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Newsletter
May 2025 Portland Sunday Parkways E-newsletter
Published
Updated
Get Ready for the Return of Southwest Portland Sunday Parkways on May 18!
Join us in Southwest Portland for the first Sunday Parkways of the 2025 season presented by Kaiser Permanente! On Sunday, May 18 from 11a.m. to 4 p.m., we’re transforming the Southwest streets into a vibrant, car-free celebration of community, culture, and connection — and you're invited!
Stay in the loop with SlickText to receive real-time updates, special event highlights, and alerts. Text “Southwest” to 888-520-0526 to sign up for SW Sunday Parkways text messages. Standard text message rates may apply, and you can opt-out anytime by texting “STOP”.
What to Expect: Free Entertainment & Activities
There will be four activation areas along the route featuring vendor marketplaces, community booths, free family-friendly activities, and live entertainment. SW Sunday Parkways offers something for the whole family, including:
- 2 miles of open streets for biking, rolling, or walking to highlight the network of neighborhood greenways and other newly completed or soon-to-be completed improvements for biking and walking in Southwest Portland.
- A 3.6-mile self guided walking route in partnership with SW Trails to showcase the natural scenery and charm of the neighborhood.
- Local bands and DJs, cultural performances, and a roller disco party -- free skate rentals and protective gear provided by Rose City Rollers Skatemobile.
- Fitness offerings like Zumba with Portland Parks & Recreation and yoga hosted by Love Our Practice.
- Marketplaces filled with community booths, local businesses, and food vendors offering delicious bites.
- Crafts, games, activities, and play areas for kids to enjoy like the popular Circus Cascadia interactive circus workshops.
Getting to the Southwest Event
Be sure to plan your route in advance so that you have the best commute mapped out for you and your journey! Parking is limited — we recommend walking, biking, or taking public transit.
- Bookmark the Sunday Parkways public Google map for information on the event route, designated car crossing points, TriMet detour routes, and more.
- For those riding bikes to the event, take a look at the Portland By Cycle’s Citywide Bike Map. It will direct you to the route via neighborhood greenways and the least-congested arteries. You can also find group rides to the event, like the Ride Westside: Beaverton group ride on Pedalpalooza’s Shift2Bikes calendar.
- Plan your bus route and learn more about bus re-routes for #44 and #45 during the day of the event from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. People riding public transit should visit TriMet's website for more details and the latest information on service impacts and updates.
- Portland has shared e-scooter programs with Lime and BIKETOWN + Lyft that you can access from your phone and pay by the minute to use.
Reminder: Complete Our Pre-Season Survey!
Before our 2025 season kicks off, we would love your feedback on Sunday Parkways. As a thank you for your time, you can enter to win cool Sunday Parkways merch at the end of the survey!
🗓️ Deadline: May 16 at 8:00 a.m. PST.
Transportation News & Resources
The Bike to Books Design Contest is back
The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) and the Multnomah County Library invite Pre-K to 12th grade students and adults to design original bike lane art for the 2025 “Bike to Books” design contest to celebrate bike month and the hundreds of miles of bike lanes around the city. First-place designs are installed on Portland streets by PBOT striping crews!
To participate, pick up a copy of the design sheet at your local library branch or visit PBOT's Bike to Books website for a downloadable copy. Once your design has been created you can drop it off at your local Multnomah County Library branch, no later than Sunday, June 1.
Contest design sheet, rules, and guidelines
Helping us understand Vision Zero's Safe System approach
To better engage with youth, Portland Bureau of Transportation's Safe Routes to School program employed two high school interns, Jason and Matthew, through a partnership with ROSE Community Development Corporation’s Lents Youth Initiative—a leadership training program for teens. Over the summer, Jason and Matthew focused their time on various projects in support of Safe Routes to School as well as Vision Zero. As part of the internship, Jason created a video to help the community better understand Vision Zero's Safe System approach to traffic safety.
Watch Jason’s video about Vision Zero Safe System Approach
Bike Month Challenge 2025
The Bike Month Challenge is back May 1 - Saturday, May 31! Log your bike trips on the Get There Oregon webpage. Qualify for prize drawings and to hold the title of "Bike Month Champion". Invite your family and friends to join your team to compete, have fun, and win prizes!
Join the 2025 Bike Month Challenge
Moving Forward: Funding Our Transportation System
Join the Transportation Research and Education Center (TREC) for a conversation with former Congressman Earl Blumenauer to discuss the barriers and solutions to funding our transportation system, drawing from 50 years of experience at all levels of government.
In the Community
Trees in the Curb Zone Pilot Project
The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT), Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R), and the Bureau of Environmental Services (BES) have successfully completed the first phase of the Trees in the Curb Zone pilot project, turning underused parking spaces into green spaces.
The project added 15 new trees in January along SE Duke Street, from SE 82nd Avenue to SE 94th Avenue in the Lents neighborhood, an area noted for its lack of street trees and limited green space. This project team received the “Innovative Transportation Solutions" Award from the Portland Chapter of WTS, an international organization dedicated to shaping the future of transportation for the public good through the global advancement of women.
Learn more about Trees in the Curb Zone Pilot Project
Parklane Park Construction Wrapping Up
In the coming weeks, construction crews will be finishing up major construction work in Parklane Park. Portland Parks & Recreation requests that in this final stage of work, folks stay out of the park for their safety and to ensure there are no issues caused by entry that could further delay the park's opening.
The Sunday Parkways team is excited to highlight this park and its renovations during the East Portland Sunday Parkways event on July 27, 2025!
Learn more about Parklane Park Project
Mark Your Calendar
Basic Bike Maintenance Workshop
North Portland
May 16, 2025
3 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Multnomah County Library - North Portland
Free
Learn about bike maintenance and bring your bicycle with you to get some hands-on experience doing basic repairs!
Southwest Portland Sunday Parkways
May 18, 2025
11am – 4 pm
Southwest Portland
Free
The Southwest Portland route will feature a 2-mile multi-modal route and a separate 3.6-mile walking route. Start anywhere on either route and bike, walk, or roll as you explore the four featured stops. Each stop will feature local entertainment, community booths, and vendors, so make sure to plan your day to have time to visit each activation area!
New to Portland Ride: Brentwood-Darlington
May 21, 2025
5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Brentwood-Darlington Community Center
Free
Are you new to town, or new to cycling in Portland? Join our New to Portland ride in the Brentwood-Darlington neighborhoods! This ride is free and open to everyone.
Basic Bike Maintenance Workshop - Hillsdale
May 31, 2025
1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Multnomah County Library - Hillsdale
Free
Learn about bike maintenance and bring your bicycle with you to get some hands-on experience doing basic repairs!
Jobs & Professional Development
Tree Planting Supervisor, Portland Parks & Recreation – closes 5/19