Sunday Streets Finale a Hit

On Sept. 6, children whizzed through the foggy air on the Great Highway, a local band played bluegrass for cyclists leisurely passing by and in a spot where only cars normally sped through, a bike-powered carnival swing was set up instead.

Although San Francisco is normally rife with traffic and the rumbling of Muni cars, Sunday Streets provided an alternative to the congestion by reintroducing people to the concept of open streets and unlimited movement.

"I think it's tremendous," said Pat Osbon, a volunteer at a booth called Playland Not at the Beach, a museum dedicated to the amusement park that used to be located on the Great Highway. "It's getting people not only out of their homes but out of their cars."

The idea of opening city streets up to residents originated in Bogata, Colombia and was introduced to San Francisco by Mayor Gavin Newsom. Newsom released a statement on Sept. 5 saying that "Sunday Streets will be back in 2010 with more routes, longer hours, more San Francisco neighborhoods, and more programs at the event."

Although it receives government funding, the life force behind Sunday Streets is Livable City, a two-person nonprofit that relies on volunteer work to put on the events.

"Now that we've built the consensus and people know what it is and are ready for it, we are going to work with the community to expand the project," said Susan King, who organizes for Livable City. "The reason for its popularity is that it allows you to take a city infrastructure and temporarily repurpose it."

The car-free event took place along the Great Highway and through Golden Gate Park, providing open streets for the last time this year. Although fog overtook the Great Highway, people showed up in hordes to take part in the bike rides and activities.

"Today shows that even with the foggy weather, and even with the Bay Bridge closed, a lot of people want to come out and play," said Andy Thornley, program director for the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition. "It's not a lot of athletes in spandex on fancy bikes, it's little girls on pink bikes. The little kids and the community is really what makes this fun."

A big hit was the Cyclofuge, a bike-powered carnival swing that children and adults stood in line to ride.

The fact that vendors are not a part of Sunday Streets is a source of reoccurring praise. Instead of bringing in business for the event, Sunday Streets brings people to neighborhood businesses.

"We had a lot of customers who came back to our store after finding out about us here," said Shanta Sacharo, the owner of Other Avenues, a natural food store on 44th Avenue and Judah Street. "The only thing we would like to see is the event starting later, like 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., because this is such a sleepy neighborhood."

While Sunday Streets is appreciated for its impact on communities and residents, it also garnishes support from environmental groups. The Bay Area Air Quality Management District has sponsored the initiative since it came into fruition, partly because it reduces emissions on warm, windless days when air pollution is most potent.

Lisa Fasano, the communications and outreach director at BAAQMD, also hopes that the experience of riding a bike will alter the way that children look at travel.

"[The event] is making sure that the kids recognize their ability to get around on their own power," Fasano said. "We need to change the way that kids think about being drivers from what we think and what our parents think...if we're really going to be able to combat air pollution and ultimately, global warming."