Switch Open Street Sundays

An initiative of the Planning and Design Centre’s Sustainable Transportation Task Force, Switch: Open Street Sundays is planned to be a weekly event that encourages people to enjoy their city by walking, biking, skating, dancing, and moving around their city safely and comfortably. Switch will offer the opportunity for everyone to get to many destinations on the Halifax peninsula in new and healthy way.


Switch is not about street closures – it is about opening streets to a greater variety of transportation modes and the route will remain permeable to vehicles. Switch is inspired by Ciclovia, which translates to “bike way” or “bike path”; millions of people in cities around the world now participate every Sunday and holiday on thousands of kilometres of city streets. The long-term effects of Ciclovia are safer cities where people can travel with ease, and a new vision of public space. Switch could be a transformative, ongoing event without infrastructure costs; Switch makes use of the existing network of streets and bicycle routes.

Switch reduces vehicle use, which means less traffic congestion, less wear on existing infrastructure, and improved air quality. All of these things improve the quality of life for all Haligonians. Switch also creates new economic opportunities for existing businesses and temporary vendors by regularly increasing pedestrian traffic and enabling new sales in new places. Neighborhoods and communities benefit from the attention and inclusion in the Switch network.

The inaugural Switch event is scheduled to take place Sunday, September 9, 2012 from 9am – 2pm.

To find out more about the Planning & Design Centre:
http://www.pdcentre.ca/

To find out more about Switch, including the route map and how to get involved, please visit:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Switchhfx/211483962208248
Twitter: www.twitter.com/switchhfx

Telephone: 902.494.3678
Email: switchopenstreetsundays@gmail.com

The Switch Working Group meets the first Wednesday of every month. Everyone is welcome. Please stay tuned to the Facebook page for the location of the next meeting!