Ditch your car and join the community for World Car Free Day on Sunday
CBC
What would it take for you to leave the car at home and find another way to get where you need to go this Sunday?
That's the challenge behind World Car Free Day, an event encouraging people to reduce their dependance on cars and find more eco-friendly ways to get around.
The City of London's Climate Emergency Action Plan has greenhouse gas emissions targets that include a 55 per cent reduction from 2005 levels by 2030, along with further reductions aimed to hit net-zero by 2050. According to the city's data, greenhouse gas emissions have fluctuated in recent years, remaining at the same level recorded in 2017.
"We seem to have been stalled since 2017 and I think it's time for us to really reengage and rededicate ourselves to reducing our carbon footprint," said David Stanford, co-chair of the working group for Car Free Day 2024 and a retired professor of statistical and actuarial sciences at Western University.
In London, public transit will be free on Sunday and streets will be closed along Dundas Place and Wortley Village to promote a people-over-cars alternative, welcoming a host of activities, entertainment and fun for families from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
There is also a 7 km group bike ride from Springbank Park to Ivey Park that starts at 1 p.m.
"We're really trying to focus on how the Thames Valley Parkway is really just a jewel of resource," said Stanford. "It's a great backbone for getting around the city on cycle."
Leah Derikx, the director of operations for the London Environmental Network, said the day could show people that it's possible to take an alternative way to get around, even if it's just one day a week.
"Hopefully, World Car Free Day is a day to test that out and see how you can incorporate that more into your life," she said. "It does take a bit of thinking, a bit of planning, but you know, making small changes definitely adds up. So hopefully people can try it out this weekend."
Here's what's happening on World Car Free Day in London:
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