Press Release: Living Streets Alliance to Pilot First Mini Open Streets Event—CyclovITA—This Saturday
Contact Info:
Emily Yetman, Executive Director
Living Streets Alliance
LIVING STREETS ALLIANCE TO PILOT FIRST MINI OPEN STREETS EVENT—“CYCLOVITA”—THIS SATURDAY
Tucson, AZ (December 4, 2024) — Living Streets Alliance is thrilled to pilot its first mini Open Streets event, Cyclovita, this Saturday, December 7th from 10 AM – 3 PM in the Amphi neighborhood. Cyclovita—Amphi will connect two beloved and crucial neighborhood resources: Woods-Memorial Library and Building Bridges Community Center, along five blocks of car-free streets.
Launching a mini open streets program is a strategic objective of Living Streets Alliance, the nonprofit that organizes Cyclovia Tucson each year. “We’re thrilled to pilot a model that we’ve been dreaming of for some time — a way to replicate the magic and community of Cyclovia Tucson on a smaller, more sustainable scale,” says Emily Yetman, Executive Director. “We get more requests for open streets than we have capacity for. This is a way to equip Tucsonans with the tools and know-how to implement open streets with and in their own community.”
Living Streets Alliance received an AARP Community Challenge Flagship Grant award to develop and pilot the program. As part of the grant, they’ll also develop a Cyclovita Toolkit to equip neighborhoods with the skills and knowhow to host their own Cyclovitas in the future. The Toolkit will include tips on choosing a route, directions on how to apply for a special event permit, ways to organize volunteers, and more.
“This grant supports quick-action projects that will enhance community livability for people of all ages. Creating a safe space for residents to gather, walk and bike is a step closer to bringing neighborhoods together,” said, Dana Marie Kennedy, AARP Arizona State Director.
Cyclovita—Amphi is intended to be hyperlocal, focusing on and engaging neighbors in the area, rather than visitors from afar. Residents from Amphi and other neighborhoods in the 85705 ZIP code are encouraged to attend this first event and check out the Holiday Artisan Market and Taste Of Amphi potluck outside of Building Bridges Refugee Community Center and a Resource Fair in front of Woods Memorial Library. A portion of Yavapai Street and Fontana Avenue will be closed to provide ample space for playing, dancing, riding bikes, or even just connecting with neighbors.
With so many Tucsonans eager to see what Cyclovita is all about, Living Streets Alliances invites anyone living outside the greater Amphi area to volunteer for the pilot event this Saturday. Sign up at: http://bit.ly/volunteer-cyclovita-amphi. It’s a great way to experience Cyclovita and find inspiration for Cyclovita in their own neighborhood, down the road.
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About Living Streets Alliance
Living Streets Alliance (LSA) is a Tucson-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization working to transform our streets into vibrant public places that bring people together and provide safe, accessible, and attractive transportation options. Learn more about ways that LSA is promoting healthy, dignified, sustainable transportation in Tucson through outreach, education, and advocacy at livingstreetsalliance.org.
About AARP
AARP is the nation's largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering people 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With a nationwide presence, AARP strengthens communities and advocates for what matters most to the more than 100 million Americans 50-plus and their families: health security, financial stability and personal fulfillment. AARP also produces the nation's largest circulation publications: AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. To learn more, visit www.aarp.org/about-aarp/, www.aarp.org/español or follow @AARP, @AARPenEspañol and @AARPadvocates on social media.