Open streets welcome people, smiles and fun

By Margo O’Hara

Open Streets again saved Chicagoans from a dull day inside or behind the steering wheel.

Tens of thousands of people experienced what streets can – and should – feel like. People – on foot, on bike, on skateboard, in wheelchairs - replaced car traffic Aug. 1 for the event’s second year.

Open Streets this year was bigger and better: Eight miles of streets were opened for 5 hours for people to ride, walk and play. More activities than ever peppered the route: a drum line on Independence Boulevard, archery on Palmer Boulevard, rumba lessons on Sacramento, face-painting in Garfield Park and much more.

Open Streets was built on the success of Sunday Parkways last year. 10,000 people came out when Sunday Parkways opened two 4-mile routes on two Sundays in October. The event was the first of its kind in Chicago.

“Open Streets was about trying new things - it was amazing to see both youth and adults who were getting on a bike for the first time or learning the basics of chess on a giant gameboard,” said Christina Bronsing, health manager at Enlace Chicago in the Little Village neighborhood. “The success was visible through painted faces, indigenous traditions, dancing with neighbors, and a strong sense of community - not just in our neighborhood, but our city. At the end of the day, it is about celebrating those ties that bind us together.”

“Folks looked happy and carefree,” said Juana Ballesteros, director of Greater Humboldt Park Community of Wellness. “You didn't feel like you were biking through an urban community. Open Streets offered city folks an oasis.”

Tell us your favorite memory of the day.

See some photos of the day here. 

And there is a fantastic video, too.

The players

Open Streets is organized at the community level. The Active Transportation Alliance partnered with five neighborhood-based organizations to create and execute such a successful event: Logan Square Neighborhood Association, Greater Humboldt Park Community of Wellness, Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance, Lawndale Christian Development Corporation and Enlace Chicago.

Open Streets would not have been possible without the generous financial support of the Chicago Community Trust and Local Initiatives Support Corporation.

We are grateful for the support from these partners: The Chicago Park District, the Chicago Department of Public Health, The Consortium to Lower Obesity in Chicago Children, Armitage Baptist Church, Association House, Bickerdike Redevelopment Corporation, Co-Op Humboldt Park and Lawndale Christian Health Center.

Key Chicago aldermen have also embraced the Open Streets excitement and have helped make it a success: Ald. Rey Colon, Ald. Walter Burnett, Ald. Ariel Reboyras, Ald. George Cardenas, Ald. Ricardo Munoz, Ald. Ed Smith, Ald. Sharon Dixon and Ald. Billy Ocasio.

Our thanks to everyone came out to bike, walk, roll and play in their neighborhood!