BWL Column: Fort Myers River District roads to close for family-friendly activities

Today's BWL Column is all about Sunday's Streets Alive event in downtown Fort Myers.

 

Go Coastal Section, News-Press 11/7/13

A similar Streets Alive event took place in Miami recently

If You Go

• What: Streets Alive
• When: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday
• Where: Downtown Fort Myers, from Centennial Park to the new library, from the Yacht Basin to City Hall
• Cost: Free
• More information: www.streetsalivelee.org

Ready to come out and play? Then join your neighbors at Streets Alive on Sunday. You can bike, run, walk, roll, stroll or stride along a course, free of motor vehicles, from City Hall to Centennial Park, through the beautifully restored Fort Myers River District.

This event opens the streets of downtown Fort Myers for people to move and play on a car-free route lined with activities for all interests and abilities. Inspired by the Healthy Lee coalition and supported by key community players such as Lee Memorial Health System, the county Department of Health and the YMCA, Streets Alive is a free, family friendly event that urges you to get up and move.

Travel at your own pace, stopping at any of the six Activity Villages along the way to enjoy organized activities with qualified instructors, ready to introduce you to something new or something you haven’t done for years. Either way, the choice is yours — just as long as you keep moving and have fun.

Among the planned activities are basketball, karate, yoga, Zumba, tennis, volleyball, sailing and paddleboarding, an array of dances, a bedpan race, walk with a doc, a host of children’s games (but adults can join in, too!) and much more. There will be activities for all ages and abilities such as marching with local vets, children’s bike helmet decorating, chair and range-of-motion exercises. You can even borrow a dog to go for a walk if you want.

Keeping with its purpose, there will be healthy foods and drinks available – and downtown merchants will be open to serve attendees as well. In fact, an event of this kind is a great time to get to know and enjoy the many unique shops, businesses and restaurants in downtown Fort Myers.

Event organizers are encouraging people to bring their own fun to the downtown streets, where there will be room to stroll or roll, jog or bike, or do whatever inspires you to move. You are in control: Do what you want and stay as long as you’d like.

For those who want to make getting there fun, BikeWalkLee has charted a number of ways to bike to the downtown event. Check out the options at the BikeWalkLee blog. 

BikeWalkLee volunteers will also be on the streets throughout the day to talk about ways to make our community more bike/walk friendly, take your comments on biking, walking and mass transit in Lee County, talk about the upcoming TIGER grant implementation, and provide some

fun ways to express yourself. We look forward to seeing you all there.

BikeWalkLee is a community coalition raising public awareness and advocating for complete streets in Lee County — streets that are designed, built, operated and maintained for safe and convenient travel for all users: pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and transit riders of all ages and abilities. Information, statistics and background online at BikeWalkLee.org.