Cycle Sundays are one of the best promoters of active transportation

On Sunday, September 29, from 9 am to 1 pm, part of Front Road should present a dream picture for lovers of active transportation. As the two westbound lanes will be closed to vehicle traffic for the morning, cyclists and others using non-motorized transportation can safely travel the 3.8 km stretch. It’s a free, family friendly event that will happen rain or shine.

 The site is bounded by Centre 70, a Cycling Skills and Safety Checkpoint sponsored by Cycle Kingston, and Lake Ontario Park, where there will be live entertainment, demonstrations, vendors and information booths. According to Anne McPhail, of KFL&A Public Health, Cycle Sunday is designed to promote awareness of cycling as an active transportation option in the City; encourage family participation in active transportation activities; provide an opportunity for residents to participate in a fun, low-cost community event while demonstrating the relative ease of using active transportation as a form of commuting; and promote a cycling event as a standalone rather than in conjunction with other existing events , such as the Princess St. Promenade.

 Kingston’s Cycle Sunday is part of larger movement called Open Streets or Ciclovias, where the streets are opened to people and closed to cars. One of the strongest advocates of such events is 8-80 Cities www.8-80cities.org, a Canadian non-profit organization dedicated to urban walking and cycling. As their website says, from Guadalajara to New York, the open streets movement is gaining fans: “They are an entire community building and social engagement exercise in itself. They provide free recreational opportunities and public space for people to meet, interact, and make social connections.” Check out their website for videos of cyclovias in cities in North and South America and Europe. Will Kingston be posted next? Let’s hope so!