Open Streets draws residents to Lorne Avenue

Hundreds of Brandon residents took to Lorne Avenue on Sunday as the City of Brandon’s Open Streets initiative temporarily closed the road to vehicles, creating a space for walking, cycling, skating and other community activities.

The event, which stretched from Stanley Park to Rideau Park, is part of a first-year pilot designed to encourage active transportation and give residents the opportunity to experience city streets as public spaces rather than primarily routes for vehicle traffic.

Jennifer Mateer said the initiative is ultimately about rethinking how streets are used.

“Open Streets has a few different objectives, but really it’s about reimagining the city,” Mateer, an assistant professor in Brandon University’s Department of Geography and Environment and a member of the organizing committee, told the Sun.

“We have a lot of space, like physical space, in cities that are devoted just for car use, and we have much less space actually devoted to pedestrians, cyclists, and people who are engaging in active transportation, who are using wheelchairs, mobility aids.”

She said temporarily opening streets to people rather than vehicles provides an opportunity to consider the broader benefits of active transportation, including public health and climate action.

“We can see this as a health initiative,” Mateer said. “We can look at this from the lens of active transportation being an important part of our public health. We could also look at this in terms of climate change adaptation and mitigation.”

Sunday’s event was the second Open Streets event held in Brandon this year, following the first in July. Mateer said the initiative is being run as a pilot, with organizers hoping strong participation will encourage the city to continue hosting Open Streets events.

The July event attracted about 400 people despite taking place during a heat wave.

“We’re hoping that it’s popular with folks. We’re trying to get the city on board with maintaining Open Streets events,” she said.

With better weather Sunday and more activities along the route, Mateer said organizers were hoping to exceed the July attendance, with 600 participants considered a successful turnout.

The second event also featured more community organizations and activities than the July event, including a dunk tank operated by the Friendship Centre and pets available for adoption.

“We’ve got lots of different activities along the route,” Mateer said.

The initiative is also expected to grow further during its third event, scheduled for Sept. 13.

Organizers hope to connect the September Open Streets event with Brandon University’s homecoming activities and an intended downtown block party.

“We’re hoping actually to close the street all the way to BU, hoping to co-ordinate with the downtown block party to create a larger-scale community initiative,” she said.

While the event provides a recreational opportunity, organizers also see it as a way to gather information about the barriers Brandon residents face when using active transportation.

Mateer said she is incorporating the event into a research project that examines what would make it easier for people to walk or bike to work, school and grocery stores.

“Brandon’s a relatively small town. We could consider it a pretty walkable city, certainly a bikeable city,” she said. “So what are the barriers to folks getting on their bikes to go to and from work, or to and from school or grocery shopping, these types of things?”

The event also attracted organizations focused on environmental sustainability.

Sustainable Brandon member Kat Hunken said the organization used the opportunity to speak with residents about environmental issues, including public transit and climate change.

Sustainable Brandon is a local non-profit that brings people together to promote environmental sustainability, net-zero climate emissions and sustainable growth as Brandon continues to develop, Hunken said.

The organization also promoted a campaign calling on the provincial government to restore 50/50 transit funding, which would see the province match new or increased municipal transit operating costs dollar-for-dollar.

Hunken said the group was using the event to encourage residents to learn more, sign a petition and participate in its climate-related initiatives.

“We’re interested in doing some research on what people in Brandon know about and feel about climate change,” she said.

The group was also sharing information about a proposed natural gas turbine power plant outside Brandon and alternatives it believes Manitoba Hydro should consider.

For businesses, Open Streets offered another opportunity to connect with residents.

Aiden Slater, a cycle technician with A&L Cycle, said the event was a positive way to bring people downtown and promote cycling.

“It’s good to see so many people kind of downtown as part of Brandon,” Slater said. “It’s nice that the City of Brandon’s allowing this to happen, kind of open up some more tourism options for downtown Brandon.”

A&L Cycle was providing free basic bicycle adjustments during the event. By about 12:30 p.m., Slater said the business had interacted with roughly 30 people and completed five or six quick bike adjustments, including filling tires, lubricating chains and making minor adjustments.

He said people with repairs that could not be completed at the event were being directed to the shop for further assistance.

Slater said he would like to see A&L Cycle participate in future Open Streets events.

Mateer said the organizing committee has received strong support from the City’s parks and recreation and transportation departments, as well as police.

Open Streets is part of a wider global movement. Mateer said similar initiatives take place in cities that include Toronto, New York City, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Rio de Janeiro and Mexico City.

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