European Car Free Day promotes energy savings

The closure of some streets in the historic center of Setúbal to car traffic is one of the highlights of European Car Free Day, September 22nd, which closes European Mobility Week.

The 22nd edition of European Mobility Week, which takes place between the 16th and 22nd of September, has as its central theme “Save Energy”, which appeals to the importance of energy savings as a way of minimizing exposure to extreme weather events, such as waves of widespread heat, floods, fires and desertification, with harmful and irreversible effects, which result in an immediate risk of water and electricity shortages.

The intention is to raise awareness of sustainable urban mobility and promote behavioral change, namely by encouraging the use of public transport and other clean and intelligent travel solutions.

The municipality of Setúbal once again joins the celebrations of European Mobility Week with a set of initiatives that have as their highlight European Car Free Day, September 22nd.

The program on this day includes actions to promote the pedestrianization of some streets in the historic center, with the closure of Arronches Junqueiro and Pereira Cão streets and Praça de Bocage to car traffic, from 09:00 am to 17:00 pm.

The emblematic Sadina square hosts, at the same time, an exhibition of environmentally friendly vehicles and offers cycle workshops, which provide free technical assistance to bicycle users.

Also in Praça de Bocage, between 09:00 and 10:00, the “Bike to Work” initiative takes place again, promoted by the Somos CMS project, from the municipality, which aims to appeal to municipal employees and the general population to carry out bike the daily route between home and work.

At Cinema Charlot – Municipal Auditorium, at the Setúbal Transport Interface and other municipal facilities, throughout the European Mobility Week, an action is taking place to raise awareness about mobility in more sustainable and gentle modes and to promote the use of public transport and of the Navegante pass in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, with the showing of short films on the topic.

In addition to this program itself, Setúbal City Council, to mark the European Mobility Week, joins the “Metropolitan Bicycle Tour – Margem Sul”, an awareness-raising action promoted by TML – Transportes Metropolitanos de Lisboa, on the 16th, to encourage bicycle use.

With a meeting point scheduled for 09:30 am, cyclists leave from Largo José Afonso, in Setúbal, and follow the EN 10 to the Picheleiros roundabout, Azeitão, where they join participants from the municipalities of Palmela and Sesimbra. The tour ends at Parque da Vila, in Quinta do Conde, Sesimbra, at around 12:00 pm.

Registration, free of charge, must be made by September 14th by filling out an online form .

The municipality also joins, on September 17th, the “Azeitão Fancy Women Ride Bike” bike ride, an independent worldwide promotional event dedicated exclusively to women, which has a dress-code, requiring participants to dress with a fancy look, showing your chic side.

The initiative is scheduled to gather and depart at 14pm, at Rua Ana de Castro Osório, next to Parque do Morango, in Brejos de Azeitão.