Caped Crusader Brings Pedestrian Safety Campaign Uptown | Eastern North Carolina Now

    On August 2nd from 5-8 p.m., Uptown Greenville and Greenville Police Department are coming together at Five Points Plaza for our 3rd annual National Night Out Street Food Festival. This is a national campaign to make neighborhoods better places to live through fostering police-community relationships and neighborhood camaraderie. In addition to the region's best food trucks - think Chinese dumplings, Greek kabobs, Italian ices, and other delicious street-food creations - this festival will introduce Greenville's newest hero for pedestrian safety, El Walkador!

    "When we first heard people talking about a guy in a bull-fighting costume downtown, we didn't think much about it," said Uptown Greenville Director Bianca Shoneman.

    It became clear quickly: this wasn't just some local character with unusual sartorial sense. Shoneman continued, "The stories were a little scattered; there was apparently a lot of cape-waving and, according to some, the sound of trumpets and castanets in the distance. Then I got this message from my intern:

• 'A couple of pedestrians were crossing 4th at Greene, right outside City Hall. It was the middle of the day, slightly overcast; visibility was near perfect. There was a car nearing the intersection and it looked like he wasn't paying attention at all to the fact that there were people trying to cross the road on foot. It was scary. Then I saw this figure come out of the post office, red cape blowing in the wind. He arrived in time! He charged the car (a Taurus - I kid you not!) head-on; he stopped it with his hands! And the pedestrians crossed safely. It looks like Greenville has attracted its very own pedestrian safety superhero! How cool is that?!'"

    Shoneman knew right away that she needed to meet this man. "We've had some truly unfortunate accidents on our streets, and we all want to do what we can to make them safer for pedestrians throughout the city. El Walkador gladly accepts the task of raising pedestrian awareness among drivers in our city."

    Legend has it that "El Walkador" was born out of a collaboration between Uptown Greenville, the Pitt County Health Department, the Pitt County Planning Department, NC DOT, Greenville City Council, Greenville Police Department, and the Pitt County Community Schools and Recreation staff. This team came together to increase walkability and pedestrian safety in the Greenville MPO by a grant awarded by the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors.

    Entry is free, so come out to hear DJ B. Paiz, eat some delicious street food, and see our featured guest, El Walkador, at work!


    Uptown Greenville is public/private partnership designed to promote quality cultural, residential and economic development in Greenville's Central Business District, Uptown Greenville. In last three years, the district celebrates nearly $1B in public and private investment and is projecting a 400% increase in its residential population. It's a great day to be Uptown. Learn more at www.uptowngreenville.com.

• Contact: Uptown Greenville Communications
•     info@Uptowngreenville.com