CarFreeDay.ca
Title
Car Free Day Canada
Description
International Car Free Day is an annual event celebrated by 100 million people on every continent and supported by the European Union, the United Nations, the Government of Canada and the leaders of 1500 cities around the world.
Car Free Day street events and forums highlight the many problems caused by our dependence on the private automobile, including air pollution, global warming, stress, and safety issues. It emphasizes the rights of pedestrians and cyclists, the need for more and better public transit, and helps people rediscover their local community, outside the confines of their vehicle.
European Origins
The "In town without my car!" event, organised for the first time in France in 1998, was established as a European initiative by the European Commissioner for Environment Margot Wallström in the year 2000. It is an opportunity for all participating cities to show how matters related to the environment concern them. Presenting our urban centres in a different light for one day by restricting motorised traffic in certain areas, encouraging the use of sustainable modes of transport and raising awareness for the environmental impacts of citizens' modal choice, are the key types of actions implemented by the local authorities. 760 cities and towns involved in 2000, 1005 in 2001 and 1448 in 2002 and 2003 reveal the success of this pan-European event.
