Car Free Day Report and Pictures

Wednesday September 27, 2006 14:14

by Starstruck - Grassroots Dissent

A round-up of what went down last Friday the 22nd

You may not have noticed but last Friday the 22nd of September was international CarFree day.
In Ireland the Governemnts usual inaction was unsurprising and the streets of Dublin were logjammed with fume-spewing motor vehicles as always.
At 6.30pm that evening there was a bikeride through the city streets to celebrate self-propelled transport,the chance for a cleaner city and alternatives possible to break our dependence on oil.

The ride set off from the Garden of Rememberance at 7 or so with about 35-40 riders and 5 or 6 pedestrians.
A ghettoblaster was also present providing the much needed sounds for the journey-and also to ward off the evil rain spirits that hung overhead.
The ride proceeded down O'Connell Street at a steady if lazy pace and crossed the bridge ,contin uing up Dame Street.
We took a left at Christchurch and went under the arch to the uncannily well timed bells chiming(this has happened at previous masses also..).
We proceeded back across the Liffey and up the North Quays towards our destination-Seomra Spraoi-the new social centre for the Dublin activist community..
Following a minor altercation with one irate motorist eager to pass us out and rejoin the traffic jam 200 metres ahead ,we celebrated our ride and proceeded into the social centre foir a meeting and social where the new faces were welcomed and plans were laid for future actions and events.
Discussion was also had on Seomra Spraoi itself,Revolt Video,the Demilitarisation of Shannon Airport and several other issues of concern.
The BBB ride that was posted here - http://www.indymedia.ie/article/78279 ,never materialised suspiciously enough and there was nobody whatsoever at its supposed meetup point-attempts had been made to contact the "organisers" but were unfruitful,a pity..

Anywho a succesful mass was had,new contacts were made and CarFree Day and bike culture was celebrated in Ireland..

Now for some pics-celebrated

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Comments (3 of 3)

car-free Dublin

by dunk

Tue May 06, 2008 19:05

fuspey at yahoo dot co dot uk

just saw on rte today...
"Plan to make Dublin city centre car-free"
http://www.rte.ie/news/2008/0505/dublin.html

"A plan that would close off large sections of Dublin city centre to all private traffic is being considered.
The plan envisages 350 extra buses, with services running at 10 minute intervals off-peak and three minute intervals at peak times. The closure could be implemented in April 2009. "

video:
Ray Colgan reports that there are plans to ban private cars from parts of Dublin city centre
http://www.rte.ie/news/2008/0505/dublin_av.html?2370169...l,230

audio:
Frank Fahey, Chairman of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Transport, says large sections of Dublin city centre could be closed to all private cars
http://www.rte.ie/news/2008/0505/dublin_av.html?2370034...l,209

and in the times:
Plans to make Dublin city centre car-free
http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/breaking/2008/0505/bre...9.htm

coincidentally enough, today at work we were discussing the same issue for Barcelona and the hows and where it has been successfull elsewhere

Related to further CAR-FREE thinking for Dublin is an architectural proposal for greenway / ecological corridor for Dublin city, Botanic Spine:
view on youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/user/fuspey
and PDF:
http://www.indymedia.ie/attachments/feb2007/botanic_spi...e.pdf

CAR-FREE cities
related:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carfree_Cities
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Car-free_zone
global carfree movement: http://www.worldcarfree.net/
EIG: eco intelligent growth
http://www.ecointelligentgrowth.net/eng/index.html

what are greenways: Heritage council ireland
http://heritagecouncil.ie/walkways/project7.html

CAR FREE DUBLIN

2 Short n Shaky Videos of the action--

by Starstruck - GD

Wed Sep 27, 2006 17:48

Heres two short and shaky vids of the action.
One at the start of the mass and one from Dame Street.
On Yer Bike!

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=critical+ma...ublin

More Pics

Wed Sep 27, 2006 14:18

More Pictures of the day-vid possibly to follow..