Barnet Council is inviting residents to be part of this year’s Car Free Day celebrations by hosting one-off play street events over the weekend of Friday, 22nd September to Sunday, 24th September 2023.
Car Free Day is an annual event aimed at reducing harmful emissions from vehicles, combating air pollution, and promoting better air quality. Considering that nearly half of London’s air pollution comes from road transport, Car Free Day provides an excellent opportunity to minimize emissions and enhance air quality in the city.
Play Streets, an exciting initiative led by residents involves short road closures to create safe spaces where children can play freely right on their doorsteps. Earlier this year, Barnet launched a successful 6-month pilot play street scheme in two locations – Leopold Road, East Finchley, and Lodge Lane, North Finchley – in collaboration with residents and Councillors, and the response has been overwhelmingly positive.
Cllr Alan Schneiderman, the Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Change at Barnet Council, expressed his support for the play streets and Car Free Day, stating, “Play streets are a brilliant way for children to play safely near their homes and for residents to meet their neighbours. Car Free Day is a great opportunity for residents to trial a play street. These community-driven events support our vision to make Barnet a borough of fun.”
He added, “Earlier this year, we launched our BarNET ZERO campaign, with a pledge that we will be a Net Zero borough no later than 2042. Using public transport, walking, or cycling when possible takes us a step closer to achieving this.”
