Sunday Parkways in Portland

Portland, Oregon

Sadly, my week in Portland ended today. But before leaving, I had the priviledge and pleasure to participate in North America's first-ever Ciclovía event. My experiece today was uplifting and hopeful, and it restored my faith that we too, in North America, can once again reclaim our streets for fun, family and community. As Gil Peñalosa from Bogota says, "don't just do this once - do it every Sunday."

Here was the view from my handlebars.

The magic wand that made the cars go away.

A time for love.

A time for family.

A time for your children to ride safely down the road.

I also ran into our good friends at Shimano Coasting. This is Julie from TO, showing off her great socks.

Thank-you to the organizers, the City of Portland, the police and the volunteers for making this event possible. And of course, an even bigger thank-you for showing the rest of North America how easy and worthwhile a Ciclovia can be.