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Local organizers propose car‑free elements for TomTom Festival; BPAC offers support
Summary
A BPAC member presented a draft plan to add a car‑free kickoff to the TomTom Festival on April 25, 2026, proposing partnerships with YMCA and local groups, a bike ride from the YMCA to the downtown mall, a youth panel and a bike valet. BPAC members and staff agreed to help with logistics, promotions and volunteer recruitment.
Linda Capacchione, a TomTom Festival volunteer and community organizer, urged BPAC to support a proposal to make part of the festival car‑free and family friendly on April 25, 2026. "We are working on a proposal to submit to this year's TomTom festival to make it car freer," Capacchione said during public comment, outlining plans for a YMCA meetup, a bike ride to the downtown mall, a youth panel and a dance block party.
BPAC members and staff responded with operational suggestions and offers of support. Tommy Sefranick, the city’s bike and pedestrian coordinator, recommended adding a bike valet as a low‑capacity, high‑impact service and proposed tying the event to Bike Month outreach. "I very much wanna do a bike valet as part of TomTom," a member said, noting it shows attendees that bikes are a viable mode of transportation and provides a service to participants.
Members also discussed hosting e‑bike demos coincident with the city’s e‑bike voucher sign‑up window and using the YMCA parking lot as a staging area for carpooling. Staff noted the city is a major financial sponsor of TomTom and can help with promotion but clarified that TomTom is run by a community group and is not an automatic city project. "This is not a city process... a group of people running a festival," one member noted, while staff added the city can play a supporting role.
Organizers were advised to write a short proposal, circulate it on the BPAC listserv to recruit volunteers and coordinate with staff on logistics and timing. BPAC members volunteered to help on panels, staffing a bike valet and supporting outreach. The committee suggested submitting a clear, concise plan so members can sign up for specific roles and staff can evaluate any city support required.
The next steps recorded in the meeting: Capacchione will draft the proposal, BPAC members will post interest to the listserv, and staff will help identify appropriate city support and communications channels. The initiative will be discussed further at upcoming meetings as the plan is refined.
