News Release: Portland Sunday Parkways, Presented by Kaiser Permanente, kicks off 2026 season in Southwest Portland on May 17

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The Southwest Portland Sunday Parkways on May 17 will feature a 2-mile multimodal route for walking, biking, and rolling, and a 2.6-mile self-guided walking route. Photo by PBOT.

(May 14, 2026) Kick off the 2026 Portland Sunday Parkways season, Presented by Kaiser Permanente, during Southwest Portland Sunday Parkways on May 17, 2026, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Join the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) and the Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund (PCEF) in celebrating car-free streets for walking, rolling, playing and shopping with neighbors and friends.

The Southwest Portland route will create a 2-mile corridor for biking, walking, and rolling, as well as a 2.6-mile self-guided walking route. At five activation areas along the route --Gabriel Park,Village Park,Multnomah Arts Center,Multnomah Village, andSpring Garden Park -- people are encouraged to stop and enjoy vendor marketplaces, free family-friendly activities, and live entertainment.

Kaiser Permanente invites participants of all ages to learn, play and explore healthy habits at its popular interactive booths: MOVE, PLAY, NOURISH and CONNECT. Families can play the popularKaiser Permanente Sticker Hunt by visiting each booth to collect stickers and earn a prize.

New this year, as the official medical provider of the Portland Thorns and Portland Fire, families can stop by the MOVE booth in Gabriel Park for Portland Fire-inspired activities and the PLAY booth in Multnomah Village for Portland Thorns experiences. Sessions on jumping and landing safely, along with ACL injury prevention, will be led by Kaiser Permanente's team physicians for the Thorns and Fire, Dr. Jackie Brady and Dr. Melissa Novak Ott. Visitors can also enjoy healthy treats at the NOURISH booth and contribute to a community mural at the CONNECT booth designed to spark conversation and help reduce stigma around mental health.

"Sunday Parkways uses our street space as a place for families and everyone in our community to gather," PBOT Director Millicent Williams said. "Our Sunday Parkways event in Southwest makes it easy to choose to walk, roll, or bike in an environment where you can experience car-free streets. Come and enjoy parks, business districts and the rolling hills of Southwest Portland with us this Sunday."

Southwest Portland route

Participants are welcome to join the two routes at any point and head in any direction. These routes feature newly completed improvements for biking and walking in Southwest Portland. Map by PBOT.

Walking Route (2.6 miles):The self-guided 2.6-mile walking route is in partnership with SW Trails to highlight their work in the neighborhood. Look for the tall blue Kaiser Permanente flags in Gabriel Park or Spring Garden Park to start exploring the walking route.

Biking & Rolling Route (2 miles):This 2-mile multimodal route welcomes walking, biking, and rolling and was designed to highlight the network of neighborhood greenways and other infrastructure, parks, and community resources.

Enjoy free scooter rides on us! Stop by the BIKETOWN booth in front of the Multnomah Arts Center to pick-up $25 in free ride credits.

Traffic impacts during Sunday Parkways

Parking on streets along the Southwest Sunday Parkways route is forbidden on the day of the event. "No Parking" signs will be posted in advance. Vehicles left on the route will receive an $85 citation for violating the temporary no parking zone and will be towed beginning at 6 a.m. on Sunday. Vehicle towing and storage fees can be foundhere.

During Southwest Portland Sunday Parkways, streets along the route will be closed to motorized traffic from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with limited local access to homes or businesses on the route. It is best to avoid driving in the area to avoid delays. Intersections will have temporary barricades set up with volunteers available to help people who are driving through to get where they need to go.

The route features designated crossings for motorized vehicles to allow safe passage through the area. Car traffic is permitted to cross SW 35th Avenue, eastbound and westbound, at SW Multnomah Boulevard and at SW Falcon Street. Vehicle traffic will also be allowed to cross SW Capitol Highway, northbound and southbound, at SW 35th Avenue and allowed to cross SW Vermont Street, northbound and southbound. See the route map on the Sunday Parkways website for more details of the designated vehicle crossing locations.

As part of Sunday Parkways partnership with TriMet, bus detours will be in effect only on Sunday, May 17, starting from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. TriMet Bus Line 44 - Capitol Hwy/Mocks Crest will be detoured in both directions between Capitol Hwy & Taylors Ferry and Capitol Hwy & 31st and TriMet Bus Line 45 - Garden Home will be detoured northbound starting at Garden Home & 45th. People riding public transit should visit https://www.trimet.org/home/alerts for more details and updates on service impacts.

Plan ahead and stay in the loop! Bookmark the Sunday Parkways public Google map for information on designated vehicle crossing points, TriMet detours, the event routes and more.

Free family-friendly activities

Sunday Parkways provides something for the whole family! The five featured activation areas along the route will offer a variety of free family-friendly activities and live entertainment, including:

• Fitness classes at Spring Garden Park in partnership with the Southwest Community Center and Portland Parks and Recreation.
• Multnomah Neighborhood Association is back again this year hosting a family friendly concert at Village Park, a beautiful greenspace located along the walking route at the corner of SW 36th Ave and SW Troy Street.
• Pet baby goats at Spring Garden Park with Portland Goat Parties.

Check out the Sunday Parkways website for full entertainment and programming details.

Stay connected all season long

Subscribe to the Sunday Parkways e-newsletter and follow us on Facebook and Instagram at @PortlandSundayParkways to stay up to date. For Southwest event updates and day-of reminders delivered straight to your phone, text "Southwest" to 888-520-0526. Standard text message rates may apply. Opt-out anytime by texting "STOP".

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About Sunday Parkways

Portland Sunday Parkways, Presented by Kaiser Permanente, is a Portland Bureau of Transportation program that promotes healthy active living through a series of free events opening the city's largest public space - its streets - to walk, bike, roll, and connect with community. For more information, visit PortlandSundayParkways.org or call 311 / 503-823-4000.

About Kaiser Permanente

Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America's leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, Kaiser Permanente has a mission to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve 12.6 million members in 9 states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal Permanente Medical Group physicians, specialists, and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery, and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education, and the support of community health. For more information, go to about.kp.org.

About Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund (PCEF)

The Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund (PCEF) initiative was passed by 65% of Portland voters in November 2018. It provides a consistent, long-term funding source and oversight structure to ensure that our community's climate action efforts are implemented to support social, economic, and environmental benefits for all Portlanders, particularly communities who have been historically under-resourced. The initiative was supported by a broad coalition of groups and individuals and represents the first environmental initiative in Oregon led by communities on the frontlines of climate change. Visit the PCEF website for details.