Its European Mobility Week... but not in Manchester

September 16th - 22nd is European Mobility Week and 1920 participating cities across Europe have registered events to promote and support sustainable transport, cycling and walking.

This years theme is "Moving in the right direction" and asks the question: "Who would not want to live in a city where the air is clean and where there is little noise. A place free of congestion, where getting around town is easy and citizens enjoy a high quality of life. A city that you are proud of because it is protecting the climate and that is known across Europe for being innovative and forward looking. With some strategic thinking it is possible to make this vision a reality."
 
Brussels kicked off the week with its Car-Free Sunday which is "planning to involve citizens in a wide array of activities, ranging from “bike to work” services to live concerts in the metro stations, and from green urban picnics to walking and cycling tours of Brussels. Since the European capital’s Car Free Day is already a well-established event, the organisers are taking advantage of its popularity to promote their subsequent thematic days via mobility debates and contests."

Brussels will also host the Sustainable 2Wheels event on Tuesday 18 September 2012 on the esplanade of the European Parliament in Brussels from 9 a.m. till 3 p.m and is a "demonstration of contemporary bicycles, electric bicycles, scooters and motorcycles, particularly suited for urban transport. Visitors will have ample opportunity to test the vehicles on show. The demonstration is also open to companies that wish to present modern, innovative components or accessories for urban 2Wheels."

As one of the participating cities, Manchester has signed up to the European Mobility Week Charter which lists three key criteria. 

These require participants to:

* Organise a week of activities, 16-22 September, taking into account the air quality and carbon emissions theme.

* Implement at least one permanent measure which contributes to modal transfer from private car to environmentally sound means of transport.  Where possible at least one of these measures should be a permanent reallocation of road space in favour of walking, cycling or public transport (eg road closure, wider pavement, new cycle or bus lane, new traffic calming scheme, lower speed limit). (Emphasis added)

* Organise the In Town Without My Car! event, i.e. car free street, setting aside one or several areas reserved solely for pedestrians, cyclists and public transport for at least one whole day,
preferably (but not essentially) on 22 September. 



Previous years has seen Manchester City Council organise different "In Town without my car day" events in partnership with Salford City Council (as part of European Mobility Week) and also announce measures such as the launch of Pay by the Hour Cars in 2006, the expansion of the Whizzgo car network in 2007.   

In 2008, the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive (GMPTE) ran a competition which offered "anyone who ditches their car for the day, or who has already made the switch to public transport" a chance of winning a Brompton folding bike – ideal for taking on the bus, train or tram.

But there has been little (read, no) activity in 2011 and 2012 and the question needs to be asked whether Manchester City Council and Transport for Greater Manchester remain committed to meeting the spirit, let alone the letter, of the European Mobility Week criteria..... 

With nearly £40 million Local Sustainable Transport Funding available it is a great shame that Manchester seems to have been unable to organise any events for European Mobility Week to promote sustainable transport and make Manchester a "city that you are proud of because it is protecting the climate and that is known across Europe for being innovative and forward looking."


Perhaps next year ?