Streetwise for a day

Who noticed International Car Free Day? Held on 22 September, it didn’t get much national coverage, but at a local level there were 62 different events organised around Britain, a third up on last year and a huge improvement on a couple of years back when nothing was done outside London and the south-east. In Brussels it’s a major event in the calendar. They celebrated a day early, on the Sunday, and closed off 160 square kilometres of town to private vehicles to hold a giant street party. Ironically, it was so popular that people drove from all over Belgium to join in. Hmmm. One thing Brussels got right, however, is that the idea isn’t just about alternative ways to travel; it’s also about the way streets could be put to better use. Camden Council closed Museum Road opposite the British Museum for the day, and it was so popular with local residents that it’s staying closed for the next six months, possibly forever. This cuts off an annoying rat run and provides a safe street for cyclists and pedestrians. In central Manchester, busy Albert Square was closed to traffic for three hours in the middle of the day. Maybe its namesake in Walford could take the hint? Companies took part, too. Heathrow offered all its 68,000 staff free tickets for the day on rail, bus and coach routes. “If everyone who normally drives to work left their vehicles at home on just one day each week it would make a big difference to the volume of traffic,” said a spokeswoman. Now, if everyone who normally flew… - Kath Stathers

www.22september.org

30 November 2003

Kath Stathers