5 Things You Need to Know About Open StreetsPGH
Sunday's event will transform more than 3 miles of city streets into a motor-vehicle-free festival area.
Photo courtesy of Open StreetsPgh
Sunday morning from 8 a.m. to noon, pedestrians get to take over 3-and-one-half miles of streets connecting downtown to Lawrenceville for Open StreetsPGH. With the occasion, they hope to provide “a great opportunity for people to get outside, get active and experience our city in a healthy way,” according to Highmark’s Mary Anne Papale. Here’s a list of to-dos to get you ready for the pedestrian takeover.
1. Know What You’re Getting Into
Open StreetsPGH held a scaled-down pilot version last July, with the intention of planning bigger events in 2015 if it were a success. More than 4,000 showed up for the day’s events, from tai chi in Market Square to snowboarding on the Roberto Clemente Bridge. Needless to say they wanted more. Here's how it looked.
2. Pick Your Activity
The event is all about living a healthy lifestyle, which means you’re encouraged to pick a vessel for your sidewalk-free romp. Bikes, skateboards and scooters are welcome, and if those aren’t your speed, walking, rollerblading and even dancing are totally acceptable, too.
3. Map Out a Route
Organizers are clearing almost three times as much space than they did for last year’s preview. So you’ll need to know where to go. The path goes along Penn Avenue and Butler Street, from Market Square to Lawrenceville, with crossings for vehicular traffic throughout. You can find the full map here.
4. Check the Schedule
When else will you have the chance to go salsa-dancing in Market Square? Or rollerblade alongside Burgh Man on 23rd and Penn? Organizations such as BikePGH, La Vida Yoga and Fittsburgh have activities planned, so make sure you have the itinerary handy.
5. Stay Connected
All week, Open StreetsPGH has been teasing shopping destinations, restaurant deals and various event-day happenings on the Facebook and Twitter pages. Even if you can’t make it on Sunday, you’ll still want to keep tabs on the organization — the next ones are set for June 28 and July 26.
