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(August 22, 2019) The Portland Bureau of Transportation and presenting sponsor Kaiser Permanente invite Portlanders to join them on Sunday, August 25 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. to experience the fun and freedom of car-free streets in Downtown and the Central Eastside at Sunday Parkways on the Green Loop.
The seven-mile loop through Portland’s central city will bring people of all ages, abilities and walks of life together in support of a bold vision for the future of our city: a pedestrian and cycling linear park that will connect the east and west neighborhoods of the Central City. The event will open downtown and central eastside streets to people, linking popular locations such as the Rose Quarter, the Portland Art Museum, Portland State University, the North Blocks, Director Park and the emerging businesses on the Central Eastside. Walk, bike, roll or run and enjoy activities along the two-way route with no start or finish. With over 30,000 attendees, last year’s Sunday Parkways on the Green Loop was a resounding success and the highest turnout of all time for a Sunday Parkways event.
The seven-mile loop will include seven marketplaces, each with their own personality. During the event, Director Park will be “Celebrating All Things Portland” with live music, performances, and vegan ice cream. A stop by the Portland Art Museum will take on another flavor with its doors open with free admission to the arts, bike decorating station and impromptu piano performances. Visit the Portland Flea at Rejuvenation Hardware in the Central Eastside for new/old wares to decorate your home. Another highlight of Sunday Parkways on the Green Loop will be the Rose Quarter activity area. Visitors will get to shoot hoops on the Rip City court, take a 50th Anniversary photo, meet Blaze and enjoy music throughout the day from the live music stage. Fans can also join Trail Blazers legend Bill Walton at 2 p.m. at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum for a ride on the Green Loop to tip off the 50th Anniversary season of Trail Blazers basketball.
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“When we open our streets to people, we all benefit,” said Noah Siegel, Interim Deputy Director of the Portland Bureau of Transportation. “The Green Loop will provide easy, emission-free access to some of the busiest and most congested parts of our city to the benefit of business, safety, and community health. We can’t wait for thousands of Portlanders to discover their new favorite Downtown and Central Eastside shops, restaurants, and attractions this Sunday.”
“The concept for a linear park around the Central City is becoming a reality,” said Bureau of Planning and Sustainability Director Andrea Durbin. “And it’s accessible to all – whether you’re riding a bike or rolling or strolling. We think the Green Loop has great potential to bring Portlanders together, creating a stronger sense of community while enjoying the outdoors and the many other amenities the Central City has to offer.”
“We’re excited to have the Rose Quarter once again be on the Green Loop route of Sunday Parkways,” said Amanda Mann, General Manager of the Rose Quarter. “We welcome all Portlanders and visitors to stop at the Rose Quarter during this annual citywide and family-friendly summertime event that engages and unites our special community.”
From the soon-to-be-constructed Earl Blumenauer Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge over I-84 (previously dubbed Sullivan’s Crossing) to Block 216 (the former Alder Food Carts site), segments of the Green Loop are coming to life. Other emerging projects along the Green Loop alignment include the I-5 Rose Quarter Improvement Project, which will include the Clackamas Bicycle and Pedestrian Bridge over I-5, the Broadway Corridor project at the former U.S. Post Office site, the South Park Blocks Master Plan, the OMSI Masterplan and even the Southwest Corridor Plan.
The Bureau of Planning and Sustainability, the Portland Bureau of Transportation as well as many of its supporting partners including Friends of the Green Loop and others will be available at Sunday Parkways to answer participants' questions about projects related to or adjacent to the Green Loop and to receive feedback. Sunday's route will also feature one of Portland most notable features, its abundance of transportation options. Don’t have a way to ride the loop? Not to worry. BIKETOWN bikes and electric scooters will be available to demo and ride at the event.
Be sure to join the Kaiser Permanente Sticker Hunt. Those that complete their maps will not only receive a unique Green Loop collectible lapel as a prize but will also be contributing to a good cause. For each map completed by a participant, Kaiser Permanente will make a $5 donation to one of three local mental health organizations. Participants will be able to collect stickers at five of the nine locations across the Sunday Parkways on the Green Loop route including: Central Eastside, Rose Quarter, North Park Blocks, Portland Art Museum and PSU South Park Blocks. Kaiser Permanente will also have a self-service selfie station set up at the base of Tilikum Crossing.
Save the date for the final ride of the season! Northeast Portland Sunday Parkways will be held on Sunday, September 22, 2019.
For maps and more information, visit PortlandSundayParkways.org or call 503-823-7599. Follow us on Facebook at PortlandSundayParkways and on Twitter @Sunday Parkways.
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