Car Free Day in Port Moody
Just a quick one to share some fun scenes from car free day on St Johns Street in Port Moody… It was quite the difference from two days prior as we waited to pick up pizza from the takeout window at Spacca Napoli. Today, there were no screeching tires or blasting horns… Just music and laughter…
To be honest, I wasn’t a huge fan of these events… Sure, it’s a fun day out, but we could just have real pedestrian streets… But after riding the bike parade at Velo-City in Poland where we got to ride around town with no traffic, my tune has changed. There’s something pretty incredible about experiencing a street you know so well as a busy thoroughfare for traffic being completely free of traffic and full of people that just provides a great vibe…
That vibe is of course a little different than a permanent closure, with fun activities, music and various things to do and see. Still… Sitting on the patio where there is usually nothing but cars driving too fast, and watching people walk by is pretty special, and a taste of what could be if we were to deprioritize the car just a little. It almost felt like we were back in Europe…
What’s it all about then? “Car Free Days of Summer has become a beloved tradition, celebrating the vibrant communities of the Lower Mainland by transforming busy streets into lively, car-free zones. What started as a grassroots movement to promote sustainable living has grown into one of the city’s most anticipated events, attracting thousands of attendees each year. The festival offers a unique opportunity for people to explore their neighbourhoods in a new way, free from the noise and congestion of traffic all while enjoying live entertainment, local food, and diverse cultural experiences”. Some activities going on…
Of course it’s better not to take your car to car free days… They are well placed to get there by transit, but like many others, we biked… The bike valet was incredibly well used, almost bursting at the seams… Maybe a sign that the network is coming together and that there are good ways to get to this main street in Port Moody…
Lime had a booth there introducing people in Port Moody to their new bike and scooter share service that just launched. We took a quick spin along to Guildford Way and confirmed you can cross the border into Coquitlam…
Of course, safety is important with any such event and Port Moody were using these barriers in addition to some trucks and police cars stopped at either end…
Hopefully it provides those that attended with a taste of what could be… Maybe not on St Johns Street, but somewhere in the city… Maybe every weekend… Maybe all summer… Maybe one day, every day…
Interested in attending one? There’s more coming up including Burnaby on August 31st, Port Coquitlam, Vancouver Commercial Drive and Maple Ridge on September 6th, Vancouver Main Street on September 14th, and North Vancouver on September 20th.