The Dublin Cycling Campaign is an independent, voluntary lobby group that has been working to improve the city for all cyclists for over a decade and a half.
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Car Free Day
Mr John Fitzgerald
City Manager
Dublin City Council
Wood Quay
Dublin 8
22nd September 2003
Dear Mr Fitzgerald,
The Dublin Cycling Campaign is very disappointed that once again the Dublin City Council has demonstrated a lack of action in failing to partake in the spirit of Car Free Day. All over Europe cities are closing roads to cars and encouraging citizens to use alternative means of transport on Monday the 22nd of September 2003. In Dublin however, not a single street has been reserved for pedestrians and cyclists on this day. ‘In town without my car’ is the slogan of Car Free Day. How can the Council claim it is partaking in this valued initiative without closing a single lane of traffic?
It is interesting to read of the success of Car Free Day in Munich last year, where the main street was closed to traffic and 200,000 people enjoyed a street festival, where they were invited to ‘reclaim their street’ by cycling, skating, walking and dancing. Do the citizens of Dublin not deserve a similar chance to enjoy their city? Even huge cities such as London are achieving much more on this day than Dublin.
According to the European Handbook for Local Authorities, sponsored by the European Commission, ‘One or several car-free areas must be defined within the city. This (These) area(s) will be closed to motorised traffic for most of the time on the day. Only pedestrians, cyclists, public transport and cleaner vehicles (LPG, NVG, electric, etc.) will be admitted to the car free area(s)’. The Dublin Cycling Campaign does understand the difficulties imposed on the City Council by the current traffic problems in Dublin; we also appreciate the substantial efforts made in recent years to encourage and develop cycle and public transport routes. Nonetheless we are appalled that the Council can simply ignore the Commission’s guidelines on what could have been a contribution to the city’s health and environment.
Cycling was one of the three themes chosen for this year’s European Mobility Week, yet we do not see much evidence of this theme being promoted this week in Dublin.
We hope that in 2004 Dublin City Council will be able to show more leadership on this issue than it has done in 2003.
Yours sincerely
Kirsten Doherty
Chairperson
