s now District 3 got a disproportionate amount of Sunday Parkways attention for years.
I don’t think many people think of the city in terms of districts yet. But yeah, there’s a gap, in the most bicycle-friendly part of the city. I think that’s intentional for some reason. I’ll be using the downtown event as it’s close enough for me.
More of our climate change funds redirected to PBOT!