Open Streets is a movement that is sweeping the nation. Historically, there have been Open Streets programs in Seattle, Washington; Bogota, Columbia; and Los Angeles, California. These events temporarily close long stretches of roadway to automotive traffic, allowing people to freely walk, ride, skate, play, and just be active with their neighbors! Open Streets events allow people to see and feel what a walkable and bikeable city looks like. People come from great distances to see the transformations that take place. It is not uncommon to see pop-up bike lanes where they do not currently exist, yoga circles, roller skaters, and other new uses for public spaces. At Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition, we are working with community partners to bring Open Streets events to Santa Clara and San Mateo County to empower local residents to transform their community spaces.

What are Open Streets?

Open Streets are programs that open streets for people by closing them to cars. They are designed to be more inclusive of all forms of transportation and to break down the car centric culture.

More info and toolkits available here.