Tag: Car Free Day

Car Free Day: We’re reimagining streets for people, says Transport Convener

Councillor Scott Arthur, Transport and Environment Convener, writes about the opportunity to consider green, healthy ways to travel this Car Free Day:

Today we’re marking World Car Free Day, which is an opportunity to think about greener, healthier ways to travel for everyday journeys, and the benefits these can have for our quality of life and our capital.

Here in Edinburgh, we’re celebrating alternative modes of transport with everything from cycle training in Sighthill Park to nature storytelling at Bridgend Farm. In fact, there will be a whole month of events, coinciding with Love to Ride’s biking challenge, Cycle September, helping people to explore the benefits of walking, wheeling, cycling and travel by public transport.

Of course, it takes more than one day, or even a month, to change travel habits, and to make sure people feel safe and able to make the leap to new modes of transport.

In Edinburgh, we’ve committed to supporting safe, sustainable and fair travel as part of the City Mobility Plan to 2030. Transport is the largest producer of carbon emissions in Scotland, so if we are to reach our Net Zero 2030 targets, as well as reducing congestion, improving air quality and helping to encourage healthier lifestyles, we need to improve the way people move around, to and from the city.

Luckily, the wheels are already in motion. Across the city we’re implementing changes, small and large, which will help to deliver attractive, reliable and sustainable transport options.

Perhaps the most high-profile development in recent months has been the landmark completion of the Trams to Newhaven project, which is now providing a high capacity, low emission route to Leith’s densely populated heart.

In fact, our award-winning Edinburgh Trams and Lothian Buses services are the reason public transport in Edinburgh is so good – indeed, if you are on a bus in Edinburgh look out for Gary Black (Lothian Buses) and Thomas Gilhooley (East Coast Buses) – both won recognition as Scotland’s best bus drivers at the UK Bus Driver of the Year Competition. We want to continue to make these services even better and more reliable through the Public Transport Action Plan.

This is alongside ambitious plans to transform walking, wheeling and cycling routes connecting every corner of the city. Projects like City Centre West to East Link and Roseburn to Union Canal are already well underway and, on the horizon, George Street and First New Town, Meadows to George Street and West Edinburgh Link, amongst other exciting developments, will help boost the city economy and make a truly connected cycling and walking network a reality.

It’s about the way we manage the city too – strategies such as our review of parking will have a real impact on creating walkable streets, while road safety actions are helping people to feel confident to choose travel by foot, wheels or bike.

Work to create and enhance School Travel Plans for every school will address the barriers to children and families making active, healthy journeys. School Travel Plans are key, as I feel good habits start early in life. 

I know that for some people, particularly those with mobility issues, travel by car is the only option and we don’t want to stop that. In fact, many of the measures we’re working to introduce will free up space for those who really need it, while creating welcoming places for people of all abilities.

This Car Free Day, we’ll be joining towns and cities around the world in reimagining our streets for people.

Leave your car at home for Edinburgh’s World Car Free Day

CAPITAL RESCHEDULES CAR FREE DAY EVENT TO SUNDAY 2nd OCTOBER

Edinburgh is set to join over 2,000 cities across the globe in celebrating World Car Free Day, a free, community focused event being organised by Crexcell, and supported by The City of Edinburgh Council.

As a mark of respect following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, Edinburgh’s Car Free Day has been postponed (from the official date of Thursday 22nd September), and will now be staged on Waverley Bridge, on Sunday 2nd October 2022, between 11:00 to 19:00.

Waverley Bridge, in the city centre, will be transformed into an inclusive community hub of information, inspiration and activity encouraging people to consider alternatives to car travel in Edinburgh. The city’s public transport operators, bike and environmental campaigners, active travel and public safety organisations are all set to take part. 

The City of Edinburgh Council has set a target to reduce distances that Edinburgh residents travel by car by 30% over the next decade, as well as achieving Net Zero status by 2030.

With transport being one of the biggest carbon emission contributors, Edinburgh’s World Car Free Day event will encourage people to consider more sustainable alternative transport for their everyday journeys. 

It will raise awareness of the more sustainable modes of transport available across the city, promote the health and wellbeing benefits of active travel, and offer the essential information and support people need to commit to long term change.

Among those already signed up to attend are Lothian Buses and Edinburgh Trams, who play a significant role in reducing reliance on more carbon intense forms of transport by providing a quick, convenient and reliable alternative to driving.  

Members of the team will be at Waverley Bridge to chat about their services within the city, including Park and Ride options, and the vast opportunities for – and the benefits of using – public transport. 

