Carrboro Open Streets

Every day we at Clarion act as experts for the communities we serve – answering questions, formulating plans or policy, or analyzing community data. It is also incredibly important to us to take the time to actively participate in our own community.

On Sunday, April 9, the Chapel Hill office gave back by volunteering at Carrboro Open Streets. For the event, the Town of Carrboro closes a stretch of Weaver Street to car traffic and opens it to pedestrians and cyclists. Visitors enjoy walking and riding on the smooth expanse of the paved lanes. The event also helps make the community more informed about planning and streetscape issues by showcasing just how much public land is used by road ways.Tents set up along Weaver Street invited people to be active – as simple as hula hooping and as intricate as
ascending an rock climbing tower. Cyclists of all ages were there to learn, with little ones taking their training wheels off for the first time and older ones learning to secure their bicycles to the front of a city bus.

As volunteers, we circulated around the different stages as needed, but the most rewarding stations were where we got to help people enjoy the way they could move about the street. We helped children decorate their bicycle safety equipment, and we helped people use pedal power to make their own smoothies! Some of them hadn’t climbed onto a bicycle in ages, but all left with smiles.

We a grateful for these opportunities to step into our own community and help our neighbors enjoy the environment of the city as much as we do.

• Weaver Street is approximately 3 miles from our Chapel Hill office

• Carrboro Open Streets is organized by Carrboro Recreation and Parks
  http://www.ci.carrboro.nc.us/745/Carrboro-Open-Streets

• The Open Streets Project is active in 38 States, the District of Columbia, and 3 Canadian Provinces
  openstreetsproject.org