Downtown Pittsburgh
July 20
8 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Where can you stroll, skate, dance—and even snowboard—right in the middle of what is normally a congested city street? Downtown is where you can, thanks to a new initiative called Open Streets.
Get ready to experience the vibrant streets of our city like never before, when Open Streets Pittsburgh makes its highly anticipated debut on Sunday, July 20th, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. The first-of-its-kind Burgh event will temporarily close Downtown roads to automobile traffic, so that the public of all ages can walk, skate, dance, play and be social. For its inaugural installment, Open Streets Pgh will create an on-street “linear park” from Market Square, along 6th Street and over the Roberto Clemente Bridge to the Northside.
Featuring a half-mile of open streets, the rain-or-shine festivities will also host a wide variety of free activities for children and adults, including Zumba, spinning and dance classes, yoga and tai chi sessions and a climbing wall. Visitors can also partake in juggling, rollerblading, bowling and snowboarding.
A collaboration of the Alliance for Biking & Walking and The Street Plans Collaborative, the Open Streets initiative is part of the global Ciclovia movement, which develops innovative ways for urban centers to achieve environmental, social, economic and public health goals. The project has already taken root in 10-plus cities across the US. Additional project goals include sharing information about open streets and increasing the number, size and frequency of Open Streets initiatives occurring across North America.
Locally, the project is spearheaded by Bike Pittsburgh, which is working closely with a number of partner organizations and entities, including Allegheny County, City of Pittsburgh, cityLAB, Let’s Move Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership and Red House Communications. Pittsburgh is the second city in Pennsylvania to host Open Streets, joining the City of Philadelphia, which closes its 2.7-mile Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway on a weekly basis for cyclists, runners, walkers and skaters.
In 2015, Open Streets Pittsburgh will expand, taking place on three consecutive Sundays over a multi-mile course, encompassing several neighborhoods and increasing opportunities for Pittsburghers to explore active lifestyles, recreation and transportation.