Southwest Portland Sunday Parkways - September 22, 2024 (2024)

Last updated 4/5/2024

Portland Sunday Parkways presented by Kaiser Permanente will return to the Southwest Portland route on September 22, 2024. Embrace the sustainability and community spirit by celebrating World Car-Free Day at the Southwest Portland Sunday Parkways event!

Participants are welcome to join the Southwest Portland route at any point and head in any direction. This event route is designed to highlight the network of neighborhood greenways and other infrastructure, parks, and community resources. There will be areas along the route and at the featured parks where circulation slows for vendor marketplaces, community booths, free family-friendly activities, and live entertainment.

Feeling the FOMO? Keep up to date by texting "Southwest" to 888-520-0526 for the latest event updates and thrilling details on entertainment and activities. Standard text message rates may apply. Opt-out anytime by texting STOP.

Volunteer at the Southwest Portland event

Volunteering is a great way to participate in the event while supporting the community and Portland Sunday Parkways! Each shift lasts 3.5 hours, so you'll have plenty of time after your shift to enjoy the celebration, plus you'll receive a free commemorative t-shirt!

Sign-up here!

Southwest Portland route

The Southwest Portland route will feature a 2-mile multi-modal route along with a separate 1.5-mile walking route. Start anywhere on either route and bike, walk, or roll as you explore the four featured stops. Each stop will feature unique entertainment, community booths, and vendors, so make sure you take the time to visit each one between 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.!

The first route is 1.5 miles long for pedestrians and runs between the north side of Gabriel Park to the south end of Spring Garden Park. Traveling north to south, it runs within Gabriel Park then continues on SW Canby Street to 36th Avenue, 36th Avenue to Troy Street, Troy Street to 35th Avenue, 35th Avenue to Spring Garden Street, and finishes up inside Spring Garden Park. Car traffic is permitted to cross this route using SW Multnomah Boulevard or Falcon Street to cross 35th Avenue.

The second route is 2 miles long and is multimodal, for people walking, biking, rolling, and strolling. Traveling north to south, it runs from the north end of Gabriel Park and continues on SW Vermont Street to 33rd Place, 33rd Place to Nevada Court, Nevada Court to 33rd Avenue, then entirely on SW Capitol Highway to Dolph Court, finishing up along Dolph Court until it meets Spring Garden Park. Map notes that car traffic is permitted to cross this route using 35th Avenue and crossing at Vermont Street or at SW Capitol Highway.

Prepare for street closures

During Portland Sunday Parkways events, streets along the route will be closed to motorized traffic for the day with limited access for people living on the route. There are designated crossing points for motorized traffic, but it is best to avoid driving in the area during the event as you will experience long delays. The event route’s intersections will have temporary barricades set up with volunteers available to help people get where they need to go.

The Southwest Portland Sunday Parkways route features designated crossings for motorized vehicles to access during the event. The above map notes that car traffic is permitted to cross the walking route using 35th Avenue and crossing at Vermont Street or at SW Capitol Highway.Car traffic is permitted to cross the multi-modal route using SW Multnomah Boulevard or Falcon Street to cross 35th Avenue.

Event program & features

At each featured stop:

Free Entertainment & Activities - Whether you're new to biking or just love soaking up the sun outdoors, each park hosts a variety of free family-friendly activities and live entertainment.
Vendor Marketplace – Each park includes a vendor marketplace featuring local businesses, food vendors, sponsors, and community organizations. Help us keep everyone safe by walking through the vendor marketplace as it can get congested.
Quick Fix Bike Repair – A local bike shop provides free basic bike repair services during the event.
Information Booth - Stop by for an event brochure, first aid services, water station, or lost and found. You can also receive a vintage Sunday Parkways shirt by donating to this program ($5 minimum).
Seating Area – Kick back and relax or enjoy some food at the seating area which provides tables and chairs.
Bike Parking – Bike racks are available at each featured park.
ADA Park Entrances - Either permanent or temporary, ADA ramp entrances are available at each featured stop.
Restrooms – Portable restrooms, including ADA units, are available at each featured park.

Visit Kaiser Permanente Booths at each park

Stop by any of the Kaiser Permanente booths located at the four featured stops to pick up a special event map.
Travel to each Kaiser Permanente booth located at each featured stop to participate in the activity and receive a sticker for your special event map.
Bring your completed special event map to any Kaiser Permanente booth to receive a prize!

Learn more information by visitingKaiser Permanente's website.

Getting to the event

Whether you choose to bike, walk, roll, or take public transportation, getting to the event is part of the fun! Let the excitement build with each step or pedal stroke getting you closer to the Sunday Parkways event. Below are some resources to help plan your trip.

By bike

For those of you riding your bike, 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. And you don't even need to own a bike! Sign up with BIKETOWN and you'll have access to the city's fleet of electric-assist bicycles. You even have the option to leave the BIKETOWN bike at the event and take TriMet home!

By transit

Prepare for re-routes: TriMet buses #44 and #45 will observe a re-route during the event, starting at 8:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. You can review these re-routes on the above map graphic located in the “Southwest Portland Route” section.

Go to the TriMet Trip planner for transit information.
Make sure you are looking at "Sunday" routes as they will be different from the weekday schedule.
Did you know TriMet buses are equipped with bike racks? Here's a quick video on how to mount your bike on a TriMet bus.

By scooter

Portland has shared scooter programs that you can access from your phone and pay by the minute to use.

