As cities around the world take innovative steps to curb car use in busy urban areas, one Sydney council is making moves of its own.
Lane Cove Council, on the Lower North Shore of Sydney, has declared its municipality will be a car-free day on Sunday 17 September.
The initiative coincides with World Car-Free Day, in which cities around the world promote alternatives to private vehicle transport such as walking and riding a bike.
The Lane Cove Sustainability Action Group has campaigned for a car-free day for years, drawing inspiration from similar initiatives around the world such as Ciclovia in Colombia, where the streets of Bogota are shut down monthly for bike riders, runners and walkers to move freely.
"The idea of a car-free Sunday is really to show our local community that they can walk and commute around by bike, and to try and really challenge the primacy we have that the motor vehicle is king of the road," Lane Cove Mayor Andrew Zbik told 2GB Radio.
Zbik said that the council would take a similar approach to the Lane Cove Rotary Fair, in which certain streets of Lane Cove are closed to motor traffic one Sunday in October each year.
The council is considering final plans for the day, but Zbik says several bike-related activities, including a ride finishing on Longueville Road, are on the list of possibilities.
Car-free day isn't about shutting off roads to motorists, but offering an alternative vision of suburban streets where walking, bike riding and people are given priority, much like Bicycle Network's Open Streets program in Melbourne.
World Car Free Day will be officially celebrated on 22 September. Even if your local council isn't taking part you can get involved by leaving the car at home and opting for a bike instead.
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