Pittsburgh’s 10th Open Streets program begins Saturday

For its 10th anniversary, OpenStreetsPGH will have its three events on Saturdays beginning this week and add a new course in the city’s Hill District neighborhood.

The program, coordinated by BikePGH, is designed to encourage exercise by shutting off most motor vehicle traffic in a corridor to encourage biking, walking and roller blading on city streets. Businesses along the route typically have sidewalk sales and eateries serve food outdoors while a variety of organizations host activities such as yoga classes or bouncing on pogo sticks.

The dates for the events have bounced between Saturdays and Sundays and the routes change all the time, but the schedule worked out that they all happen to be on Saturday this year. With good weather, the event can draw 15,000 to 20,000 people, said Julie Walsh, spokeswoman for BikePGH.

The first course, open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, will run 2 miles from Market Square in Downtown Pittsburgh up Forbes Avenue to the Armstrong Tunnel, go through the tunnel and across the Philip Murray Bridge at 10th Street to the South Side and turn left on East Carson Street to South 21st Street.

Because the course is a little shorter than usual, it will have activity hubs at each end but no formal stops along the way, Walsh said.

“We thought the flow of traffic might be a little better if we only have stops at each end,” Walsh said.

Market Square will have the health and wellness hub, where visitors can participate in activities such as dancing and yoga or enjoy a cool treat such as Hawaiian shaved ice. The hub near South 21st Street will feature family events like musical entertainment, pogo sticking and street art.

Along the route, there will be other classes, activities and tasty treats available. For the full schedule and route, go to the OpenStreetsPGH website.

During the event, the following streets will be closed beginning at 8 a.m. Saturday:

• Market Square: Graeme Street, Market Street and Forbes Avenue.
• Forbes from Market Square to the Armstrong Tunnel.
• Armstrong Tunnel (both directions).
• Philip Murray Bridge at 10th Street.
• South 10th from the 10th Street Bridge to East Carson Street.
• East Carson from South 10th to South 21st Street.

No parking will be allowed along the event route from 3 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. Traffic will be able to cross the closed streets at the following intersections: Wood Street and Forbes Avenue; Smithfield Street and Forbes; Grant Street and Forbes; Sixth Avenue/Crosstown Boulevard and Forbes; Second Avenue and Philip Murray Bridge; Bingham Street and South 10th Street; South 18th Street and East Carson Street; and South 21st Street and East Carson.

The other OpenStreetsPGH events this year will feature the new course through the Hill District on June 29 and the city’s East End on July 27. The exact courses will be announced closer to the events.