After an incredibly successful event at Lake Street and Minnehaha Avenue that drew a crowd of almost 20,000 people, Our Streets Minneapolis is busy gearing up for another edition of Open Streets... this time in NORTHEAST.
The size of our events are growing each year which means that we need lots of volunteers to power up the event and make sure that it's a success!
Here's how you can get involved!
The route is a little different this year; Open Streets Northeast will span 3 miles including parts of Hennepin Avenue, 5th Street NE, 22nd Avenue, and Central Avenue. There's a lot of ground to cover and 11 different volunteer positions to choose from, so each individual or group can find a role that is best for them. Here's the lowdown on a few of our biggest volunteer needs. You can also check out the Open Streets website to see the full list of positions at Open Streets Northeast!
Event Hosts
These folks embody the spirit of Open Streets. They're armed with bubbles, chalk, and maps of the event as they roam the route to make sure that attendees feel welcome and safe. Event Hosts additionally pay special attention to the barricades which protect the route from motorized traffic, and help to guide any stray vehicles off of the route. This is a fun and flexible role that's perfect for groups or families.
Click here to sign up as an Event Host at Open Streets!
Planeteers
Are you passionate about making sure that these fun community events benefit the neighborhoods which host them by leaving no trace behind? Sign up as a Planeteer! You'll be armed with a trash grabber as you explore the event. You can check out cool stops on the route as you simultaneously serve a very important role!
Protected Bikeway Ambassadors
If you're someone who rides a bicycle, or who may want to start riding but the thought of riding right next to motorized vehicles makes you feel uncomfortable, volunteering as a Protected Bikeway Ambassador is a great way to make change for safer bikeways in Minneapolis! Sign up here to volunteer as as Protected Bikeway Ambassador.
Pedestrian Ambassadors
This is a new volunteer role that emerged with our re-branding from the Minneapolis Bicycle Coalition to Our Streets Minneapolis. Pedestrian Ambassadors will be posted at a pop-up bump-out intersection and engage with folks about the importance of safe and accessible crossings in Minneapolis while collecting postcards to send to local representatives. Sign up here to volunteer at the Walk Pop-Up.
Volunteering is an excellent way to connect with your community, meet new friends that share your interests, and to support the long-term success of Open Streets events.
Come out and join the fun at Northeast Open Streets!
Photos provided by Mike Beck and Paul Jahn at Open Streets Lake + Minnehaha, 2017.
