Between the 16th and 22nd September, various events will be organised all over France on the theme of Mobility Week.
Just like every year, the goal is to question citizens regarding their means of transport and, above all, to promote alternatives to the private car (such as public transport, cycling and walking) or to improve its use (using, for example, carpooling).
Above and beyond the actual events taking place, it’s also about encouraging citizens to adopt, on a daily basis, behaviour that is both more environmentally friendly and more respectful of others while travelling, particularly in towns.
For the 2011 edition, the theme chosen in France is “digital technology in the service of mobility” or, in other words, how to use digital applications to limit traffic in towns.
In fact, several websites and mobile applications can facilitate journeys for people. For example, geolocation systems can localise the closest bicycle and car rental facilities, and applications allow you to buy bus or tram tickets via your mobile phone, like in Marseille, Nice or Grenoble.
Secondary themes have also been chosen, such as the beneficial health effects of soft means of transport, energy efficiency and sharing the road in terms of safety for all.
In terms of local authorities, we can cite the launch of certain useful and original initiatives, such as the “Pass Mobilité” (Mobility Pass) in the Chambéry Métropole agglomeration community, which, for a mere euro, lets you travel across the entire public transport network and rent bicycles as much as you want throughout the week.
“Home-workplace’ journeys are particularly targeted in the Côte d’Or region, with a ‘Going to work without my car’ competition, which will award the companies and establishments with the greatest number or employees having travelled to work by means other than the car. In Angoulême, the local authority has decided to promote “carapattes” (like a school bus but involving parents collecting children from their homes and walking them to school.).
Near Angers, the commune of Trélazé is running the “Une semaine à pied” (“A week on foot”) event, asking its inhabitants to leave their cars in the garage for a week and to walk instead for their journeys in town. Pedometers will be given to volunteers so that they can measure the distances covered.
In Villeurbanne, the “Pignon sur Rue” association is organising a second-hand bike sale on Saturday 24th September from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.
In a certain number of towns and through cooperation schemes between municipalities, bus tickets will be available for €1 or even free of charge on certain days (for example, buses on the “Cotra” network in Angers and the TCA network in Ajaccio are free on the 15th September,). In the Saint-Etienne agglomeration community, the tramway will be free of charge on the 17th September. This is a tramway which just keeps on going and going…. it will have 130 candles on its birthday cake this year!
Mobility Week is a European event dating back to 2002, when it was initiated by Margot Wallström, then European Commissioner for the Environment.
This year, over 1, 200 towns across the continent are taking part.
Sources
European:
http://www.agissons.developpement-durable.gouv.fr/
Regional:
http://www.chambery-metropole.fr/3680-bus-velo-1-.htm
http://www.angouleme.fr/spip.php?article2081
http://www.angersloiremetropole.fr/infos-pratiques/mobilites/semaine-de-la-mobilite/
http://www.grandlyon.com/Info.1164+M58d36f680ad.0.html
http://www.region-bourgogne.fr/Au-travail-sans-ma-voiture,43,5901
http://www.agglo-st-etienne.fr/agglomag/actualites/article/semaine-de-la-mobilite-2011/retour/171/
Alexis Vernier is the blog manager of http://ecoloptimiste.over-blog.com/
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