September has typically been considered a peak period for travel awareness activity. In 2004, Harrow began their “Good Going – Travel Awareness in Harrow” campaign which celebrated ‘Good Going’ weeks every September. Initially one week full of travel awareness events and promotions, this became so popular that eventually the one week occasionally ran for a month with the final promotions ending in October.
Last year, the Good Going campaign was ended and replaced by Transport for London’s I Move London initiative.
Apart from Good Going, September is also the time for events that are considered ‘car-free’. There are many names to the promotions which go on every September across London ranging from “In Town Without My Car”, “Car-Free Day”, “Streets for People”, “European Mobility Week” and the latest addition to these is TfL’s “Give Your Car the Day Off” campaign.
The names are different but the message essentially a uniting awareness-raising one that requests drivers to consider switching one journey a week from the car to a more sustainable form of transport. Some boroughs close roads and have a street party; others force traffic down different routes. Harrow has not done this but supported Good Going weeks and European Mobility Weeks through a series of travel awareness raising events such as tie ups with local businesses, promoting the benefits of shopping locally, cycling, walking and car sharing promotions and also unique ones that aim to educate on car clubs and the difference your travel choice can make. A switch to a more sustainable lifestyle needs to be just that – a choice made by an individual to change. Forcing traffic down alternate routes or closing roads to force drivers out of their cars achieves only hostility, inconvenience and resentment. And Harrow’s It’s Up to All of Us campaign is about positive changes, not negativity.
We’ve had a great Summer of events, with the Mass Bike Ride, Walking Works and Walk to Work events, a Try Cycling programme (and another one starting at Nower Hill High school) and more. October is Walk to School month and promotions begin in schools about the importance of walking in rather than being dropped off.
The council has also adopted a Smarter Driving policy for all its drivers and it looks like Harrow will unite as one community to make a difference.
For those who’ve not yet made a pledge to change, it’s easy to do: just make the decision and do it. Your health, the local environment and air quality will all benefit from YOUR contribution.
Here’s to a fantastic remainder of 2008 with much more to come in sustainability…
Have you made any changes this year to the way you travel? If so, tell us about it: Blog it!
Last year, the Good Going campaign was ended and replaced by Transport for London’s I Move London initiative.
Apart from Good Going, September is also the time for events that are considered ‘car-free’. There are many names to the promotions which go on every September across London ranging from “In Town Without My Car”, “Car-Free Day”, “Streets for People”, “European Mobility Week” and the latest addition to these is TfL’s “Give Your Car the Day Off” campaign.
The names are different but the message essentially a uniting awareness-raising one that requests drivers to consider switching one journey a week from the car to a more sustainable form of transport. Some boroughs close roads and have a street party; others force traffic down different routes. Harrow has not done this but supported Good Going weeks and European Mobility Weeks through a series of travel awareness raising events such as tie ups with local businesses, promoting the benefits of shopping locally, cycling, walking and car sharing promotions and also unique ones that aim to educate on car clubs and the difference your travel choice can make. A switch to a more sustainable lifestyle needs to be just that – a choice made by an individual to change. Forcing traffic down alternate routes or closing roads to force drivers out of their cars achieves only hostility, inconvenience and resentment. And Harrow’s It’s Up to All of Us campaign is about positive changes, not negativity.
We’ve had a great Summer of events, with the Mass Bike Ride, Walking Works and Walk to Work events, a Try Cycling programme (and another one starting at Nower Hill High school) and more. October is Walk to School month and promotions begin in schools about the importance of walking in rather than being dropped off.
The council has also adopted a Smarter Driving policy for all its drivers and it looks like Harrow will unite as one community to make a difference.
For those who’ve not yet made a pledge to change, it’s easy to do: just make the decision and do it. Your health, the local environment and air quality will all benefit from YOUR contribution.
Here’s to a fantastic remainder of 2008 with much more to come in sustainability…
Have you made any changes this year to the way you travel? If so, tell us about it: Blog it!
9 comments:
I used to drop my children to school but now walk them in. I enjoy the walk, the fresh air, the bite in the September morning mist and catching up with my 2 little ones as we walk to school. Every moment before the walk is rushed - waking them up, getting them ready, breakfast etc but we take a breather and talk on the way in. They also wake up a bit more and enjoy it and have learned the route. I'm so pleased I've stopped driving them in and hope everyone walks their children in, it's such a great thing to do.
I cycle in twice a week and work at the civic. I used to bring the car in every day but do this now and have cancelled my gym membership. It's definitely not the same but has saved me a whole packed. £30 monthly on gym membership and also petrol costs. If you can try it, do it!
"Give your car the day off"?? I'm sorry but that just sounds awful!!!
I've loved your events in good going weeks in the past, I hope there are more like the ones you've done previously. Well done.
I walk more than ever now. I used to take the car everywhere and refuse to take public transport because the buses are so unreliable. I'm not into cycling at all and a little large for a bike. But I have cut my car use down due to higher petrol prices and this blog and now I walk around 30% of the journeys I used to take by car! Cheers!
I take the bus once a week by choice. I've got myself a prepay oyster card so I'm not paying expensive cash prices and I only use it when I can and save the petrol and parking costs.
If I'm shopping I'll take the car, or if I'm dropping the kids off, but otherwise if it's just me needing to go somewhere like Harrow town centre, I plan my day based on the buses, treat myself to the shops without paying St Anns for parking and hop on the bus back when I'm done.
I really enjoy it now and know the times to avoid (school children rush) so feel like I'm doing something good and am saving money.
I'm pledging to only use my car if I can carshare - with my husband, my kids or a friend. Otherwise I wont take it out. That's the best I can do now but hope in the future to cut down my 3 daily trips to one.
I've started cycling to my local gym, cut out the cardio at the gym and now even skip the gym on my shopping day.
I balance the bags in my hands and so this extra weight is like a workout for the arms, clenching my fists regularly to workout the forearms. Then I put the shopping in my panniers and pedal home. It's a great workout and genuinely one that's capable of replacing one of my weekly gym workouts.
So I'm not saving money yet as I pay monthly for the gym but if I can plan this out properly I could cut my gym membership altogether.
And I am helping the planet!
I walk to school and cycle to my friends houses on weekends as they live very close by. I used to get a lift in with my friends mum but now only walk as its only a 12 minute walk.
Im playing for the planet and like wakling in the rain too. my wellies get wet and my friends also splash.
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