Features along the route

Southwest Portland Sunday Parkways - September 22, 2024 (4)

Portland Parks and Recreation believes that sustaining a healthy park and recreation system makes Portland a great place to live, work, and play. Portland Sunday Parkways is an excellent way to get to know our Portland city parks. Whether you are coming in from another corner of town or simply enjoying the car-free atmosphere of Portland Sunday Parkways in your neighborhood, you're sure to find something new!

The Southwest route will feature the following parks. Click on the specific park's link for information about facilities, accessibility, picnic permits, and more. Be advised that most of the parking lots will not be available to park in during the event.

Gabriel Park
Spring Garden Park
Multnomah Arts Center

New and improved roadways and sidewalks

As you're riding along the Southwest Portland route, keep your eyes out for recently completed projects from the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) as a way to make streets safer and more welcoming to bikes, pedestrians, and all non-motorized traffic.

– The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) will create a safer crossing at SW Taylors Ferry Road and SW 17th Avenue by striping a crosswalk and creating a safer walking shoulder along SW 17th from Orchid to Taylors Ferry to provide a link in the Hillsdale – Lake Oswego Trail. Construction is expected to be completed by summer 2024.
SW Ridge Neighborhood Greenway–PBOT will design and implement aneighborhood greenwayon SW Ridge Drand SW Wilbard Stfrom SW 35th Ave to SW Taylors Ferry, expected to be completed by summer 2024. This neighborhood greenway project builds a connection between recent projects onSW 26th Ave(multi-use path completed in 2023) andSW 35th Ave(bike lanes completed in 2022).
SW Boones Ferry Road Protected Shoulder – PBOT will construct a protected safer shoulder on the north side of Boones Ferry Rd from Orchard Hill Rd to Portland city limits. This project is expected to be completed by spring 2024.
SW 40th Advisory Shoulder Lane– PBOT will install advisory shoulders lanes on SW 40th Avenue from SW Huber to SW Wilbard streets and is expected to be complete in winter/spring of 2024. Advisory shoulder lanes are a low-cost, low-impact treatment for narrow streets with lower volumes of traffic and speeds.
SW Capitol Highway: Multnomah Village to West Portland Project(2023)– This project included sidewalks, bike lanes, stormwater management, and water system upgrades along SW Capitol Highway between SW Multnomah Boulevard and SW Taylors Ferry Road and some nearby streets.
SW Capitol Highway: Multnomah – Texas(2020) – This projectincluded repaving, updating existing curb ramps, and sewer repair on SW Capitol Highway between SW Multnomah and SW Texas streets.
– This project repaved all of SW Vermont St and between SW 30th Ave and the Portland city limit near SW 65th Ave. Any ramps that were not up to current ADA standards were upgraded. This project also added an improved bike/pedestrian connection to an existing neighborhood greenway facility which extends northward from SW Vermont St at SW 50th Ave and southward from SW Vermont St at SW 52nd Ave.

Event Accessibility

What to expect at Southwest Sunday Parkways

While Portland Sunday Parkways are community events designed to be accessible, the route and featured locations include a variety of surfaces and conditions. The following information will help you prepare for the day and what to expect.

Elevation

Due to the hilly nature of Southwest Portland, the Southwest Sunday Parkways route has significant elevation gains and drops compared to other routes.People using mobility devices will find this route extremely challenging. Here are particular areas to be aware of:

Gabriel Park to SW 33rd Avenue has an elevation gain of more than 200 ft in less than one mile. That is a pretty steep slope.
33rd Avenue to Gabriel Park is quite a quick drop with a fast left turn onto Vermont.
Southwest Capitol Highway through Multnomah Village is relatively flat, but access to the marketplace via the adjacent streets can be steep.
The difference in elevation between the north and south boundaries of Spring Garden Park is quite steep.
The walking route through Gabriel and Spring Garden parks has significant elevation gains and drops meaning it is hilly.

Surfaces

The route includes a variety of surfaces including newly paved sidewalks, gravel streets, and urban trails.A reminder that the streets are closed to cars (unless someone lives on the street) so you have plenty of room to walk or roll. Here is what to expect:

Gabriel Park - Urban trail, uneven ground
SW Capitol Hwy between 33rd and Dolph Ct. - Paved sidewalks and street
SW 35th between Multnomah Blvd & SW Spring Garden – Rough pavement, no sidewalk, gravel shoulder

On the route

While on the route through neighborhoods, participants should experience a low level of noiseexcept the occasional cheering from bystanders who are happy to see you.
Volunteers are available at intersections. They are there to help you and direct traffic.
Orange cones marking turns will be present throughout the route.

Entering the marketplaces

There are three marketplaces along the route. Marketplaces contain a series of booths, often on both sides of the street. Upon entering the marketplace in Multnomah Village, the noise level and amount of people congregating around booths, eating food, and listening to musicwill increase. But this will not result in a “concert” level noise. Music volume will only be slightly above a conversational level.

Bicyclists shouldwalk their bikesthrough the marketplaces or park them at provided bike racks.
Sidewalks will remain clear.

Featured Stops

This route includes four featured stops;Spring Garden Park and Gabriel Park, a commercial corridor through Multnomah Village, and a parking lot at the Multnomah Arts Center. At each stop, you can expect:

ADA ramps, permanent or temporary (ramp locations marked on the map).
Information booths with PBOT staff and volunteers who are ready and excited to help.