# Day Without Cars



## adrimm (Dec 17, 2006)

Tommorow on Feb 1st, 2007, drivers in a city of 7 million people will park their cars and take bus rapid transit (transmilenio), regular buses, bikes, cabs, and their feet to get around for the day. It is estimated there will be over 1 million _fewer_ vehicles on the road.

Its the 9th celebration of Dia Sin Carros, Day without Cars, in Bogota, Colombia. Residents voted 63% in favour of an annual car-free day back in 2000 and the tradition is going strong. This is a small part of what won Bogota the Stockholm Challenge in 2000, for revultionary innovation in transportation - It helps people explore transportation alternatives as well as clear the air. 

http://www.transitobogota.gov.co/contenido.asp?plantilla=1&pag_id=1309&pub_id=665&cat_id=229










Here's to inspiration!

Does your City celebrate a Car-Free day? Most cities who do, do it on September 22. Tell the forum about it. How do most people get around?


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

Yes - 9/22 : http://skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=437144


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## Yardmaster (Jun 1, 2004)

sounds likea great idea. Most of my days are carless, apart from dodging the traffic on the pedestrian crossing. Can't see how public transport would cope with this here though.


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## Maxx☢Power (Nov 16, 2005)

Rome and other cities in Italy just did the same thing too:

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/01/28/europe/EU-GEN-Italy-Car-Free-Cities.php

I don't think it's an annual tradition though. They just needed a break to get some air.


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## ChrisZwolle (May 7, 2006)

We had it years ago on sundays, but i'm happy these nonsense doesn't exist anymore.


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## adrimm (Dec 17, 2006)

Yardmaster said:


> sounds likea great idea. Most of my days are carless, apart from dodging the traffic on the pedestrian crossing. Can't see how public transport would cope with this here though.


I'm carless too, and my QOL suffers for it (on the recreational side). That's where Bogota has a leg up, between their BRT (Transmilenio), regular buses, and taxis they've just about got it covered for *everyone*. They also have a really extensive bike lane network, but even though the city is relatively flat, and the climate temperate people don't seem to take to biking.

I don't think that most (any) cities in North America would be able to pull it off either becuase of the inadequacy of public transit... life would just shut down.










Assessment of Transmilenio applicability to US cities - US Transportation Research Board http://www.trb.org/news/blurb_detail.asp?id=6340


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## SaRaJeVo-City (Dec 6, 2004)

I saw something like this in Israel not long ago..


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## Yardmaster (Jun 1, 2004)

adrimm said:


> I'm carless too, and my QOL suffers for it (on the recreational side). That's where Bogota has a leg up, between their BRT (Transmilenio), regular buses, and taxis they've just about got it covered for *everyone*. They also have a really extensive bike lane network, but even though the city is relatively flat, and the climate temperate people don't seem to take to biking.
> 
> I don't think that most (any) cities in North America would be able to pull it off either becuase of the inadequacy of public transit... life would just shut down.
> 
> ...


Great photos! actually not driving a car is good for your QOL: for a start my cardio-vascular system is much better than most of my contemporaries.


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## wcgokul (Dec 27, 2005)

i wish something like this happened in india.....


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## gladisimo (Dec 11, 2006)

I live my weekdays without cars now. I miss it =( Almost impossible to get around without a car in California.


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## I-275westcoastfl (Feb 15, 2005)

In florida i dont think anyone would do it, I like my car too much.


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## adrimm (Dec 17, 2006)

It's one day of the year - chage is good donkey!

But soo useful.The estimate that this year there were 1.4 million fewer cars on the road, fewer accidents, and a 15% increase in speeds for commercial traffic, plus of course the obvious improvements in air quality etc. 

My weekday commutes to work are far easier without a vehicle (I bike in), but evening outings and weekend camping gets to be a bit more challenging. Buses where I am aren't so great... I guess that is why I think it is so inspiring that this Bogota's transit can actually take on the extra people when people have to leave their cars at home... they didn't even have a proper transit system 10 years ago.


