What is open streets?

How we began: In the Spring of 2016, our committee of dedicated enthusiasts made up of members of the Greater Hyannis Area Civic Association, the Hyannis Main Street Business Improvement District, the Greater Hyannis Chamber of Commerce, local merchants and residents met to plan the first-ever Open Streets celebration in Hyannis the following September. The group met with public officials and prospective sponsors, built a growing team of supporters and worked through the myriad processes to make Hyannis Open Streets a reality. Unlike many other street-closure events where you stand on the sidelines and watch the event go by, at Hyannis Open Streets, YOU ARE THE EVENT, and the streets are yours! Our first Hyannis Open Streets was a great success with an estimated 7,000 attendees! Please look out for more and come join the fun!

Mission: To temporarily close Main Street, Hyannis to automobile traffic from Ocean Street to Sea Street, so that people may use it for walking, biking, dancing, playing, and socializing. In doing so, we hope to achieve social, environmental, economic, and public health goals and increase awareness of what our historic downtown has to offer its residents and visitors.

Goals: Allow participants of all ages and backgrounds to experience Main Street, Hyannis in a new way-as a shared, safe, social and active space for the people in our community and visitors alike; Create a space for people of diverse backgrounds to interact and build social capital, as well as a sense of community and safety: Introduce people to alternative means of transportation and raise acceptance of walking and bicycling as ways of getting around, therefore decreasing the need for parking and improving long term health of Hyannis and Barnstable residents; Increase neighborhood awareness of Hyannis and its livability.

“I wanted our neighbors and people from other villages and towns to experience the real Hyannis, where our diverse community can enjoy an afternoon together in the heart of Cape Cod.”

-Jane Walsh, Founder of Hyannis Open Streets and Owner of Red Fish Blue Fish

View the entire Barnstable Patriot article here.

From the Open Streets website:

Open streets initiatives temporarily close streets to automobile traffic, so that people may use them for walking, bicycling, dancing, playing, and socializing.

With more than 100 documented initiatives in North America, open streets are increasingly common in cities seeking innovative ways to achieve environmental, social, economic, and public health goals.

For more information, visit openstreetsproject.org.

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