City of Luxembourg and Provelo Disbeard about visions for car -free day

It should be a strong sign – and a nice gift for the 40th birthday of the Provelo association: a car -free day in the capital where traffic jams, exhaust gases and sheet metal do not determine the picture, but rather bicycles, people, street parties and terraces. Finally, people benefited from a car -free day in 2017. Provelo had set itself the goal of celebrating this special day as part of the European Mobility Week on September 21. But nothing becomes of it. The ideas between the club and the city of Luxembourg gaped too far apart.

The idea was ambitious, but well thought out: from Limpertsberg to the Glacis to the upper town and the cooking, the city should be closed for motorized traffic for a day and opened for humans. Important passages, such as from the Luxexpo to Glacis, would still have remained possible. However, the city of Luxembourg did not agree and immediately made a counter -proposal: they wanted the Place de la Constitution, part of the Boulevard Roosevelt and the Avenue de la Liberté and the side streets.

The clear sign of the desired turnaround

For Provelo this did not meet expectations. « More roads are blocked for bracers or other events – speaking of a real car -free city was not understandable for us in the proposal, » said Jo Klein von Provelo. The political will to contribute conceptually and organizationally was left out. The burden of other events, such as the Tour de Luxembourg, which will also take place in Limpertsberg on September 21, was too great, it said.

For Provelo there is also a fundamental question: does a non -profit association have to manage such an event alone? In cities like Brussels, the municipalities themselves take over the coordination of such days. Municipal councilor François Benoy (Déi Gréng) was also disappointed: the experiences from many other cities show how positive a day can have an effect in which pedestrians and cyclists can use public space for themselves. Such campaigns would not only raise awareness among the population and promote the necessary acceptance, but also set a clear sign of the desired turnaround. « The entire city does not have to be car -free for this – central roads and squares, as Provelo proposed, would already give a strong impulse. It is all the more regrettable that the political will of the DP and CSV is missing – and the Schöffenrat thus again contradicts its own mobility plan, » as Benoy criticizes.

Positive communication instead of bans

According to Mobility Schöffe Patrick Goldschmidt (DP), all main axes should be completely blocked. The entire Limpertsberg district, the Glacis field, the Avenue de la Porte-Neuve, the Boulevard Royal and the Avenue de la Liberté would be affected. « Everything too, no bus, nothing. Only the tram is allowed to drive. » If you observe the motto of the mobility week, there should be « mobility for everyone ». So also for those who cannot ride a bike. That is why public transport is still important on such a day.

The city of Luxembourg tried everything with the counter -proposal so that such an event could take place. However, the Tour de Luxembourg already demands so many means that the city of Luxembourg is not able to wear another event as an organizer that day. All the points would have contributed to the fact that the car -free day could not take place to this extent.

Goldschmidt also wants to rely on positive communication: You should try to do without the car for a day without compulsion or prohibitions. Everything should be blocked on a certain day and the people should be given « that they cannot do anything today and stay better at home ».