http://www.sfexaminer.com/sanfrancisco/sunday-streets-kicks-off-sixth-year-this-weekend/Content?oid=2724008

Sunday Streets kicks off sixth year this weekend

By Jessica Kwong 

The City’s car-free street affairs are back for a sixth year, kicking off this weekend along The Embarcadero.

Sunday Streets, running from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, will take up 3.3 miles in the northbound lanes of The Embarcadero from King and Third Streets near AT&T Park to Fisherman’s Wharf. Planned activities include free bike rentals and tuneups, rock climbing and face painting.

Sunday Streets in 2010 and 2011 were effective in getting people to become more physically active, according to a San Francisco State University study. The event, sponsored by the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency with nonprofit Livable City, started in 2008 over two Sundays in different neighborhoods and has grown to nine locations citywide this year. About 200,000 people attend annually, and a higher turnout is expected each year, said Sunday Streets Director Susan King.

“Our goal is to provide opportunity and incentive for people to get out and be physically active,” she said. “And we want to visit different neighborhoods to showcase them and connect communities within the neighborhoods as well as between the neighborhoods.” Troy Campbell, executive director of the Fisherman’s Wharf Community Benefit District, said participants can expect decorative street treatments and pedestrian- and bicycle-oriented improvements.