Cars will be banned and citizens encouraged to use alternative transport such as buses, trams, bicycles and even their feet. There will be street parties, horse parades, live music and a host of other activities which would all be impossible with cars on the roads.
Previous years saw a holiday atmosphere descend across the cities as people took to the streets en masse, going for a bicycle ride along the car-free boulevards - “I love zipping up the middle of the streets,” said cycling enthusiast Paul Kaye – or for a meander across usually perilous streets.
“I take my bike, travel around to see the concerts, and go to the park. It’s easier and safer on the roads. It’s also less noisy and the air is not so polluted. With all the people out cycling and walking around and enjoying the festivities, it’s a really cool atmosphere,” said Beatriz Irala.
For the daredevils among you, a high-speed trip through the dark and mysterious empty tunnels on rollerblades is also highly recommended, though not strictly legal.
Car-free days are great for the environment and for our health. Anyone unlucky enough to spend part of their working day in the Brussels European quarter will know it’s definitely not a choke-free zone. The same goes for the poor souls stuck on the truck-congested roads near Antwerp port.
Passenger cars account for about 12 percent of Europe’s emissions of global warming gas carbon dioxide (contributing to the potentially devastating effects of climate change) and chuck out asthma-inducing nitrous and sulphurous oxides.
According to Brussels Mobility, the impact on the environment should be felt immediately. Last year’s car-free day resulted in a reduction in noise levels to 10 decibels below that usually seen on a Sunday while there was three to four times less fine particle dust.
Levels of nitrous oxide otherwise known as laughing gas (although it doesn’t have a very funny impact on the environment with its intense global warming effect), dropped ten times below the normal weekday emissions on Brussels’ Wetstraat, a main artery of the city.
Concentrations of carbon monoxide, a highly toxic gas, were ten times lower than a normal Sunday and three to four times lower than a week day. In the tunnels, the drop was even sharper with levels falling 48 times below those seen on a normal Sunday.
Cars are often more trouble than they are worth. Brussels Mobility said 25 percent of journeys made in the city are less than one kilometre. Even for a slow walker, that’s about 15 minutes. Three out of five journeys are shorter than five kilometres and easily done by bike.
Finally, if environmental concerns are not convincing, the health benefits should be: “What is rarely taken into account is how much better off we would be taking physical activity rather than sitting in traffic getting all stressed,” said an EU official.
Traffic accidents in Belgium resulted in 922 deaths last year. Countless studies have shown that noise pollution from vehicles causes hearing problems, stress, hypertension, cardiovascular disease and strokes.
Environmentalists are happy with the result. Nonetheless, one day a year is not going to do much towards Europe’s goal to cut carbon dioxide emission by one fifth by 2020 and reach air quality targets, often exceeded in Belgium due to its dense population and heavy car use.
According to European Commission data, EU transport emissions are projected to increase 1.4 percent annually, potentially wiping out emission reductions made in other areas. This would leave us with runaway climate change as well as myriad car pollution-related illnesses.
For Brussels, which is host to several European institutions, to do its bit, environmentalists said it should hold a car free day during the week so workers would be forced to investigate alternative means of transport.
“It’s a good thing that it shows us how pleasant the city is without cars around but it stays in our spare time. People don’t imagine they can use their bike to go to work and they don’t make the link with changing the transport system,” said Friends of the Earth campaigner Jeroen Verhoeven.
To be fair, Brussels will also observe the Europe-wide car-free day on September 22, calling for people to find alternative modes of transport to take their children to school. But anything bolder than that is unfortunately likely to cause an uproar.
“Politically it is much easier to enforce a car-free day on a Sunday and easier for the population to accept; otherwise there are complaints about worker hours lost and the effect on the economy,” said Jérôme Matagne from Transport Week.
Both cities however have several schemes to reduce traffic such as car sharing, car pooling, taxi sharing, and bicycle sharing. There have also been moves to increase the offer of public transport and make it easier for cyclists.
Schlepping up Kunstberg on your way home from a hard day at the office is hardly enticing but the authorities plan to install a bike lift on this ferociously steep hill and have drawn up maps showing people lower gradient routes.
At an EU level, there are intense discussions about how best to improve public transport and alternatives to cars but, say environmentalists, this needs to be stepped up in Belgium. After all, it is home to the European institutions.
Nonetheless, all agree that car-free days are an all-round good idea. “It shows the whole population what the world would be like if we arranged it differently and didn’t rely so much on cars,” said cycling enthusiast Kaye. “I can’t imagine anyone not enjoying the lack of pollution, traffic and noise.”
www.weekvanvervoering.irisnet.be
Antwerp’s car-free day celebrations pretty much last all weekend. From Friday 18 until Monday 21, there will be a gazillion reasons to leave your car behind and explore the city by other means of transport, from bikes to boats, and from climbing ropes to sky lifts.
The theme for this year’s carfree day (the 14th in Antwerp), is The Land, The Water, The Air. The idea is for citizens to get around by all possible modes of transport except for cars.
Water babies can enjoy a trip around the harbour, Europe’s second largest, a literary cruise culminating in a tour of a book market, or just watch the sea scouts’ regatta on the Scheldt.
Braver types might want to take a trip in one of the Skywatches, a vertiginous 60 metres-high lift which gives a view over the city. If that’s not exciting enough, try the Death Ride in Steenplein.
If you prefer terra firma, you’ll be glad to hear the city is organising a cycling or rambling tour of four kilometres (great for the kids).
Die-hard cyclists can join in a 45-kilometre cycling route, which combines a tour of the city and the surrounding countryside.
Flanders Today is a 
-8°C / -2°C
