The Horizon Foundation is sponsoring an event tomorrow to highlight the need for alternative methods of getting around our community than driving a car. Here is the information on the event:
"Open Streets: What You Need To Know
Bike lanes and sidewalks have come a long way in the last few years, and you can come see and experience new approaches to encouraging healthy transportation options like walking and cycling. The event will temporarily take over a lane of the Little Patuxent Parkway “Loop” in Clary’s Forest and reserve it for people-powered transportation.
Date: Saturday, June 13, 2015
Time: 10 a.m. — 2 p.m..
Location: Little Patuxent Parkway “Loop” in Clary’s Forest
Parking: Swansfield Elementary School, 5610 Cedar Lane, Columbia
Event Contact: Ian Kennedy, ikennedy@thehorizonfoundat
Opening Ceremony with special guests at 10 a.m. at Swansfield, followed by.... a parade (!!) to the Loop!
By the Numbers:
Activity areas: Seven
Bicycle/Pedestrian facility demonstrations: Six
Water stations: Five
Face painters: Four
Food trucks: Three
Bike Repair Stops: Two
Balloon arches: One
On-site volunteers to provide assistance: More than 70
Items to give away: hundreds
Opportunities for fun: countless
Mileage: 2.6, if you start/finish at Swansfield Elementary School (The Loop is 1.7 miles)
Time Commitment: As long or as short as you’d like. Most people can comfortably cover three miles in 30 minutes on a bike or an hour walking. If you want to take a leisurely pace and enjoy the many activities, plan on spending up to two hours at the event.
And if Open Streets alone aren’t enough to get you excited, there will be tons of fun activities as well! Zumba classes, a climbing wall, and bike trick demonstrations by Schwinny can be found around the Loop. Got kids? There will also be face painting, chalk painting, and scavenger hunts. Kids competing in the scavenger hunts may win some great prizes!
Things to remember:
Wear sunscreen! While there are ample opportunities to rest in the shade, plan on getting lots of sun.
Bring your water bottle! We’ll have plenty of water stations along the route to re-fill your bottles.
Need a kids bike? Thanks to Race Pace Bicycles, we’ll have a few kid-sized bikes for the little ones to try out.
Bring your appetite (and your wallet)! Several food trucks, including Roving Radish, Up-Slide-Down Dave, Kona Ice, and Madam BBQ will be serving delicious food throughout the Loop.
Show us your smile! Share your pictures on social media by tagging or posting to the Open Streets Howard CountyFacebook page or by using #OpenStreetsHC on Twitter or Instagram.
Want to learn more about the initiative? Like us on Facebook or sign up for updates by texting OPENSTREETS to 22828."
#hocoblogs #hocoevents
Conflicted a bit as I look at the map. I overwhelmingly like the overall premise of this from the alternative transportation standpoint, though it seems a little odd to see one of the main features on the map being to show the availability of parking. Meanwhile, the RTA Green and Orange bus routes that would be a much greener alternative to bring participants into the area are not even given a mention anywhere.
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