For immediate release
Contact:
Molly Sullivan, Minneapolis Bicycle Coalition, [email protected]
Joe Skifter, Open Book, [email protected]
Community members call for Washington Avenue Improvements on PARK(ing) Day, September 21
The Minneapolis Bicycle Coalition, in partnership with Open Book, will host a PARK(ing) Day space, directly in front of Open Book (1011 Washington Avenue S) on Friday, September 21 from 10am - 2pm. An on-street parking space will be transformed into a space in which people chat, eat lunch, meet with friends, and participate in a poetry reading on a stage!
Volunteers from the Minneapolis Bicycle Coalition will be on hand to share their vision for transforming Washington Avenue South into a boulevard with protected bicycle lanes, expanded sidewalks and improved public spaces. There will be opportunities to learn about the differences that traffic calming measures can make for stores, residents, and commuters on Washington Avenue.
"Today we are transforming one small part of Washington Avenue South to demonstrate what this street could look like if it were designed to support bicycling, walking and local businesses,” said Molly Sullivan, a volunteer with the Minneapolis Bicycle Coalition. A Minneapolis Bicycle Coalition blog post about PARK(ing) Day is available here.
PARK(ing) Day, which started in San Francisco with one parking space transformation in 2005, is now a global event with hundreds of planned spaces across the world. The event brings public awareness to the social, environmental, and economic benefits that people experience when small areas of public space are transformed into parks or performance spaces. For a list of other PARK(ing) Day spots in Minnesota, refer to thePARK(ing) Day 2012 world map.
"Open Book, our tenants and customers, want a more balanced street that provides better access for biking and walking in the heart of downtown," said Joe Skifter, manager of Open Book.
Collaborators:
Minneapolis Bicycle Coalition
Open Book
Milkweed Editions
MN Center for Book Arts
The Loft
