BOISE, Idaho — The Hyde Park district in Boise's North End neighborhood saw large amounts of walkers and bicyclists Saturday.
The North End Neighborhood Association (NENA) closed 13th Street, for people to try another mode of transportation. People were encouraged to walk, bike, or scooter to the Mobility Summit event.
People could then learn about the bus system, city transportation plans or test out bikes.
The Boise Bicycle Project created an obstacle course for kids to test out new wheels or the ones they brought.
The Summit is an annual event for NENA.
Up until now it's been held at a local park. This year they took it to the streets.
"The main thing that we've been wanting to try to discuss and have the opportunity to talk about is the streets," NENA President, Erik Hagen said. "And how can we as pedestrian and cyclists can better use the streets? How can motorists better use the streets with pedestrians and cyclist on it? And we were just not able to do that up at Elm Grove Park."
When choosing which street to take over, 13th Street was a no brainer he said. Adding, Hyde Park is one of the busiest places in the North End.
"It's where we have a lot of people walking, a lot of people biking, and all the bike racks are always full here, people are always locking up their bikes to trees and light poles because there's not enough bike racks," he added.
Not only does it get a ton of foot traffic, and bicyclists. It also gets a lot of motor traffic.
13th Street is a main road drivers take back to and from the foothills, Hagen said. As well as drivers headed into downtown.
Emerson and 13th Street, where the event was held, is one of the busy intersections for both pedestrian and motor traffic. Shutting it down allowed pedestrians to see what it felt like to be the only ones on the typically busy road.
Each booth at the event had some type of transportation or mobility connection. LINC, Boise's Living Independence Network tied into May Mobility Month
They talked with visitors about what it's like sing the streets as someone with a disability.
"Wheelchairs, or a walker. or a seeing cane," NENA volunteer and event organizer, Alexa Roitman said. "(LINC) came out here specifically because this group of people don't really get a platform to talk about it's like to use transportation and to use the streets and to use the sidewalk as someone living with a disability."
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