Day without car

Since the creation of the event to the international level in 1998, the day without car aims at all over the world trying out a day of closing of the city to the cars. This event attracted a growing number of cities with a maximum number into 2005 of almost 1500. In 2006, the full number decreased while implying new participating cities.

The first official demonstration took place in June 1996 in the town of Reykjavík (Iceland) where the authorities organized one day without car in the capital. For France, La Rochelle, was the first, on September 9th, 1997, to hold its downtown area with the pedestrians, rollers, bicycles, tandems, skate-boards…

The initiative was launched officially at the European level in 1998 and fits then in the “ Semaine of the mobility ”, which presents a different set of themes each year: for example the Climate change for the year 2006.

This day is for the Piéton S, the cyclists and public transport the occasion to adapt the urban space. In certain countries, like Belgium, only the cars whose drivers have an exemption can circulate.

The idea to locate this day at fixed date, the September 22nd often seems to yield in front of the difficulties of organizing it one day of week in the big cities. According to the environmental organizations, it would be however interesting to try out the alternatives suggested in true size to test feasibility of it.

Certain countries or cities organize this day saturdays or Sunday preceding on September 22nd: for example, the towns of Brussels and Antwerp (in Belgium) organize it Sunday…

Since the creation of the Week of mobility in France the " day without my voiture" disappeared as such. Collectives cyclists whose Vélorution wishes to make revive this day by organizing each September 22nd of the gyratory demonstrations in several big cities of France. In Paris, in 2006, this demonstration showed the arrest by the police force of 60 cyclists.

Some assessments

In 2002, on Sunday, September 22 saw 1353 towns of 37 European countries and four Canadian cities to take part officially.

In 2003, a thousand of cities take part. Apart from Europe, let us announce Buenos Aires, Montreal, Taipei, and ten cities of Brazil which takes part in the operation.

In 2004, nearly 1500 cities in forty country mobilized themselves including 450 in Spain.

In 2005, the day without car relates to 1452 cities in the world and relates to a good hundred million townsmen including 70 million in Europe.

In 2006, on Wednesday, September 22, 1279 cities fitted officially in forty country. One notes a certain fall in certain countries like France and Belgium, but of new countries are registered such as for example: Bulgaria, Croatia, the old Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, of Serbia and Romania.

In 2007, the day without cars seems replaced by one day to support the use of public transport (valid ticket all the day with 1€), the city of the La Rochelle only decides to make the day without cars on October 5th, 2007, 2 weeks after the week of mobility.

Random links: