A food truck during Open Streets Akron. Photo by Susan Ruiz Patton. 

Akron Mayor-to-be Garry Moneypenny was right about the cool breeze on the Y-Bridge. Most people don’t feel it because usually they’re in their cars driving across the bridge.

But Sunday, May 17, traffic along the 2.8-mile span of North Main Street from downtown Akron to the North Hill neighborhood of the city was blocked. That stretch of road was opened to pedestrians, bicyclists, families and lots of activities for the Open Streets Akron event, which city organizers said attracted a crowd of 2,000.

Knight Foundation supported the event with a grant to the Downtown Akron Partnership. The money helped cover the expense of paying city police officers to manage traffic during the event.

“When we speak to young professionals, they tell us they want place-making events like this. They want events they can take their friends to when they visit from out of town,” said Moneypenny during a break from his bike tour of the event. “This is us truly listening.”

Organized on the same weekend as the Better Block Akron event, the two events co-existed on Sunday. Better Block occupied a section along North Main Street in the North Hill neighborhood.

Free bicycle rentals from the Summit Cycling Center Co-op were set up at either ends of the route.

“I like the street arrangement,” said Tom Bennett of the co-op. “It shows what could be done.”

While bicycling across the Y-bridge, also known as the All-America Bridge, on the muggy, sunny day, that breeze Moneypenny mentioned was welcome. And about halfway across there was an open-air photo booth where the city’s event staff offered to take “selfie” photos of passersby.

On the north end of the bridge many of the families and bicyclists stopped at the food truck roundup and enjoyed their meals at picnic tables set out on the road.

On the North Hill side of the route, Jeff Krauss of the Summit County Public Health department offered cold bottles of water. The health department has been working to encourage children to drink more water and fewer sugary drinks, said Krauss, who works in chronic disease management for the department.

At a nearby table, not too far from the Summa Health System’s St. Thomas Hospital, Alexander Spear and fellow bicycle officers greeted families.

But the real draw for the hospital’s table was the Humvee. Inside it was army green but outside it was freshly painted white and blue with the hospital’s logo. Teagan MacMahon. Photo by Susan Ruiz Patton. 

Five-year-old Teagan McMahon didn’t hesitate for a minute when she climbed into the driver’s seat and pretended to drive it.

McMahon and her father, Shawn, are North Hill neighborhood residents, but they heard about the event through a flyer sent home from Teagan’s dance school. Teagan’s shirt had a few police and fire badge stickers on it.

“I think she’s climbed on every city vehicle there is,” her father said. Teagan smiled and ran off to the next display.

Susan Ruiz Patton is a freelancer writer based in Northeast Ohio. She can be reached via email at [email protected].