19/9/2011, European Cycling Federation
European Mobility Week
Learning to live without a car may sound like an easy task for the
everyday cyclist, but it can be daunting for those that rely on the four
wheels and a steering wheel. Brussels and more than 1,900 other cities
are promoting alternative forms of mobility, and the bicycle is playing a
huge role.
From the wacky and strange in Austria, with cyclist’s being given the chance to marry their bicycles, to more policy oriented discussions in Brussels, citizens are being given a week to try other ways of getting round the city.
Emissions from the transport sector are increasing in Europe,
and leaders and decision makers need to start thinking of green
alternatives. Two wheels are starting to sound very attractive.
The European Mobility Week
is an awareness raising campaign aiming at sensibilising citizens to
the use of public transport, cycling, walking and at encouraging
European cities to promote these modes of transport and to invest in the
new necessary infrastructures.
From 16 to 22 September 2011 the Mobility Week is the opportunity for European cities and towns to participate to the most widespread event on sustainable mobility.
The overall aim of the European Mobility Week campaign is to encourage public awareness of the need to act against pollution caused by the increase in motorised traffic in the urban environment. In fact, it is not just a question of fighting atmospheric pollution or noise but also of improving the quality of urban life.
Accordingly, that operation is centred on three types of measures, designed to:
It is an opportunity for all the participating cities and towns
to show how much environmental issues concern them. The operation will
allow them to express themselves on the matter and at the same time give
citizens an opportunity to show their support by their interest and
involvement, for measures for a better quality of life
in the urban environment. Because to offer everyone an alternative
means of getting around, necessarily entails rethinking the
apportionment of the highways. Therefore, the European Mobility Week
is a unique moment in the year when the elected town councillors can
test their transport policies and present them to the citizens.
In its 2009’s Action Plan on Urban Mobility, the European Commission presented the European Mobility Week as one of those sustainable mobility campaigns that "play an important role in the creation of a new culture for urban mobility". The Commission will continue to support the campaign and contribute to its further development.