Celebrate ‘Streets Alive’ in San Mateo This Weekend

This weekend, San Mateo will join 11 other cities around the county that are closing their streets to cars and opening them to walkers, bikers and other revelers.

From transforming avenues into public plazas to turning neighborhoods into walking and biking trails, the cities are expecting good, traffic-free times as they host their respective Streets Alive events on Sunday, May 1. The event aims to increase the use of public space to promote community and exercise.

The city of San Mateo is celebrating with an event dubbed “Families on the Move,” featuring playground games, dog training and a “wheels rodeo” on East 5th Avenue between El Camino Real and Laurel Avenue. The event runs between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Sunday.

“We are trying to incorporate more modes of alternative transportation in people’s day and life,” said Eric Pawlowsky, chief legislative aide for Supervisor Carole Groom’s office, which is coordinating Streets Alive.

Organizers hope for a better turnout than last year’s inaugural event, which was dampened by heavy rain.

The idea originated from a forum hosted by Groom in 2009 called “Creating and Using Active Public Spaces” with keynote speaker Gil Penalosa, who helped spark a global open streets movement in Bogota, Columbia called Ciclovia.

Last year’s event was held in tandem with World Health Day with eight cities participating.

Four cities have been added to the roster this year and Pawlowsky said the hope is that local communities embrace the movement in everyday life and urban planning.

“As communities update their plans and as they redevelop, hopefully they will incorporate some of these principals into the design of their cities,” he said.

In Foster City, the Leo J. Ryan Park Amphitheatre will host a boot camp workout at 10 a.m. and a Bollywood dance class at 11am.

“For us the amphitheatre is a great focal point and Leo Ryan offers plenty of space to get out and walk,” said that city’s recreation superintendent, Jennifer Clark.

“The whole concept is get folks out of their cars and into their parks and being physically active,” she said.

In Burlingame, you can check out the Farmers Market on Park Road between Burlingame and Howard avenues and listen to a live bluegrass band.

Redwood City will host several exercise-oriented activities in Courthouse Square, from belly dancing to boxing. Adjacent streets will be closed, including County loop.

If you are traveling to the events, SamTrans and Caltrain are encouraging the use of public transit. Bus routes and train stops are located near many events and bikes can be brought on board.

For more information and a full list of Peninsula activities on Sunday, visit www.streetsalivesmc.org.