On 27 January 2019, between 09h00 and 14h00, Open Streets City Centre will transform Bree Street into a shared public space for walking, skating, cycling, playing, dancing and exploring.
According to event organisers and NPO Open Streets Cape Town, mobility was one of the hottest topics of conversation internationally last year and this trend is likely to grow in 2019. In line with this, with the support of the Transformative Urban Mobility Initiative (TUMI) and in partnership with the City of Cape Town, the organisation is starting the year with an invitation to all Capetonians to experience mobility in a car-free environment, thus challenging the notion that the motor vehicle must be the centrepiece of our urban existence. And once again, during Open Streets City Centre, the Central City Improvement District (CCID) will play a supportive role.
At the time of this article, Open Streets Cape Town already had more than 20 activities registered for the day, to be hosted voluntarily by groups and organisations including Community Chest, College of Magic, Marimba Jam, Cape Town Aikido, Balisa Nathi Storytelling Collective and Twenty Skeight.
Says Rebecca Campbell, programmes director at Open Streets Cape Town: “This is an opportunity to connect with others who dream of a more sustainable and cohesive Cape Town. We invite everyone to join in with a game, something to teach, showcase or share. This is our chance to bring out the best in all of us in Cape Town.”
In line with the invitation to foster better movement and mobility in Cape Town, there will be bike buses (groups of cyclists riding together along a set route) for people who want to cycle to Open Streets City Centre. Three routes are already scheduled for the day, starting in the Southern Suburbs, Gugulethu and Sea Point, and people are also encouraged to organise their own group ride with friends or family. Individuals who are interested in taking the bike bus to Open Streets City Centre can sign up here.
Rebecca explains further: “The aim is to get participants to have a positive experience of what it’s like to commute by bicycle so that hopefully, in the course of the year, they will join initiatives such as Open Streets Cape Town’s Bike2Work where people cycle to work together.”
In a statement released by Open Streets Cape Town, Robert Vogel (CEO of the Pedal Power Association) explains that there is untapped potential in fostering commuter cycling in our city.
“In 2018, we saw increased interest among our members to cycle to work. This year, we are working with our partners, including Open Streets Cape Town, to find ways of encouraging individuals. We are also calling on private companies to encourage their employees to adopt cycling as a mode of transport by making it convenient and attractive through incentives.”
Open Streets City Centre will take place from 09h00 till 14h00, with road closures in place from 08h00 till 15h00. For more information and to register an activity, email info@openstreets.co.za.
Image by Lisa Burnell