STOP PRESS: Report on activities
STOP PRESS: Report on activities
September 22 is European "In Town Without My Car" Day. Manchester Friends of the Earth were instrumental in getting things moving in the region by, with permission of Manchester City Council, holding a car-free festival on Exchange Street in 2001 and, last year, lobbying all the local authorities in the region to partake. In 2002, Manchester City Council closed Deansgate, Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council held a mini-festival on Great Underbank in the town centre with music and the launch of a walking route through the borough, Bury closed a road again with entertainment and information and Rochdale ran a led cycle ride in and around Heywood & Middleton townships. This year, September 22 falls on a Monday, and some local authorities are planning something for that day and others for the preceeding weekend. Here's the latest on who's doing what:
| Manchester are again closing Deansgate, but on the Sunday (11am-5pm), for an arts/crafts fair with local transport lobby groups, and on the Monday itself will be making the area around Albert Square car-free over the lunchtime period (noon-2pm), with the local eateries serving food to tables set out in the road.
Bury will turn the town's Market Place, with temporary road closures, over to a special event run around the theme of "In Town without My Car" on the Saturday (10am-4pm). Bury have worked consistently towards reducing reliance on the motor car and that has involved a variety of schemes, from the introduction of cycle lanes and routes, to enhancing public transport and encouraging more people to make use of it. This year, their staff will again be promoting the health and environmental benefits of alternative modes of travel to the car. At the same time, they will also show how space presently taken up by cars and parking could be enjoyed and appreciated if the dependency on vehicles was reduced. A host of activities are planned from a live radio show, street entertainment, street caf�s, and various information displays and stalls. |  Mark Hunter, Leader of Stockport council pictured at the 2002 In Town Without My Car Day in Stockport, getting the green light for his personal travel plans |
Across in Oldham, they are concentrating their attention on the seven partner organisations participating in the Oldham Personal Journey Planning Project, which includes two town centre based organisations (The Oldham College and Oldham Council). For non-public transport users the coucil intends to offer a personalised journey plan for their journey to and from work, as well as free tickets for public transport. But current bus users won't miss out, since Oldham council will be providing them with details of the multitude of different tickets that are available, to ensure they are making their money go further, as well as Personalised Travel Plans for requested journeys.
The more energetic that opt to cycle will receive a complimentary breakfast on arrival at their place of work. Oldham council are also considering giving a number of digital mileometers to say, the first twenty who register.
They hope this range of events will encourage individuals to use a more sustainable mode of transport on the day and for future subsequent journeys, which for Oldham council is the aim of In Town Without My Car Day.
Bolton has decided to support the event but not to hold its own road closure. They are awaiting confirmation of GMPTE's offer of free bus tickets so they can promote these throughout the borough on the day.
We've heard rumours that Rochdale will be closing the Espanade on Monday 22 September. Over in Stockport, no roads will be closed and the council will be encouraging employees to pledge to come into work on the day (22/9) by a sustainable manner, and if they wish to use public transport the council will give them a free ticket (subject to availability from GMPTE). The council also hope to launch their travel plan to co-incide with the day.
Tameside Hospital and Trafford council are each joining in with events each day during the week (no details available)
We understand that out of the remaining boroughs, Salford plans to hold an event but not to close any roads and that Wigan have had to abort plans for an environmental fair. Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive (GMPTE) will also be supporting the day and, via the local authorities, distributing free all-day all-services bus tickets to non-bus users for use on Monday 22 Sept only, and also free rail ranger tickets for general use; details should be appearing on buses, at bus stops and in the local media.
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