Police Scotland will offer support to cyclists and walkers with cycle security advice, personal safety, bike marking and general crime prevention when moving around the city.

The Bike Station, which inspires new cyclists by selling reliable and affordable upcycled bikes, will be on hand to offer bike safety checks and bikes to try out.  The team will also have information on safe cycle routes throughout the city, and bike to work and cycle friendly employer schemes.

There will also be a hosted reception and information point, additional bike parking, a wellbeing area with health and fitness demonstrations and classes, and a chill out zone.  Local singers and bands including Sara Forshaw, Folk Drama, and The Wispz will provide the musical entertainment throughout the day.

World Car Free Day is a worldwide initiative to encourage motorists to reset how they think about travel and use more sustainable transport. 

It also promotes improvement of public transport, cycling and walking, and the development of healthier, greener neighbourhoods where jobs are closer to home and where shopping is within a short walk, wheel or cycle from home.

Councillor Scott Arthur, Transport and Environment Convener for The City of Edinburgh Council, said:  “Choosing more sustainable modes of transport, like bus, tram, bike or walking over the car not only benefits the world around us, but can have a really positive impact on our health and quality of life.

“Car Free Day gives us the chance to really focus on these benefits, and to help people consider how they might try alternative ways to travel.

“The Council has set some ambitious goals to reduce car kms travelled by 30% in the next decade, as well as delivering on our 20-minute neighbourhood vision to enable a net zero Edinburgh where everyone can live well locally.

“We need to rethink the way we move around the city to meet these targets. I would encourage people to come along on 2nd October to find out more about the different ways we can travel around the capital.”

Edinburgh’s ten-year City Mobility Plan aims to transform the way we move around the city, reducing emissions, positively impacting public health and tackling congestion amongst other benefits.

Actions include projects like City Centre Transformation, Trams to Newhaven, George Street and First New Town, 20-Minute Neighbourhoods and the extension of 20mph speed limits, as well as behaviour change initiatives and seamless public transport ticketing.

Find out more on the Council’s Future Edinburgh web pages.

Neil Booth, Edinburgh Trams’ Safety Manager (Environment), commented: “Car-free days provide a massive opportunity for cities to raise awareness of how pollution affects our lives, and highlight how congested roads can be used in different ways.

“At Edinburgh Trams we are fully committed to helping to make Edinburgh healthier, safer and more attractive for both residents and visitors by providing a quick, convenient and reliable alternative to driving into the city centre.”

Car Free Day: Campaigners call for action on traffic

Environmental campaigners say that all councils in Scotland should be working to reduce the numbers of cars on the road, as people across the country celebrate Car Free Day.

Today (22 September) is Car Free Day – an annual event to highlight how neighbourhoods and communities could be improved with fewer vehicles on the road. Today and over the weekend, there’ll be events across Scotland as grassroots groups and councils try to raise awareness of the alternatives to car use.

Fewer cars can create stronger economies and communities by boosting small businesses and local high streets, and improving public health. Air pollution primarily from traffic is responsible for 2,500 premature deaths in Scotland every year.

To coincide with Car Free Day:

+ Glasgow City Council has introduced ‘Street Play’, where residents can close streets from 22-25 September to host parties, workshops and cycling classes
+ City of Edinburgh Council will close Waverley Bridge to hold events on it (above)
+ Dundee has its first Kidical Mass ride, protecting children cycling in areas with no segregated cycle lanes. This is one of over 200 Kidical Mass rides across Europe this weekend

New research launched by the Clean Cities Campaign found that 62% of people support the idea of one car-free day a week, to open the streets to walking and cycling and improve air quality. If this was implemented in major European cities, it could save between 541,000- 945,000 barrels of oil per year.

The Scottish Government has pledged to reduce total car km travelled by 20% by 2030. A final plan will be published on how to achieve this before the end of the year.

Gavin Thomson, transport campaigner at Friends of the Earth Scotland, said: “Transport is Scotland’s biggest source of climate emissions, it’s creating dangerous levels of air pollution and it’s costing people far too much money. It needs to change.

“This Car Free Day, there’ll be street parties and bike rides and community-building activities that aren’t possible if our towns and cities are filled with cars. When we remove cars, like on streets that become pedestrianised, we open up public space for communities and businesses.

“The Scottish Government has committed to reducing car travel by 20%, but we’ve yet to see any detail on how they will deliver this. It’s clear that our cities should be limiting cars, opening up space for communities. A regular car free day in cities would be a great idea.”