A Shop Local challenge and a self-guided walking tour are the final events on this year’s Streets for People lineup.
The City of New Westminster, Happy City and HUB Cycling joined forces to put on several events to promote Streets for People 2020, an initiative that’s intended to support more walking, wheeling and biking, while providing space for people to safely stay active outdoors during the COVID-19 pandemic. In May, city council approved a Streets for People 2020 motion, which aims to reallocate vehicle-only road spaces in New Westminster to uses that support neighbourhood livability, commercial district viability, community resilience and public safety.
In recent weeks, HUB Cycling and Happy City have hosted a variety of Streets for People-related events including information stations and family cycling courses. A Shop Local event is taking place Oct. 10 and 11, while the self-guided walking tours wraps up on Oct. 12.
The Shop Local Challenge, which continues on Saturday, Oct. 10 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at various locations, is an initiative intended to support local businesses. Local businesses will be offering free goodies to participants who register for this challenge and get there by walking, rolling, transit or bike.
Participants will have a chance to win a $150 gift certificate to the store of their choice. For details about participating businesses and registration, go to www.bikehub.ca.
Prizes are also up for grabs in the self-guided walking tours, which are taking place daily until Monday, Oct. 12. The tour will highlight points of interest around town – as well as some fun facts and places to explore.
Participants are invited to walk, wheel or roll their way around town and enter to win $200 to spend at any local business of their choosing. A copy of the guidebook is also found at www.bikehub.ca.
“Streets for People in 2020 aims to support healthy ways to get around, reallocating road space in New Westminster, improving access to businesses, and providing space for carbon-neutral travel in support of physical distancing,” states a city notice about the initiative. “Urban areas around the world are currently demonstrating a commitment to reclaiming roads by rapidly converting automobile-only space to more equitable uses that better support neighbourhood livability, commercial district viability, community resiliency, and public safety during the crisis and into post-pandemic times.”
