Close to 10 000 people attended Open Streets, in Eisleben Road, on Sunday March 25.
Marcela Guerrero Casas, co-
founder and managing director of Open Streets, said it was difficult to do a headcount as there were several entry points, and participants could have spent anything from five minutes to five hours in the car-free corridor.
The length of road closed to vehicular traffic this year was 2.3km – double the length of last year’s closure – and included several communities from Lavender Road in Lentegeur, including Woodlands, and Montagu Drive bordering Portland and Rocklands.
It was the second time since Open Streets was hosted in Mitchells Plain that Eisleben Road was car-free. The pilot, in 2016, was held in Merrydale Road.
Open Streets is a collaboration between the Transport and Urban Development Authority and Open Streets Cape Town (OSCT), a citizen-driven NPO working to change how people use, experience and perceive streets.
Ms Guerrero Casas told the Plainsman they included a mobility zone in the middle of the stretch of open road and activity zones at either end of the event.
“It was encouraging to see so many young people on wheels, that is skateboards, bicycles and unicycles,” she said.
She said the results of 150 surveys completed by participants and those of an online survey would be collated by next week.
“This will give us a good sense of specific feedback, as to whether an amazing day was had,” she said.
Ms Guerrero Casas said they had about 30 volunteering on the day.
“This is a movement, and we need more people to get involved. We don’t determine when and where events should be hosted. We respond where the desire exists to host open streets. We want to hear from people” she said.
Visit www.openstreets.org.za or email info@openstreets.co.za for more information.
