The European Mobility Week, starting this Saturday, 16 September, celebrates sustainable mobility. The European Mobility Week is a Europe-wide theme week which encourages people to consider their daily mobility choices and their impact on the environment, society and health. For Helsinki’s part, the week culminates in Car-Free Day on Friday, 22 September with a free family-friendly event at Kansalaistori Square organised by the City of Helsinki and HSY’s Ilmastoinfo.
Fun and benefits to people of all ages at Kansalaistori
Give your car a day off and join us at a sustainable mobility event at Kansalaistori Square on Friday, 22 September from 12 noon to 6 p.m. Have your bike maintained and ready for autumn and test drive various kinds of e-bikes at the event. The smallest members of the family can test their skills on a bike course and have fun at a bike tune-up station. Those looking for an adventure can test their skills at the Climate-Smart Traveller orienteering game. Hodarifillari hot dog bike will also be present to serve free vegan hot dogs and juice to the first 300 participants.
Programme Friday 22 September 12 noon to 6 p.m.
- Test e-bikes, electric cargo bikes and folding e-bikes
- Free express bike maintenance (15 minutes)
- Bike skill course for children
- Bike tune-up station for children
- Climate-Smart Traveller orienteering game for people of all ages (finishers get a prize)
- Meet with air quality and noise specialists
- Quiz and raffle
- Vegan hot dogs (free hot dog and juice for the first 300)
Your mode of transport matters
European Mobility Week challenges you to think about your mobility patterns, the various ways to move around and the benefits of sustainable mobility. In the Helsinki region, more than half (52%) of all trips are taken with sustainable modes of transport, i.e. walking, biking or public transport.
“A sustainable method of transport is a choice you make for the benefit of the environment, the other residents and your health. By adding more sustainable methods of transport in the city, we can, for example, reduce the amount of air pollution and noise in Helsinki. The Car-Free Day is an excellent opportunity to challenge yourself and the people close to you to use sustainable methods of transport more often in the daily life or to try out new modes of transport, such as e-bikes,” says Head of Environmental Protection Unit Laura Walin from City of Helsinki’s Environmental Services.
Housing cooperatives can also promote sustainable mobility
The likelihood of making daily trips (to the shop, work or school) in a sustainable manner increases as the ease of taking that trip in a sustainable manner increases. However, investments making the daily life easier, such as electric cargo bikes, are expensive. Housing cooperatives have the opportunity to promote residents’ sustainable transport options by acquiring shared vehicles. Housing cooperatives can also cooperate: for example, ten housing cooperatives in Lauttasaari tried out shared electric cargo bikes as part of the Circular Green Blocks project which promotes a sharing and circular economy. Earlier, the project has tested out shared e-bikes and bike trailers in one housing cooperative.
“Housing cooperatives hold a key position in enabling residents to select sustainable methods of transport. In the Circular Green Blocks project, we have noticed that once residents found the shared electric cargo bikes, they were eager to use them. Biking is an excellent way to move around the city in a sustainable manner,” explains Head of Climate Unit Sanna Tiainen-Erkkilä from Helsinki Region Environmental Services Authority HSY.