Don’t miss European Mobility and Road Safety Week. Organised from the 16th to the 22nd September by the European Commission, this awareness-raising operation hopes to create new habits in terms of sustainable journeys. This is a good opportunity to take stock of initiatives and new mobility practices.
European Mobility Week is the most important international event dedicated to urban sustainable mobility.
More than 1,100 cities in Europe will participate in the different events aiming to raise the population’s awareness about environmentally friendly transport. And, from now on, certain non-European countries, such as Argentina, Japan and Taiwan, will also be taking part in this initiative; its success is increasingly recognised on an international level.
The aim of the European Mobility and Road Safety Week is to encourage citizens to use public transport, use bicycles or walk on a daily basis. From a long-term perspective, it is also a question of encouraging the participating cities to develop sustainable initiatives and infrastructures in terms of eco-mobility.
The Directorate-General for the Environment at the European Commission financially supports this event and awards an annual prize to the best programme in favour of sustainable development. Gävle in Sweden (2009) and Budapest in Hungary (2008) won the previous prizes.
Mobility Week was born in 2000 from the Europe-wide implementation of "Car Free Day". At the time, it involved reserving the use of streets and roads for the sole use of pedestrians and cyclists for a day. In 2002, the initiative expanded in scale, becoming “European Sustainable Mobility Week”.
The theme chosen for 2010 emphasises the close link between health and sustainable mobility. In choosing the slogan " Travel better, live smarter ", the organisers are stressing the positive impact of sustainable mobility (on foot, by bicycle, or using public transport) on public health.
Travel better together
In France, every year, the Ministry of Ecology, Energy, Sustainable Development and the Sea, in partnership with Ademe, organises and co-ordinates Mobility Week .
Since 2009, it has been taking place at the same time as Road Safety Week , with a shared target: “Travel better together”. A call for projects has been launched in order to invite local authorities, businesses, associations, public services and schools to organise events linked to the promotion of sustainable transport and the prevention of road accidents.
The schedule for 2010 promotes the main alternatives to the car, with days dedicated to the new trends in eco-mobility such as car pooling, the bicycle, electric mobility and reserved-lane public transport. Emphasis will be put on the World Car Free Day , which will close this week on the 22nd September. Don’t miss it!
