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Mayor Newsom Announces Sunday Streets Becomes Permanent Program
California Chronicle
Fri, Sep 4, 2009,
San Francisco, CA—Days before the final 2009 Sunday Streets event on September 6, Mayor Gavin Newsom today announced the continuation of this popular event as a permanent program in San Francisco. "This Sunday´s event is the finale for 2009, but Sunday Streets will be back in 2010 with more routes, longer hours, more San Francisco neighborhoods and more programs at each event," said Mayor Gavin Newsom. "We have created a new tradition in San Francisco that will improve our quality of life for years to come." The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), co-sponsor of Sunday Streets 2009, will be the lead agency for the Sunday Streets program starting in 2010. The San Francisco Mayor's Office will continue to provide leadership support for the program, and Livable City, a sustainable transportation advocacy non-profit, will continue as the fiscal sponsor. "The SFMTA has been proud to join with our City partners and Livable City to promote healthy family outdoor activities this summer. Working together on programs like Sunday Streets, we can increase the use of sustainable transportation to protect the environment and to ensure the City´s sustainability for future generations," said Nathaniel P. Ford Sr., SFMTA Executive Director/CEO. Sunday Streets creates safe, fun car-free space on City streets that give San Francisco residents and visitors an opportunity to get out and get active. Temporarily closing some streets to automobile traffic opens them to people for walking, cycling, skating and playing. Sunday Streets events create a stronger sense of community in every neighborhood they touch and throughout the City. San Francisco´s program began in 2008 with two inaugural events. This year Sunday Streets featured six events along four different routes throughout the City: April 26 from Fisherman's Wharf to AT&T Park along The Embarcadero; May 10 from AT&T Park to the Bayview neighborhood along the Bay Trail; two events in the heart of the Mission District on June 7 and July 19 (the latter coincided with the SF Symphony's free concert in Dolores Park); and the last two near the ocean, with a route through Golden Gate Park and along the Upper Great Highway on August 9 and September 6 (this weekend). The September 6 event provides one more opportunity this summer for Bay Area residents and visitors to come out and enjoy the streets. To mark the conclusion of this season, organizers have added special activities. These include a strong line up of live music throughout the route, underwritten in part by Warren Hellman (founder of the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival held in Golden Gate Park every October). September 6 Sunday Streets Highlights: Rock the Bike will team up with Young Performers International, featuring musicians age 11 – 14, to provide a full line up of live music powered by Rock the Bike´s pedal-powered stage in Golden Gate Park at the intersection of MLK South and Bernice Rodgers (near the western exit of the Park). Athletes Burn Rubber Bianchi fitness will bring out the human tire pull competition set to live music from the Brother's Comatose at Lincoln Way and Great Highway. The California Academy of Sciences and Morrison Planetarium will set up a solar telescope and have an arts and crafts booth with penguin themed crafts for kids. Other kids´ programming on Lincoln Way and Great Highway are provided by the Stonestown YMCA. The Riptide and Taraval Merchants will present their 3rd annual Taraval Street Festival in conjunction with Sunday Streets. The fair will start at 10 A.M. and offer live music from 12 – 6 P.M. on Taraval Street between 46 th and 47th avenues. Featured bands include Allofthesudden and the Shi-tones, featuring members of the legendary surf band the Mermen. The SF Zoo will bring out their zoomobile, penguin mascot and Leaping Lemur game for kids, joined by bluegrass band The Barbary Ghosts playing live from 10:30 A.M. – 2 P.M. at Sloat Boulevard and Upper Great Highway. Look for Bike & Roll's funbike built for seven. It will rove the route from 10 A.M. – 2 P.M. Hop on for a ride! Bike & Roll...will provide 150 free bike rentals at two locations to give guests the opportunity to ride bikes along the route from Taraval Street and from Lincoln Way at Great Highway. Electric bike demos will also be offered at Taraval Street and at JFK Drive in Golden Gate Park. For more info, go to www.SundayStreetsSF.com; for transit and detour information, go to www.sfmta.com. |
