Cycling Advocates Network (CAN) is calling on all cyclists to hit the roads on Tuesday 22nd September 2009 as part of a global event where people take a holiday from their cars. CAN calls on people to go by cycle, foot, bus or train instead of driving - starting with just this one day.
Since its earliest incarnations in the 1970s and ‘80s, World Carfree Day has grown into a massive global celebration of human-centric communities and people-powered transportation. The day reminds people that cycling is healthy, convenient, quick, cheap, stylish, very social and lots of fun. World Carfree Day 2009 could turn out to be the biggest yet.
As the world tunes in to the fact that the climate is heating up, this is the perfect opportunity to take the heat off the planet, and put it on city planners and politicians to give priority to cycling, walking and public transport, instead of oil-hungry automobiles.
In New Zealand, cycling on World Carfree Day also shows how many Kiwis would welcome the chance to ride the Great New Zealand Cycle Way and use its related amenities. It’s a show of strength for cycling.
So go carfree on Tuesday 22nd September, and then carry on being carfree in your everyday life. Let's make the World Carfree Day a showcase for just how our cities might look, feel, and sound without cars – 365 days a year.
