EDMONDS — If fall’s stormy weather tends to keep you inside, go to downtown Edmonds.
A program to loan bright-green umbrellas throughout the downtown area has been launched by the Edmonds Downtown Alliance.
About 250 umbrellas have been deployed at 40 locations. “There’s at least one umbrella stand per block on each side of the street,” said Pam Stuller, president of the advisory board for the Edmonds Downtown Alliance. “In some long blocks, there are several stands.”
The program is less than a week old and “the reaction has been really positive,” Stuller said. Some businesses already have asked, “How do I get an umbrella stand in front of my shop?”
The idea to bring the umbrella lending program to downtown Edmonds was inspired by similar programs at two shopping areas, Seattle’s University Village and the mall at Alderwood in Lynnwood, she said.
The bright-green bumbershoots not only make pedestrians more visible, they makes the city more walkable, she said. “If you’re having coffee with a friend and then want to walk down the street, you don’t have to get in your car and drive,” Stuller said. “You can walk and discover more of what downtown has to offer.”
Each umbrella has the group’s logo, “ED,” in yellow. The program is first major project since the Edmonds Downtown Alliance, a business improvement district, was created last year, she said.
There was some concern that the umbrellas might disappear. Stuller said she’s not worried. “People might walk home with it,” she said.
“I really think people will return it, even if it’s not immediately. I think they’ll stay in circulation.”
Sharon Salyer: 425-339-3486; salyer@heraldnet.com.
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