This had some interesting bits, including that someone from Wisconsin
Dells won a couple of awards for street conversion designs.
WORLD CARFREE NEWS >>>
Edition no. 37 - November 2006 - English version
QUOTATION OF THE MONTH >>
"At the age of 27, I still can't drive. I find it very annoying when
car- dependant friends and family keep on asking me when I am going to
learn (never!). But they usually shut up when I point out that I never
have to find a parking space."
- Helen, Bristol, UK, responding to the BBC article "Any Way Out of
Parking Hell?"
IN THE NEWS >>
- On October 31, Moscow traffic was so bad that football [soccer]
players from the city's premier club had to abandon their bus, run
among the cars and into the nearest metro station in order to make
their game. The metro staff kindly let the players pass through without
paying. "I was afraid that we would lose some of our players because
most of them probably have never used the metro before and could have
got lost there," said Spartak's coach Vladimir Fedotov. "I had to chase
after everyone and make sure no one was left behind." [Telegraph.co.uk]
- From July to September, the Ford Motor Company lost US$5.8 billion.
As a result, in the last three months of the year they will produce
168,000 fewer cars than planned. [Detroit Free Press]
- World Carfree Network is considering changing its famed "One Less
Car" sticker to "168,000 Less Cars."
- According to a University of Illinois study, four billion more litres
of gas [petrol] are burned each year in the U.S. compared to 1960,
simply because Americans are getting fatter. [Local6.com]
- At an automobile show in Santiago, Chile, contestants vied for who
could kiss a car the longest. [Der Spiegel]
- New York residents who live on traffic-heavy streets do not have many
friends, in comparison to people living on quiet streets, says
Transportation Alternatives in its study "Traffic's Human Toll."
[submitted by Ryan Lanyon]
- The "Apocalipses motorizado" (Motorised Apocalypse) blog has been
nominated by Deutsche Welle Weblog Awards for the best
Portuguese language weblog. Cast your vote here:
<http://www.thebobs.com>.
- It is now illegal to drive vehicles on the Great Wall of China.
[International Herald Tribune]
- For anyone over 16 years of age, it is now legal to drive an
electric-assist bicycle on roads in Ontario, Canada. [Evco.ca]
- Banners were hung off bridges across the M1 Motorway from Luton to
Sheffield, UK, in protest at government plans to widen the motorway at
a cost of EUR 5.6 billion. Community groups along the motorway length
are working together. See <http://www.nowideningm1.org.uk/>. [Road
Block]
- Thanks to the Ecotopia Biketour, Yerevan, Armenia, held its first
ever Critical Mass and Right to Walk event on October 22. [submitted by
Roeland Kuijper]
- Although the much-anticipated Budapest Critical Mass was cancelled in
September due to political unrest, this did not stop towns and cities
throughout the country from holding their own Critical Masses,
including Gyor (600 riders) and Pecs (700 riders). [submitted by Justin
Hyatt]
- Between 1997 and 2002, the eight Kuwaiti diplomats in New York
incurred 246 parking violations each. Meanwhile, the US Embassy in
London owes GBP 891,000 for its continuing refusal to pay the
congestion charge.[Boingboing.net]
- The 85 Ministers of the European Parliament have cars with carbon
dioxide emission levels on par with the worst polluting SUV. [T&E
September Bulletin]
- Sixty-three percent of Amsterdam residents are in favour of a carfree
area within the 72 square kilometre area of the ring road.
[Nieuwsuitamsterdam.nl]
- While constructing a multi-story car park under the Vatican, a Roman
burial site was discovered. In those times, families would have a
picnic around the grave and pour milk or honey down terracotta pipes to
feed their dead relatives. The unearthed burial site is now surrounded
by the half-completed car park. [BBC News]
- In a speech to UNESCO on October 7, Vietnamese Zen Master Thich Nhat
Hanh called for weekly "No Car Days": "We do not have
to sink into despair about global warming," he said. "We can act. I ask
UNESCO and its member nations to mobilise for global No Car Days for
the whole planet."
- European auto manufacturers are nowhere near meeting their voluntary
carbon dioxide emission agreements of 120 g/km by 2012. The European
Commission is calling for legislation [T&E October Bulletin].
WORLD CARFREE NETWORK ANNOUNCEMENTS >>
CARBUSTERS CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
Last chance to submit to Carbusters magazine! Issue #29 is in
production but it's not too late to contribute photos, news items,
letters to the editors, comics, and articles. We are particularly
interested in documentation of carfree day events and street
reclamation actions. Send your content to <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>. For
submission guidelines, see <http://www.carbusters.org/submissions>.
STREET CONVERSION DESIGN COMPETITION - WINNERS ANNOUNCED
On September 22, World Carfree Network held an international Street
Conversion Design Competition, at the conference in Bogota, Colombia.
Submitted designs strove to transform streets into lively spaces free
of traffic. The winners were chosen by a panel of judges, made up of
participants in our international exchange "Together to Revitalise our
Urban Environment" (TRUE). Lloyd Wright, a consultant in carfree
development, based in Quito, Ecuador, facilitated the judging.
In the parking space category, the winners were (1) Linda Kellner-
Miller of Wisconsin Dells (WI), USA, (2) Vera Szabadkai of Budapest,
Hungary, and (3) Michel Meunier of Paris, France.
In the street segment category, the winners were (1) Brian Smith of
San Francisco (CA), USA, (2) Sara Stout, of Portland (OR), USA, and (3)
Linda Kellner-Miller of Wisconsin Dells (WI), USA.
In the intersection category, the winners were (1) Justin Hyatt of
Budapest, Hungary, (2) members of Zold Fiatalok (collaborative effort)
of Budapest, Hungary, and (3) Randall Ghent from the World Carfree
Network office in Prague, Czech Republic.
The upcoming issue of Carbusters will feature the winning
submissions.
CARFREE UK - ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
Carfree UK's first Annual General Meeting will be held on December 2 in
London. If you are interested in participating, e-mail
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>. Information about Carfree UK can be found at
http://www.carfree.org.uk/>.
GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS >>
GREEN.TV
Green.tv is a new broadband TV station that provides a platform and
audience for films about environmental issues. Launched five months ago
in partnership with UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme),
Green.tv currently features over 200 films, including four car-related
films.
SAVE TITNORE WOODS
The road protest camp at Titnore Woods in the UK is protecting an
ancient woodland (dating from the ice age) from road widening and a new
housing estate, including 875 houses and a Tesco hypermarket. The camp
is going well, but inhabitants could be evicted at any time. To find
out more and offer support, visit
<http://www.protectourwoodland.co.uk>.
BICYCLE TRIBES ON THE BIG SCREEN - MILAN, ITALY, DECEMBER 1-3
Associazione +bc, a WCN member group, brings the Bicycle Film Festival
to Milan. The festival is an important part of urban bike culture and
features shorts and films that celebrate the bicycle in all its forms
and styles. The festival started six years ago in New York and now
plays also in Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Chicago, London, San Francisco,
Sydney, Tokyo.
Bulletin #37 by Steven Logan
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Dear subscribers and supporters,
There are too many cars on the roads. We are trying to change this.
And, of course, we need your help. If you appreciate our work, this
World Carfree News, and the carfree cause in general, a donation can go
a long way to allow us to keep doing what we are doing: providing a
sane voice in the world of transport. To make a donation, or to become
a member, go to <www.worldcarfree.net/support/>. Thank you.
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