Sad News – Streets Alive Cancelled for 2019

Thrive is proud to be part of the team for Streets Alive! who put on Hood River’s inaugural open streets event last September in the Heights. We’ve been working hard planning this year’s event so it is with very heavy hearts that we  announce the cancellation of Streets Alive 2019.

 The purpose of Streets Alive is to connect our community, inspire active transportation, bolster local business, foster free-range play in children of all ages and abilities and demonstrate the future.  Last year’s event drew over 1,000 people and local businesses reaped increased revenue. It helped start new conversations with ODOT about safety improvements to our streets. It was a joyous celebration of the Heights neighborhood and the end of summer. Neighbors met neighbors. They rode bikes, listened to music, made art. The community grew together. Check out this video if you want to relive the experience.

 Despite the success of 2018, there was confusion about the event and its purpose and a very small group of individuals and Heights businesses publicly and privately coalesced to oppose Streets Alive. This group lobbied against us with our fiscal sponsor and permitting agencies and ultimately made it untenable to go forward this year.

 We thank our fiscal sponsor, the Hood River Chamber of Commerce and staff at the City of Hood River and Oregon Department of Transportation for their assistance. We especially want to thank our event funders and donors including ODOT, AARP, Providence Hospital, Lions Club, Pine Street Bakery, Straightline Orthodontics, Columbia Pain Clinic, Avenue Properties, Pfriem Brewery, Heights Family Dental, Summit Family Medicine, Farmstand in the Gorge, Arts in Education, Terra Surveying, Slopeswell Cider, Rosauer’s, Volcanic Bottle Shoppe, Tum a Lum Lumber, Ferment Brewing, and the hundred plus individuals who volunteered to pull off Streets Alive 2018 and signed up to volunteer for 2019.

We remain committed to working with the community to expand upon our successes so far. If you’ve got thoughts about Streets Alive, we invite your feedback, ideas and suggestions streetsalivehr@gmail.com.