Yesterday I went to Car-Free Day in Vancouver for the first time. The day was a great mix of fearless dancing, playful kids, music, and street vendors. And we didn’t have to worry about being run over by a car.
The Commercial Drive Festival (in East Vancouver) launched the first community-driven car-free festival in 2005. The event was run completely by 30 core oraganizers and 300 volunteers with 25,000 people partying on the street.
As more people attended the following years, organizers initiated the first annual Car-Free Vancouver day in June 2008 in their “evolution toward healthy communities, authentic cultural celebrations, and car-free streets.”
These events are supported by many citizens, The City of Vancouver, staff, and election officials. .
I just finished reading Do the Right Thing and one of the many useful tips James Hoggan shares is, “People are likely to change behaviour if they think they are working in a community of like-minded individuals.”
We can learn a lot from successes of other efficient transportation systems around the world. While our infrastructure is not nearly as sophisticated as other places, we can and must demand a more sustainable and efficient transit system in Vancouver with more bike lanes, pedestrian walkways, and cleaner buses.
Better Environmentally Sound Transportation (BEST) and its government partners are about to open the Central Valley Greenway on June 27. The 24-kilometre pathway will accommodate cycling, jogging, walking, wheelchairs, skateboarding and blading.
BEST received the $1 million Vancity award in 2001 for the project and soon it will be open for all of us to use.
I have been rollerblading around Vancouver at least once a week. The seawall, bike lanes, and pedestrian walkways are filled with a variety of people. I see families, couples, excessively fit people, and people trying to impress their partner. Healthy public spaces is a right for everyone.
We have the liberty to demand services from politicians and the tools to work together to enhance our communities. Let’s use them.
What you can do
- Use the bike lanes and pedestrian walkways to show the need for these spaces
- Voice your opinion on TransLink in Be Part of the Plan
- Write letters to the editor in your community paper about transit in your area
- Get involved with organizations like BEST and the Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition
Car-Free Vancouver Day 2009
Main Street, Vancouver
Party on the Streets!
What a skill!
Bike valet
It's beginning to look a lot like Europe
The dance party
Got a full detox just from one fruit cup
