here are two articles to speed us on our way!
1.
http://www.whatcar.com/news-article.aspx?NA=231898
Car-free eco-towns to be revealed
26 March 2008
• Five eco-towns by 2016
• Town centres will be car-free
• Roads into towns will have 15mph limits
Developers have submitted bids to build Britain's first eco-towns, which will have speed limits of 15mph and be heavily reliant on public transport.
Under Government plans, up to five eco-towns should be built by 2016, rising to 10 by 2020. They will have populations of between 5000 and 20,000 people and feature extensive transport links to larger towns and cities.
So far, more than 50 bids have been submitted to create the zero-carbon developments, and in the next few weeks, housing minister Caroline Flint will announce full plans for the towns.
Flint has previously said that she wants to see towns designed around pedestrians, cyclists and public transport users. As a result, the new town centres are expected to be car-free, and the 15mph limit will be enforced on key roads leading into the towns.
The shortlist of the 10 new towns is expected later this year.
2.
http://www.martiniboys.com/Montreal/...mer-10522.html
Old Montreal Goes Car Free for the SummerBy Scott Tavener in Getting Around
he French are renowned for taking it easy during the summer months; just try to find a Parisian in Paris in August. Similarly, a New France epicenter, Old Montreal, is giving automobiles a summertime break.
Nothing wrecks a cobblestone meander like getting hit by a car. A recent decision by the City of Montreal should limit vehicular dangers in Old Montreal. Last week, the city announced that it would close portions of Notre Dame and St. Paul Streets starting June 15th. It is hoped that the sudden move will reduce congestion, fumes, and freneticism in the highly dense neighbourhood.
Throughout the summertime, hordes of wanderers descend on Vieux Montreal, staying at a variety of posh hotels, enjoying haute cuisine, refined shopping and, most of all, a-pied exploration. The seasonal ad hoc pedestrian mall will allow strollers to enjoy the neighbourhood peacefully, without the near-perpetual tumult of Montreal road wars. Like the smaller-scale Pedestrian Sundays in Toronto’s renowned Kensington Market, cars will be kept to the periphery. However, come September 15th, autos will once again receive free reign, so look both ways. –S.T.