MOSCOW, September 22 (RIA Novosti) - World Car Free Day, an event prioritizing the development of public space for everyday life, is marked on September 22.
In 1973, Switzerland marked the first World Car Free Day, with the national government urging people not to use their cars during four days in connection to the energy crisis. Various other European countries have also held similar events over the past 25 years until 1997 when the United Kingdom organized the first nationwide event. In 1998, France hosted its first World Car Free Day that included about 20 French cities. By 2001, over 1,000 cities in 35 countries, including Japan, Brazil and Canada, officially joined the movement. Since 2002, the annual European Mobility Week has been held every September 16-22 culminating in World Car Free Day.
Some cities undertake measures to restrict the everyday use of private cars, while developing comfortable and convenient public transit, pedestrian zones and cycling infrastructure.
Many large cities organize bicycle use demonstrations, including the first such event in 1992 that included only 48 cyclists in San Francisco (the USA). The number of demonstrators and cycling venues has increased rapidly. Every year, World Car Free Day involves over 100 million people in 1,500 cities. Belgorod and Nizhny Novgorod were the first Russian cities to hold this event in 2005 and 2006, respectively, and Moscow has been celebrating World Car Free Day since 2008.
Experts at Moscow's Department for Environmental Management and Protection estimate that one free car day decreases toxic emissions by 2,700 metric tons.
Kaliningrad also started holding this event in 2009.
In 2010, World Wildlife Fund Russia and the local governments in Saint Petersburg, Stavropol, Tver, Chita, Tambov, Kursk, Kazan, Samara and dozens of other cities marked World Car Free Day for the first time.
In the run-up to World Car Free Day 2013, Russian cyclists held Enhanced Environmental Mobility Week, similar to European Mobility Week, in over 30 cities nationwide to promote environmentally friendly transport and environmental protection issues.
Public transit costs are reduced by half in Moscow on September 22, and the city authorities urge drivers to park their cars and use public transportation instead.
Environmentalists note that this event is not as popular in Moscow, as in other cities worldwide, and traffic congestion analysts claim that the traffic situation has never improved here during previous World Car Free Days.
International Car Free Week was held in Moscow September 16-22, 2013. Nevertheless, Moscow was unable to avoid traffic congestion.
