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A car-free day to set green tone in Brussels
September 17, 2011, Saturday
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Brussels will free its streets of cars and heavy traffic tomorrow as it celebrates its 11th annual car-free day, marking a week when cities across Europe promote cycling and other green transport.
The seat of the European Union and home to environmental legislation for its 27 member states wants to encourage efforts to cut vehicle emissions and get citizens out on their feet.
While planners recognize that one day will not make much difference to the environment's bill of health, the event is supposed to create awareness that leads to change in the future.
But will it?
Brussels has held a car-free day each year since 2000 but was given an F-grade this year for progress in reducing "soot emissions" by the Soot-Free for the Climate campaign run by a group of German environmental and consumer associations.
Mirroring Brussels, the cities of London, Madrid and Rome were also given failing grades.
Berlin was among the best with a B, but none of the 17 cities assessed merited an A.
Brussels has also been dubbed the most congested European city by car navigation firm TomTom, though its blockages are nothing compared to parts of China. In 2010, drivers suffered a 97-kilometer traffic jam on a highway from Beijing to Mongolia that took days to escape.
Brussels and more than 1,900 other cities will bring "alternative mobility" experts together to discuss cycling infrastructure and behavioral changes during European Mobility Week, occurring now.
During the week, the Dutch Embassy in Brussels will be holding Orange Bike Days, which include expos, organized rides and workshops to encourage cycling, long a part of the Dutch national identity.
Roelof Wittink, director of the Dutch Cycling Embassy, said Brussels had some way to go to improve the lot of its cyclists.
"In Amsterdam we have segregated cycling facilities or we have situations where we have calmed down the car traffic so much that in fact cyclists feel at least equal to car drivers," he said.
Many bike riders in the Belgian capital would agree, but say there are still some things that need improvement.
"There is not enough respect for cyclists," said Mark Grassi, who rides his bicycle to work but said he struggles to find anywhere to park it safely.
Even the European commissioner for climate action, Denmark's Connie Hedegaard, finds cycling a bit stressful in the European capital.
When she lived in Copenhagen, she used to cycle 9 kilometers from her home to her ministry.
"Sometimes I do bike, but it is a very different experience. It is not ... relaxed," she said.
Her bike was even stolen one day despite being locked to a tree, she said.
Brussels wants cycling to make up 20 percent of transportation by 2020, up from the current 4 or 5 percent. EU-wide, about 7 percent of citizens cycle daily, according to a European Commission report.
Spain and Austria will take the lead in the Mobility Week effort this year, with the most cities participating – 627 and 446, respectively.
The seat of the European Union and home to environmental legislation for its 27 member states wants to encourage efforts to cut vehicle emissions and get citizens out on their feet.
While planners recognize that one day will not make much difference to the environment's bill of health, the event is supposed to create awareness that leads to change in the future.
But will it?
Brussels has held a car-free day each year since 2000 but was given an F-grade this year for progress in reducing "soot emissions" by the Soot-Free for the Climate campaign run by a group of German environmental and consumer associations.
Mirroring Brussels, the cities of London, Madrid and Rome were also given failing grades.
Berlin was among the best with a B, but none of the 17 cities assessed merited an A.
Brussels has also been dubbed the most congested European city by car navigation firm TomTom, though its blockages are nothing compared to parts of China. In 2010, drivers suffered a 97-kilometer traffic jam on a highway from Beijing to Mongolia that took days to escape.
Brussels and more than 1,900 other cities will bring "alternative mobility" experts together to discuss cycling infrastructure and behavioral changes during European Mobility Week, occurring now.
During the week, the Dutch Embassy in Brussels will be holding Orange Bike Days, which include expos, organized rides and workshops to encourage cycling, long a part of the Dutch national identity.
Roelof Wittink, director of the Dutch Cycling Embassy, said Brussels had some way to go to improve the lot of its cyclists.
"In Amsterdam we have segregated cycling facilities or we have situations where we have calmed down the car traffic so much that in fact cyclists feel at least equal to car drivers," he said.
Many bike riders in the Belgian capital would agree, but say there are still some things that need improvement.
"There is not enough respect for cyclists," said Mark Grassi, who rides his bicycle to work but said he struggles to find anywhere to park it safely.
Even the European commissioner for climate action, Denmark's Connie Hedegaard, finds cycling a bit stressful in the European capital.
When she lived in Copenhagen, she used to cycle 9 kilometers from her home to her ministry.
"Sometimes I do bike, but it is a very different experience. It is not ... relaxed," she said.
Her bike was even stolen one day despite being locked to a tree, she said.
Brussels wants cycling to make up 20 percent of transportation by 2020, up from the current 4 or 5 percent. EU-wide, about 7 percent of citizens cycle daily, according to a European Commission report.
Spain and Austria will take the lead in the Mobility Week effort this year, with the most cities participating – 627 and 446, respectively.
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