The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has announced that 12 miles (20km) of roads will be closed to cars in Central London on September 22. Boroughs will also hold events promoting walking, cycling and public transport. “I encourage as many Londoners as possible to join in the fun and see the city from a different perspective,” said Khan.
World Car-Free Day takes place every year on or around September 22. When Paris first had a car-free day in 2015, Airparif, which measures city pollution levels, said levels of nitrogen dioxide dropped by up to 40 per cent in parts of the city, while there was almost one-third less nitrogen dioxide pollution on the Champs Elyées compared to a similar Sunday.
The Guardian reports that this year in London roads will be closed around London Bridge, Tower Bridge and across much of the City of London.
“London is leading the way in innovative measures to improve air pollution and I want this year’s Car Free Day events to be the best of any world city," said Khan.
"This will be a great opportunity for us all to leave our cars behind and explore our streets by foot, or by bike.
"We’ve called our range of events ‘Reimagine’ so that Londoners get an idea of what some of the busiest parts of our city would be like without cars and traffic.”
Areeba Hamid of Greenpeace UK said: “It’s exciting to see London adopting the idea of having a car-free day, something great cities across the world from Paris to Bogotá have been giving a try … Reducing toxic air pollution and carbon emissions are vital, but they are far from the only benefit of reclaiming our streets.”
Dr Audrey de Nazelle, an academic at the Centre for Environmental Policy at Imperial College London, said: “Being aware of the scale of air pollution health problems is not enough. Actually living the joys of a car-free or carless city will do much more to create a positive vision of what a future healthy London could be like.”
The British Medical Association (BMA) has written to Khan, urging him to go further. As well as urging him to bring forward the expansion of London’s ultra-low emission zone (ULEZ) the doctors’ union suggests creating a network of arterial routes only open to "green" forms of public transport.
“Taking action in this way not only helps to decrease levels of pollution, but also provides an opportunity to improve the health and fitness of Londoners through encouraging active travel, such as walking and cycling.”
The thing is, they have said that (well, the first bit) in response to similar petitions over the years. Which makes it all the more bizarre that...
I mean the fundamental point on cyclists speeding is surely one of physics....
"He may be obsessed with braking power and fast cornering in the wet at his day job"...
Just got another one. Now that drivers realise that if I'm on a flatish road in a 20mph speed limit I might actually be doing more than 20mph...
I'm guessing according to Mr Chapps the driver wasn't displaying number plates, wasn't insured.......
A moving tribute Matt. A lovely bloke and a one-off human being. Once met, never forgotten.
Good use by witness of the word "kerfuffle", though placed alongside "carnage" and two men with axes, I don't know if it is an entirely appropriate...
While North Wales are the exact opposite, they love their A Frames.
But Campag is at its most beautiful when it is fully shiny.
Does anyone know when the patents expire on the old top of the line 9 speed Campy and Shimano groupsets? Asking for a friend!...