Cyclovia Tucson is back.
And this spring it has a new route and a theme — National Poetry Month.
During the event, Tucsonans take to the streets to bike, walk and skate along a car-free route. Cyclovia Tucson returned for the spring, but its program coordinator Kylie Walzak says Living Streets Alliance, the group that organizes Cyclovia, is working to make the event four times a year. The dream is to make Cyclovia a monthly family activity.
On Sunday, April 7, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., the 3-mile route will begin at Banner-University Medical Center Tucson where you can get a tour at the new hospital tower scheduled to open later in April. The event is free.
From there, the route will head down Vine Avenue toward Helen Street, past the UA Poetry Center and down Fourth Avenue. The route will conclude at the East Seventh Street and North Sixth Avenue intersection with a block party.
For a more detailed map of the route, go to cycloviatucson.org.
Expect a lot of poetry along the route.
"We set a goal for all of the 40,000 expected participants to interact with poetry in some way," Walzak says.
Participants include the UA Poetry Center, Urban Poetry Pollinators and Tucson poet laureate TC Tolbert.
"Living Streets Alliance promotes healthy streets and healthy lifestyles, and poetry can also help us think about how we might have healthy streets and lifestyles," says Tyler Meier, the executive director of the poetry center, adding that it's all about incorporating poetry into daily life.
Expect to see poems chalked on the road and read all along the route. Bikes with speakers will broadcast poetry in different languages, and several typewriters will allow cyclists to add to a community poem. The UA Poetry Center will have various activities.
"Lots of exciting groups use poetry to encourage reflection on the human condition," Walzak says. "And Living Streets Alliance puts people in spaces to reflect on their environment."
More info: Visit cycloviatucson.org
