This year’s programme aims to promote clean, shared and intelligent mobility, as encapsulated in the slogan “Sharing gets you further”, through shared forms of transport to reduce expenses and lower the carbon footprint.
The campaign is never more pertinent for Luxembourg which, according to the latest count, recorded 660 privately-owned cars per 1,000 residents and is facing growing congestion problems.
“Mobility is being discussed a lot in the press. Often discussions are about diesel cars and electric cars,” secretary of state for transport and infrastructure Camille Gira said at a press conference on Monday, adding: “We shouldn’t be asking about diesel or electric cars but how we organise our mobility. What do we want it to look like?”
Car-free days
Among the events planned around the grand duchy are car-free days in the towns of Bissen, Colmar-Berg and Ettelbruck (22 September), Erpeldange-sur-Sûre, Luxembourg City and Pétange (17 September) and Roeser (24 September).
At each car-free day there will be information stands and community events to encourage people to ditch the car and see their streets in different way.
A handful of infrastructure projects will be inaugurated during the week, including the new suspended cycle bridge on the pont Adolphe (17 September), a new MBox in Colmar-Berg (18 September) and the extension of a cycle path in Bissen (21 September).
Goody bags & open doors
Hardy cyclists who pedal around the capital on 18 September will be rewarded for their effort with a goody bag if they cross the viaduct or cycle beside the Schuman roundabout from 7am to 11am.
Members of the public can discover the issues facing people with reduced mobility in public buildings and on public transport at a stand at the train station on 20 September.
Luxembourg rail operator CFL will unveil its car sharing project, FLEX, on 21 September, while people can visit the new tram garage from 23-24 September.
The list is topped off with initiatives from different organisations such as the LVI ride from Mersch to Luxembourg City on 21 September, the IMS Luxembourg bike bus trip from Luxembourg to Bascharage on 22 September and the B:loft all-weather cyclist photo contest on 22 September.