Open Streets returns: It’s a party on Charlotte roads and cars aren’t invited

• During three Sundays this month, one-mile stretches will shut down to vehicle traffic. Instead of driving, people will walk, bike, scoot, dance, etc. through the streets. There will be activities along the routes, including line dancing, music, basketball shooting contests, stilt walkers and bike riding lessons.

Why it matters: The events promote healthy lifestyles of walking and biking, encourage communities to come together and socialize in the digital age, and show how the city could benefit from becoming more walkable and bike-friendly.

• The closures will take place in Charlotte’s six Corridors of Opportunity — areas where investment has historically lagged, such as Sugar Creek and West Boulevard, where the city and others are now funneling more than $67 million.

Flashback: Pre-pandemic, the city’s Open Streets 704 events drew tens of thousands of participants to already prosperous neighborhoods, including Uptown, South End, NoDa and Plaza Midwood.

• They’re calling this iteration Corridors Connect.

“Popular events like Corridors Connect show us what is possible when we create public spaces that promote active living and connect people to each other and to their environment,” says W. Lee Jones, Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation director.

There will be six Corridors Connect events in October. They run from 1-5pm. They’ll take place on residential streets and connect to public parks.

Oct. 8

• Sugar Creek Road and I-85 (Hidden Valley Elementary to Tom Hunter Park)

• Albemarle Road and Central Avenue (Idlewild Elementary to Cedarwood Park)

Oct. 15

• Beatties Ford and Rozzelles Ferry (West Charlotte Recreation Center)
• Graham Street and North Tryon (Anita Stroud Park)

Oct. 22

• West Boulevard (Arbor Glen Outreach Center to Amay James Recreation Center)
• Freedom Drive and Wilkinson Boulevard (Ashley Park Elementary to Dowd Park)