View it in your browser
World Carfree News #90 - November 2011 - English Version
facebook youtube
QUOTATION OF THE MONTH
"'I don’t want my daddy to drive his car on my painting."
These words were mentioned by a young Austrian participant in a street painting event during European mobility week. Some of the streets were painted with permanent paint, leading to new traffic- calmed spaces. Background and more pictures available here.
WORLD CARFREE NETWORK ANNOUNCEMENTS
School painting
90TH EDITION OF WORLD CARFREE MONTHLY NEWS!
You are now reading the 90th edition of the World Carfree Monthly News. The first edition came out in October 2003. Now this is the 9th year and we have reached 90 issues. But that was not the beginning. Before this we had Car Busters Monthly Bulletin from the early days of the Carbusters movement. This included 50 issues, of which #27 and up is available in the archive.
For all those interested to know what has happened in the near or distant past, don't hesitate to browse the archives!
Read more

CREDIT GOES TO...
The bulletin would like to thank Harumi Okamoto for providing news from Curitiba. The picture published in relation to the Curitiba item was taken by Ricardo E. Machado. Thanks goes also to Andy Singer, for keeping us buzzing with his great cartoons. Kudos to Mina Madani for alerting us to the New Orleans petition highlighted here and to Heiko Bruns from autofrei leben! for the Cairo insight. Peter Czernak brought the Austrian street painting to our attention. A very special thanks goes to Jane Vodikoon for stepping in to help out with editing the bulletin.
GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
GREEN MILE KICKS OFF IN INDIA
A new outfit has formed in Mumbai, India with the goal to combat the driving culture and promote Critical Mass and Carfree Day. This coming November 27th, Green Mile will partner with Mumbai Traffic Police to organize Mumbai's first carfree day celebration. Andy Singer is their graphical representative and will be their invited guest for the event.
Read more

BIKE EGYPT!
As Egypt has experienced their "Arab Spring" of late, so have Cairo's keen cyclists come out of the woodwork. You may now follow the Egyptian capital's cycling community news on facebook.
Read more

20'S PLENTY
One hundred communities in the U.K. are now campaigning under the 20’s Plenty for Us slogan to advocate for 20 mph speed limits on roadways. The organization offers campaigners starter packs, contact information, templates, and so forth. Also, Rod King, UK Founder of 20’s Plenty for Us was one of three people shortlisted (out of over 600+) for Influencer of the year award with Directory of Social Change. Let's hear it for 20's Plenty!
Read more
ACTION
Bike petition website
                                      New Orleans
SUPPORT A BIKE-FRIENDLY NEW ORLEANS!
Please join with Bike Easy to petition the New Orleans City Council to focus on designing a bike and pedestrian friendly New Orleans.

The mayor and city council is being encouraged here to adhere to the principle of "complete streets" as well as follow the existing Transportation Master Plan for bicycle and pedestrian provisions.

You may find the easy, one-step petition here.

Please read also more about Bike Easy, and see if there are ways you can get involved or volunteer your time.
Read more
IN THE NEWS
car
                                              noise by Andy Singer
A BMW dealership in London has opened a bicycle shop within its showroom after market research indicated BMW customers are expressing a growing interest in cycling. The store manager stated the “need to look for new transportation solutions” as well as an embracing of a “multi-modal approach ... of which the bicycle is an important component.”
Read more

Transport for London has partnered with Recyclebank, which provides monetary incentives for recycling, to promote walking and cycling in the city. The program, which will launch in 2012, will rely on apps to track participants’ distances covered by foot or bike. Points will be awarded for such trips, and the points can be converted into discounts at partnering businesses.
Read more.

A woman who jumped off a pedestrian overpass into traffic in Chengdu, China, has sparked debate over what people perceive as a lack of compassion among drivers and citizens. The incident occurred only a month after the now-infamous case of Yue Yue, a 2-year-old in Guangdong province who was hit and run over by two separate motor vehicles while nearly 20 people passed by without stopping to help.
Read more

The U.S. High Speed Rail Association has proposed a $600 billion plan to build a high-speed rail network across the country by 2030. The current  U.S. passenger-train network is “decades behind” Europe, Japan, and China, say transportation experts, but opponents of the plan lambast the planners as having unrealistic ambitions.
Read more

After massive protests by the people of Bolivia, president Evo Morales declares that the proposed motorway through the rainforest reserve in TIPNIS will not be built. This has been seen as a victory, although an indigenous leader has said that the president must come to support 15 other demands.
Read more

In Moscow, Russia, a naked and drunk motorist is caught by the police after having damaged 12 cars in a chase. He refused an offer of clothes by the apprehending police officers.
Read more

National Geographic rounds up 12 urban carfree zones in cities around the world. Each photo is accompanied by a brief introduction to the area. The feature showcases cities on six continents, including Melbourne, Tokyo, Bogota, New York, Freiburg, and Fez.
Read more
REPORTS
"PEAK CAR"?

Millions of Westerners are giving up their cars, according to an article that suggests we’re reaching “peak car.” Americans have been driving increasingly less for the past six years, and similar trends have been observed in Canada, Australia, and Europe. The article argues that driving’s decline is due not to environmental or economic concerns but rather drivers’ being fed up with traffic and young people’s perception that cars are “old technology.”

Read more

ONLINE U.S. TRAILS RESOURCE
Here is a point of convergence for trails all across the USA. You can read about the economic benefit of trails and find many background studies, articles and lots of information about trails and greenways in the USA.
Read more
MEDIA & NETWORKING
1000
                                              Bicycle March Curitiba
MARCH OF THE 1000 BIKES IN CURITIBA
This past 22th of September in Curitiba, Brazil, there was a bicycle event titled "A Marcha das 1000 bicicletas" (March of the 1000 bikes). This took place on carfree day and comes at a time when bicycle activism is picking up speed in the city known for its pedestrian-friendly planning.

Currently a movie is being prepared as well by Ricardo E. Machado. You may watch the trailer (in Brazilian). More pictures of the event are viewable here.

If you would like to get in touch with a representative of the bike movement, you may write to Harumi at harumi.okamoto@gmail.com. You may also follow Bicicletada Curitiba via their website.
World Carfree News is published once a month by World Carfree Network.
Bulletin #90 by Justin Hyatt and Jane Vodikoon
To unsubscribe, send an email to: world-carfree-news_eng-unsubscribe@lists.riseup.net Available in six languages. Visit www.worldcarfree.net/bulletin.