Mayor Bronin joined Hartford HealthCare and community leaders like Jackie Mckinney and Rev. Shelley Best at the 224 EcoSpace to announce the launch of the City of Hartford’s new Open Streets program, DominGO! Hartford (“DominGO”), a partnership with Hartford HealthCare. For four Sundays in Summer 2022 (June 26th, July 24th, August 28th, and September 25th, from 9 AM – 3 PM), DominGO will transform city streets into safe, vibrant, and healthy public spaces by making them vehicle-free. This will allow residents and visitors to interact with our community in a fun, active, and healthy way. DominGO is free and open to all, and everyone is encouraged to enjoy each neighborhood by walking, running, biking, exercising, and playing with friends in a family-friendly environment.
Open Streets are programs that temporarily open streets to people by making them vehicle free, and provide opportunities for healthy activity, like biking and exercise. There are over 90 Open Street programs in the US, but currently no extensive Open Street programs in Connecticut. Research[1] on other Open Street programs have demonstrated benefits to public safety, business, and public health in neighborhoods where they occur.
“We are thrilled to launch the DominGO program, a big part of our broader effort to help our community reconnect, recover, heal and just have fun in the months ahead,” said Mayor Bronin. “One Sunday a month, The DominGO Hartford program will reclaim our streets for people, not cars — for walking, biking, food, music, dance, and meeting new people. I want to thank our partners who made this happen, especially Hartford Healthcare as well as Cigna. I also want to thank our organizing committee and special events team. In addition to just getting us walking and moving and meeting one another on city streets, DominGO will draw energy and attention to our distinctive neighborhood corridors, restaurants, and cafes, and help people explore a part of the city that they might not have experienced before.”
“We are so proud to support this great event. DominGO aligns perfectly with our mission to improve the health and healing of the people and communities we serve,” said Bimal Patel, Hartford Hospital President and Senior Vice President, Hartford HealthCare. “Hartford Hospital has served the community for 168 years and we couldn’t have done it without the support and collaboration with the city and all of our community partners.”
On these “DominGO” days, businesses along each of the routes will spill out into these public spaces, allowing for increased interaction with attendees. The City of Hartford is also working with neighborhood associations, business organizations, and our civic institutions to develop programming and activity that celebrates our community and provides multiple ways for people to experience Open Streets. The DominGO team will hold four open houses to discuss the initiatives, allowing residents and business owners to share feedback and ask questions:
Tuesday April 12th from 5:00pm–7:00pm at Thomas Hooker Live (1 Sequassen Street, Hartford)
Monday April 18th from 5:00pm–7:00pm at Parkville Market (1400 Park Street, Hartford)
Tuesday May 10th from 5:00pm–7:00pm at EcoSpace (226 Farmington Avenue, Hartford)
Monday May 16th from 5:00pm–7:00pm at Vibz Uptown (3155 Main Street, Hartford)
“AHNA, The Asylum Hill Neighborhood Association is thrilled about the DominGO program,” said Jackie Mckinney, Chair of the Asylum Hill Neighborhood Association. “Farmington Ave is the perfect street to inaugurate the program. We have joined forces with WECA, the West End NRZ, to create an event not to be missed. We are organizing around a planned artist exhibition to showcase the work of our amazing neighborhood artists. There will also be food, children’s activities, music, activity stations, opportunities to meet police officers and firefighters and learn about careers in public safety, and a whole lot more. It will be an event not to be missed.”
“DominGO will allow people of all ages to experience the streets of Hartford in a new way,” said Anna Doroghazi, Associate State Director of Advocacy and Outreach for AARP Connecticut. “Whether you’re a two-year-old in a stroller or a 60-year-old on roller skates, this will be a great opportunity for people to come together and find something new to love about our capital city.”
On June 26th, the route will include parts of Farmington Avenue and Park Street. On July 24th, the route will incorporate parts of North Main Street. The routes for August 28th and September 25th are yet to be announced. For more information on DominGO! Hartford, please visit www.domingohartford.com, or follow @domingohtfd on Instagram.
