News media contact:

John Brady

Portland Bureau of Transportation

(503) 577-8236

john.brady@portlandoregon.gov News Release: Sunday Parkways announces 10 th Anniversary Season of the popular open streets event. New route in Outer Northeast Portland is debuted. (Feb. 14, 2017) - The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) and presenting sponsor Kaiser Permanente announced the schedule for the tenth season of Sunday Parkways today. The milestone season will include five traffic-free events highlighting five different Portland neighborhoods and will include a new route in the Gateway area of outer northeast Portland. “Since 2007, Portlanders have been able to explore their neighborhoods by walking, biking and rolling thanks to Sunday Parkways,” said Commissioner Dan Saltzman, who oversees PBOT. “In every neighborhood and at every event, we discover a new reason to fall in love with our city all over again. But what makes it truly wonderful is that Sunday Parkways is open to everyone. I look forward to celebrating ten years of Sunday Parkways this year with Portlanders of all ages and abilities.” The City of Portland Sunday Parkways presented by Kaiser Permanente kicks off its tenth year on May 21, 2017 in Southeast Portland. The 10th summer of celebrating Portland’s open streets will finish on September 24, 2017 with the Sellwood/Milwaukie event. Portlanders will have the opportunity to officially wish Sunday Parkways a happy tenth birthday at the North Portland Sunday Parkways on June 25, 2017. “Not only is it Valentine’s Day, it’s American Heart Month so there’s no better time to think about ways to improve your heart health,” said Ruth Chang, MD, a family practice physician with Kaiser Permanente Northwest. “Sunday Parkways offers two great things for your heart – physical activity, and the chance to spend time with your family and neighbors exploring our beautiful city. My kids, husband, and I will be out there and we hope you will be too!” After nine successful seasons of Sunday Parkways, organizers know that Sunday Parkways participants are incorporating biking and walking into their everyday mobility as a result of the events. All five Sunday Parkways routes showcase low-traffic streets called neighborhood greenways as well as City parks ideal for bicycling and walking. The new Outer Northeast route in August will introduce participants to an often overlooked neighborhood with majestic parks and quiet, livable streets. Sunday Parkways chose to work with the outer northeast neighborhoods as part of the Gateway to Opportunity program. Thanks to Gateway to Opportunity, this area will see new investments in pedestrian and bike facilities in the next few years. These projects include the 130’s neighborhood greenway, the Holladay-Oregon-Pacific (HOP) neighborhood greenway, the Halsey-Weidler Streetscape Project and Outer Halsey Streetscape Project among other improvements to make it safer and more comfortable to get around the area. The new Sunday Parkways route will highlight five beautiful parks including Knott, John Luby, Thompson, East Holladay, and Hazelwood Hydro Parks and five different schools. “We really have something to celebrate this year,” said Leah Treat. “10 years of Sunday Parkways! 10 years of opening our streets and helping Portlanders discover the joys of walking, biking and rolling through their neighborhoods. Like so many other Portlanders, Sunday Parkways is one of the things I love best about our city. I can’t wait to get out there with my family and friends this summer.” The dates and locations for Sunday Parkways 2017 : Southeast Portland May 21, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. (7 miles) North Portland – Tenth Anniversary Celebration June 25, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. (9.5 miles) Northeast Portland July 23, 11a.m. to 4 p.m. (8 miles) Outer Northeast Portland – New Route for 2017 Aug. 20, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. (6 miles) Sellwood/Milwaukie September 24, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. (8 miles)



Community groups and vendors interested in participating in Sunday Parkways, or volunteers who want to help make it happen, should contact PBOT at 503-823-7599 or visit PortlandSundayParkways.org. PBOT organizes Sunday Parkways, working with our presenting sponsor Kaiser Permanente, Portland Parks & Recreation, Metro, Clif Kid, and Bike Gallery who have been with Sunday Parkways since day one, and returning partners and sponsors AAA Oregon/Idaho, Whole Foods, NW Natural, IKEA, Umpqua Bank, PGE, and AARP of Oregon. New partners to date for the 2017 Sunday Parkways are New Season, Lorissa’s Kitchen, and HomeAdvisor. PBOT and other public funds cover a third of the program costs, and two-thirds of funding comes from sponsors, vendors and individual supporters. For more information, including route maps, visit PortlandSundayParkways.org or call 503-823-7599. About Sunday Parkways Sunday Parkways is a series of free community events opening the city's largest public space—its streets—for people to walk, bike, roll and discover active transportation. The events are beloved by Portlanders of all ages. Total attendance for the ten years has topped 690,000 over 38 Sunday Parkways events. Residents and visitors say they come to enjoy the traffic-free streets connecting parks and schools filled with activities, music and vendors. It’s safe, family-friendly and a chance to meet neighbors. Learn more at www.portlandsundayparkways.org.

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The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) is the steward of the City’s transportation system, and a community partner in shaping a livable city. We plan, build, manage and maintain an effective and safe transportation system that provides access and mobility. Learn more at www.portlandoregon.gov/transportation