Three alternative & green ways to get in and out of SunFest


SunFest is starting on Wednesday and is drawing tens of thousands of visitors into downtown. Getting in and out of downtown in the bustle of SunFest can be a challenge. Thankfully, the City of West Palm Beach has put a focus on creating a walkable and bikeable downtown and we have some very good alternatives ready for getting you to and from SunFest.

Downtown Development Authority’s Bike Valet

For more than a decade, the DDA has offered a free bicycle valet service for SunFest attendees during regular festival hours from Wednesday, April 27 to Sunday, May 1. Avoid the hassle of finding a place to chain a bike or trying to remember where you parked and take advantage of the valet!

Located at Waterfront Commons near the Centennial Square fountain, riders are issued claim tickets in exchange for their bikes, which are kept in asecure, gated compound located near the Clematis Street entrance to SunFest. To reclaim a bicycle, valet service users must present the appropriate claim ticket to the staff monitoring the bike compound. Tips received through the bike valet program will be donated to Homeward Bound, a program that helps the homeless reunite with their families in their respective hometowns.

Bike Valet hours of operation are: Wednesday and Thursday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.; Saturday from 12 p.m. to 11 p.m.; and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. Bikes left after closing time will be locked inside the enclosure and can be picked up the next day.

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Ginger, Clint and Joan volunteer as Bike Valets at Sunfest

Borrow a SkyBike

SkyBike is a fun, convenient and healthy way to get around Downtown for locals and visitors alike. SkyBike provides the most convenient option for choosing bicycling for errands around town, sightseeing or just for fun! Users can check out and return bikes interchangeably from stations conveniently located throughout Downtown.

Attendees of 2016 SunFest are also invited to use SkyBike, a public bike sharing system with 14 stations throughout the Downtown area. Users can rent and return more than 150 bikes from the convenient stations throughout the city. For more information about SkyBikeWPB, visit skybikewpb.com.

Carey & Raphael taking a ride on a SkyBike

Plan ahead and download the NextBike app (android apple) and signup today, so that you can make sure that there is a SkyBike waiting for you when you need it.

Use an UBER

Uber the popular ride sharing platform has partnered with SunFest this year,  and is offering new users a $20 first-ride special. Head over to uber.com/app and use the code Sunfest16.

If you’re already an Uber user you can grab a code at the info booth inside SunFest and get $10-off your ride.

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Executive director of the DDA, and dedicated New Urbanist, Raphael Clemente, talks about what the City is doing  to “As SunFest continues to grow in popularity, the bike valet is an important program to help alleviate traffic and parking difficulties. More than 5,000 SunFest patrons have taken advantage of this convenient, gas-saving program since its inception 11 years ago. Programs like the bike valet service and SkyBike are great examples of how Downtown West Palm Beach is working to transform the city into a pedestrian and bike friendly area.”

For more information about the SunFest bicycle valet service or Downtown West Palm Beach, including transportation options, please contact the DDA at (561) 833-8873 or visit downtownwpb.com.

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