We had a good time on King Street

I had a fantastic Father's Day, cruising Waterloo's Car-Free Sunday with my son.

Nate provided tech support for live Tweeting from the first such event in Waterloo Region, where King Street from Union Street to Erb Street was closed to traffic. That section of street was taken over by walkers, joggers, skateboarders, inline skaters, cyclists, bike polo players, street hockey players and others.

There was a whole lot of street chalk being used, as by this family (with their Runners push bike in the foreground and their Xtracycle in the background).

I believe Waterloo Coun. Melissa Durrell, who posed for the obligatory "thumbs up" photo just as things got going at 11 a.m., originally hoped for 10,000 people to come out.

That was when it was to be two cities. With one city participating, you could hope for 5,000.

I don't know how many were there. Pretty hard to do a head count when people are ebbing and flowing through the day.

I will say that some people will take a "glass half full" rather than "glass half empty" approach to this first Car-Free Sunday.

One person I chatted with said he felt a bit embarrassed for the organizers because the turnout seemed so light. Another said that he was amazed that so many came out simply because there were no cars on the street. "There's no buskers, no jazz festival and look at all the people."

Looking up and down the street, there seemed to be quite a crowd.

Good turnout for the KW Bike Polo at King and Allen, with the occasional request by passersby to have a go. Nate also posted some video from the Bike Polo location via my Twitter feed.

Not quite as many as one might have hoped at the Cycle-Chic-like "style ride," where cyclists were encouraged to wear clothes usually considered more suitable for a night out than for cycling. They, and the large group of Waterloo County Wanderers, made the trip all the way through to Kitchener's downtown, partly to make the point that although King Street was closed south of Union to the pedestrian portion of the Car-Free Sunday participants, it couldn't be closed to the cycling portion, because bicycles are legal road users.

The Norman Street Moms bicycle decorating tent was busy, as was the road hockey game in front of it. Families with kids were crowded around the tent front to get coloured pipe cleaners and crepe paper streamers to bedeck their bikes.

Speaking of bedecked bikes, who was that family who decided to clip cardboard squares to their chain stays and rattle them in their spokes? I was transported back in time as they brrrrrr-ed up and down King Street.

The scene at Sabletine Fine Pastries, transported me in place, with bikes parked out front, and relaxed riders enjoying a pastry before continuing on their way. A bit of European relaxation in our midst. I heard that Sabletine's doubled their expectations of business today.

Certainly, the Dairy Queen was doing big business. I couldn't get through the door. I was luckier at Whole Lot-A Gelata, where the crowd spilled onto the sidewalk and the street. I heard in the gelato shop that this was the busiest Sunday ever. I wandered over to PDR Picture Framing, expecting to hear a less enthusiastic response, but he was as happy as the gelato place. Busiest crowd he'd seen in a long time. "We never get this many people down here." Having said that, no one bought anything (no one wants to take a picture home on a bicycle, I guess), but he was confident he would see some of the curious shoppers again.

Some entrepreneurs, such as Street Strider Ontario, took their sales pitch straight to the street. Others, such as The Toy Cupboard and the Crystal Palace Chinese food place, treated the event like a sidewalk sale and did a brisk business. That King Street Cycles was not open seemed like an opportunity missed. And Brick Brewing! No tastings with a warm day and all those people passing by?

Of course, the Car-Free Sunday event is not about business. It's about community. Cyclovia events worldwide are intended to get people out of cars and onto the streets, using their feet -- cycling or walking -- to get around, look around and learn more about their community.

It was a chance, too, to see some of the ways people get around: Xtracycles, old Peugots, low-rider trikes, scooter-bikes, and this Segway, used for errands by Fred Ullman. He paused for a photo, but then had to get his eggs and meat home to the fridge.

I understand a "tweed ride" is in the works for a future Car-Free Sunday. I'm hoping to see some home-built and one-off bicycles at the next event, Sunday, July 17.

I'm looking forward to this next Car-Free Sunday, aka Square2Square, and hope you'll be able to join me.

 

Comments

[Jeff S.]

I'd have come out, but it was Father's Day and we had a zillion other things planned. Next time, though!

[Trent]

I thought the day was a great success. It was nice to see people just taking over the street and making up their own entertainment for a change. I would love to see it catch on with even more people.

[Bill]

There were plenty of moments like this, but at one point I watched two people meet in the middle of King Street and start talking, standing there in the sun yakking away, and it just seemed so natural and pleasant. Great image that remains with me.