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## adrimm (Dec 17, 2006)

Chris1491 said:


> We had it years ago on sundays, but i'm happy these nonsense doesn't exist anymore.


LOL.....they also block off roads every sunday in Bogota to get people out biking, maybe they got the idea from the NL? cars are still allowed, but the roads aren't all open.










It's called Cyclovia http://walkandbikeforlife.com/_wsn/page10.html


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## adrimm (Dec 17, 2006)

Yardmaster said:


> Great photos! actually not driving a car is good for your QOL: for a start my cardio-vascular system is much better than most of my contemporaries.


Thanks  But one can only bike so far and take so much with them I don't mind it in the daytime, but it would be nice to actually have more non-car options for evenings & weekends..


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## isaidso (Mar 21, 2007)

This is great. Alot of people talk about being responsible and not dirtying the planet, but when you ask them to walk/bike they aggressively fight it. Good job Bogota and all the other cities that don't just talk about it, but walk the walk.


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## Xusein (Sep 27, 2005)

Great idea.

However, it just would not be feasable here.


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## isaidso (Mar 21, 2007)

TenRot: there aren't alot of places in North America that would manage very well without a car. Millions have chosen to live in isolated suburbs where a trip to the store would take an hour walk along a highway. In my city, a huge chunk of the population have bought homes miles from their jobs, stores, etc. It's an absurdity that we are all paying for dearly. These people really should pay a massive tax for their footprint on the planet if they aren't willing to walk/bike/take transit.

Is Hartford mostly suburban in design? (built for cars instead of people)


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## eusebius (Jan 5, 2004)

It's not as if in the NL entire cities become car-free for one day, just parts of them do.


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## Küsel (Sep 16, 2004)

We had that already nation-wide in the 70s. I remember well as a kid as we were "hiking" and biking on the motorways on sundays


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## Xusein (Sep 27, 2005)

isaidso said:


> TenRot: there aren't alot of places in North America that would manage very well without a car. Millions have chosen to live in isolated suburbs where a trip to the store would take an hour walk along a highway. In my city, a huge chunk of the population have bought homes miles from their jobs, stores, etc. It's an absurdity that we are all paying for dearly. These people really should pay a massive tax for their footprint on the planet if they aren't willing to walk/bike/take transit.
> 
> Is Hartford mostly suburban in design? (built for cars instead of people)


I agree.

Hartford is OK, it's not the most pedestrian-friendly place, but you can survive without a car if you are willing to take the bus system here. Plenty here survive without a car...about 36% of households in the city don't own a car. The city is pretty small in size, so it's also walkable.

The downside is that the rest of the metro area is basically impossible to live in without a car. Only 3% of the metro area (Hartford only makes about 10%) uses public transport, and the percentage of walking and biking is lower. Like most of the US, the suburbs were built for cars and not for us. hno:


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## LMCA1990 (Jun 18, 2005)

Plus, Bogota began something called "Pico y Placa". It gives a group of cars by the 1st license plate number a time frame they can't drive in and if they do, they get a ticket. This is only Monday through Fridays and only applies to regular vehicles (not commercial). All of Colombia has this now and it has brought CO2 emissions among the lowest in the Americas ad it helps to keep gas prices down.

This is Cali's (where I live) Pico y Placa:

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
7 & 8--9 & 0--1 & 2----3 & 4--5 & 6
Time unable to drive
Morning: 7:00 - 10:00 am Afternoon: 5:00 - 8:00 pm


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## hix (Jun 11, 2006)

> Pedal power reigns in Brussels on car-free day
> BRUSSELS (AFP) Sep 21, 2003
> Bicyclists, skateboarders and pedestrians had the run of Brussels Sunday as part of a Europe-wide initiative to reclaim city streets from cars.
> 
> ...


Cince 2003 the entire city (161 km²) is once a year - in september - carfree. Most other cities in Belgium also particpate, it's a great day for me.


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## KB (Feb 22, 2006)

Is it a public holiday on that day?


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## hix (Jun 11, 2006)

kbboy said:


> Is it a public holiday on that day?


No, it's just a sunday in september.


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