Edina’s ‘Open Streets’ to Feature Electric Vehicle Ride & Drive

The City of Edina and Midwest EVOLVE will hold an Electric Vehicle Ride & Drive during Open Streets on 50th on Sunday, Sept. 23, at Wooddale Park. Test drives will be offered to the public to showcase the performance, availability, and environmental advantages of electric vehicles (EVs).

Visitors to “Open Streets on 50th” are encouraged to walk, bike or scoot to the fourth-annual outdoor event, being held Sept. 23 from 1 to 5 p.m.

While West 50th Street between Wooddale and Chowen avenues will be closed to motor vehicles for the event, electric vehicles will be on display for participants to check out as well as test drive.

Open Streets is about getting outdoors and walking and biking more. But we also want to show visitors an alternative technology that makes the streets friendlier for pedestrians and bikers,” said Sustainability Coordinator Tara Brown, who is working with the Open Streets on 50th planning committee and the American Lung Association in Minnesota to organize the electric vehicle Ride and Drive event that will take place on West 50th Street at Wooddale Avenue.

Knowledgeable staff and electric vehicle owners will be on hand to answer questions while visitors check out the electric vehicles. Additional vehicles will be in the Wooddale Park parking lot for those interested in taking one for a test drive.

“One of the largest sources of pollution is tailpipe emissions,” said Kennedy Kruchoski, a Minnesota GreenCorps member currently working with the American Lung Association in Minnesota. “One of the best ways to combat that is to encourage people to drive electric vehicles.”

According to Midwest EVOLVE, the average price of a gallon of gas in Minnesota in 2017 was $2.51. The average price of the electric equivalent gallon was 92 cents.

Along with various brands of electric vehicles, Kruchoski said she and Lisa Thurstin, manager of the Clean Air Program for the American Lung Association in Minnesota, are bringing in representatives from other electric vehicle resources as well, such as energy suppliers and organizations that install special charging equipment.

“It’s a really unique opportunity to get behind the wheel of an electric vehicle,” Kruchoski said. “We’re excited to be a part of the event and hope people will stop by.”

Working with the 50th & France Businesses & Professional Association to organize the event, the City of Edina invites participants to take part in the music, dance, games, art, yoga and other creative and active events that will take place during the street closures. Civic, athletic, artistic and neighborhood groups, as well as businesses and food trucks, will participate by hosting events, demonstrations, activities and more.

The dog-friendly event draws roughly 5,000 people each year, not including leashed pets. In addition to more street musicians this year, Pet Zone will be back on France Avenue south of 50th Street. Last year, participants enjoyed meeting vendors selling pet supplies and snuggling puppies for adoption.

“Open Streets on 50th” is all about bringing the community together and getting outside and active,” said event coordinator and Recreation Supervisor Nicole Gorman. “People have a blast riding their bikes or walking down 50th & France with music playing and no vehicles on the street.”

For more information and for a schedule of events as “Open Streets on 50th” draws near, visit EdinaMN.gov/OpenStreets or check out the event on the City of Edina’s Facebook page.

Day’s agenda:

• Open Streets Event and EV Display: 1 – 5 p.m.
• Electric Vehicle Ride & Drive: 2 – 4 p.m.

The ride and drives are supported by: Open Streets on 50th, Xcel Energy, Midwest EVOLVE, and the City of Edina.

About Midwest EVOLVE
Midwest EVOLVE is a partnership between the American Lung Association and Clean Cities coalitions in seven Midwest states. The project’s focus is to educate consumers, as well as public and private fleets, about the performance and environmental advantages of electric vehicles. The project is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), under Award Number DE-EE0007743. To learn more, visit www.MidwestEVOLVE.org or follow EVOLVE via Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn.