In what some see as a baffling move, the Anchorage Parks and Recreation Department is promoting a weekly preschool biking event in Town Square Park, a downtown space long associated with drug use, crime, vagrancy, and public safety concerns.
The “Biker Buddies” program is aimed at children ages 3 to 5, and is being held every Tuesday in July from 10 am to 1 pm. Parks and Rec. officials are urging parents to “bring your 3–5-year-old downtown” to participate in what they describe as a fun and confidence-building experience, complete with strider bikes and free helmets courtesy of the Anchorage Health Department.
But Town Square Park, located at 544 W 5th Ave, is not known for tricycle races or family picnics. It’s known for crime, trash, human waste, and open drug use. Families avoid it, not roll into it with toddlers on training wheels.
Last year, city crews responding to complaints about the park found discarded needles, human waste, and violent confrontations on a near-daily basis. Even during broad daylight, park-goers report witnessing stabbings, drug deals, overdoses, and mentally unstable individuals shouting at passersby.
Despite that, Anchorage Parks and Recreation appears to be trying to rebrand the park’s reputation, using Biker Buddies as the vehicle for change. In promotional materials, the department promises a “SPOKE-tacular time” for kids and emphasizes skill-building in a “fun-filled weekly event.”
But the question remains: Why Town Square?
When someone raised the point on Facebook that there are safer places to take children, Parks and Rec replied: “Hey there, we understand your concerns. One of the reasons we host events like this is because the more positive activity a space gets, the safer it becomes. Luckily, this event includes staff members and an APD presence to help families feel safe while enjoying the park.”
In other words, they’re sending the kids in first to pioneer activity in a place that is so unsafe they have to bring in police.
City officials have not directly addressed the safety concerns, nor whether any enhanced security will be provided during the events. But they have removed a lot of trees from the park, as a way to discourage homesteading vagrants.
Parents who are curious about Biker Buddies — and brave enough to expose their children to Town Square Park — can learn more at: www.muni.org/Departments/parks/Pages/BunkerBiking.aspx.
