Posted March 11, 2003
Toronto
Leads the Way
to Car Freedom
An international movement sweeps up millions of
people in thousands of cities throughout dozens of countries around
the world - and it hits North America first in Toronto.
It's Car Free Day, or CFD - but everywhere I go, cars, cars, cars. Even
where they are not supposed to be.
Saturday, September
21st, 2002 - 6:47 p.m.
Having been car-free myself for more than a decade, celebrating the
fact seemed easy enough. I could identify with the issues, including
air pollution, smog and inner city traffic congestion, and hold myself
up as a shining example of the enlightened pedestrian.
So I went to the Bloor Cinema for a party. A celebration of the end
of the car in the city. Car Free Movie Night is the kick-off.
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Hmph! I doubt if anyone there owned a car, or ever did for that matter. Kids mostly, hip-hop boardsters and crazy city cyclists. Certainly the pews were filled with the converted. Even the politicians were already onside. The two who showed. City councillors Olivia Chow and David Miller - the latter played coy, but he is now an Official Mayoralty Candidate - gave their blessings. All who spoke bemoaned the automobile, and its deleterious effects on city life. What we need are more car-owners, I'm thinking! To participate in the many car-free activities planned for the next day. It's the suburban folks, the SUV owners (bless their hearts) and those who helped boost car sales in North America last year by around 24% who need reaching |
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The first Car Free Day was in Europe in 1999. It's now an international event held around the world every September 22nd. The goals are straightforward:
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Spread the word - cities should be organized around people, not cars
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Raise awareness - alternative transportation, especially non-polluting
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Reclaim the streets with fun events
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Celebrate clean, green, walkable communities
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Provide a networking opportunity for alternative transportation activists
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Set a precedent for other cities to follow
The first Canadian - and North American - Car Free Day was Toronto in 2001. Hamilton and Victoria joined in last year. Small steps. But important ones.
Inspiring are the giant leaps taken in Bogotá, Columbia. The entire city was absent private motorized vehicles; a city of seven million effectively closed to traffic! Citizens, merchants, police and politicians alike loved it! The benefits of curbing automobile use have inspired them to hold the event on other dates, not just September 22nd.
Can you count to 365? READ ON
HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF CARS APPROACH