Tampa hosts first-ever World Car-Free Day celebration
TAMPA, Fla. - On Saturday, Tampa celebrated World Car-Free Day with the goal of less traffic congestion and creating a greener environment.
Tampa Downtown Partnership, Walk Bike Tampa and the City of Tampa hosted the event.
They had mini golf, trivia, food trucks, music, a market and more at three locations in Tampa, including downtown at Marion Street, Westshore at Midtown Commons and Ybor City at Centennial Park.
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People could win prizes like an E-Bike and gift cards to local restaurants.
Sacred Hart Catholic Church’s Bikes from the Heart ministry had a booth set up as well.
The charity collects used bikes, refurbishes them and donates them to those in need. The lead organizer said she hopes the event encourages people to walk and ride bikes more.
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"It's historical, really, for us," Paula Flores, the event's lead organizer, said.
"It's a movement. It's a change of pace that we have. You know, we have so many wonderful things happening in our community, and this is so crucial at this time in our history to start to collate and get people engaged in how, you know, on walking and biking and taking buses, you know, really helps not only make people healthy but also, you know, it addresses some of the climate change issues we're doing and the more we get people on the street, the more we're likely to get investments in infrastructure to make that roadway safe," Flores, who is also a Walk Bike Tampa board member, said.
This was the first year that Tampa celebrated World Car-Free Day. Organizers hope to make it an annual event.
Over 2,000 cities in 46 countries held World Car Free Day celebrations this year.