Grand Old Day and Car-Free Streets
Despite the cool weather, attending Grand Ol' Day this weekend got me wondering if the event isn't the closet thing to a cyclovias-style car-free street event we have in the Twin Cities.
Cyclovias are special days where cities close off streets to cars and allow people to stroll, bike down streets, usually on weekend days when it won't disrupt traffic too much.
Of course, people who live and park on Grand Avenue won't want to hear it, but why not have a Grand Ol' Day-type of event once a month during the summer on Grand Avenue or other commercial streets in the Twin Cities? For one thing, having them more frequently might de-emphasize some of the extreme beer-consumption that goes on during Grand Ol' Day, as Saint Paul's college kids go crazy all at once. Closing streets to cars for lower-key festivals on Sundays during the summer time would give people a great chance to walk through the city.
Comments
real experience on Grand Ave
This event is basically the only time that I've been able to go down Grand Ave and soak it all in. I got to explore it and stop and look at everything. It's quite possibly the best way to learn a city.