Ealing is celebrating World Car Free Day today by transforming 25 local roads into PlayStreets – the most ever in the borough and one of the highest number in London.
Playstreets are roads that have been closed for a few hours to allow children to play out safely in the street and provide an opportunity for residents to mingle, chat and socialise.
25 PlayStreets are springing up across the borough today, providing people with a great chance to get to know their neighbours and bring a sense of community spirit to the whole street.
World Car Free Day encourages drivers to take a break from their vehicle and highlights the many benefits of having less traffic throughout the neighbourhood, as well as the many benefits of walking, cycling and using public transport.
As part of the celebrations, Soundbite Festival is taking place in West Ealing, providing a day of community events and activities for locals to enjoy – from music, food, a craft market, climbing wall and children’s activities, to cookery workshops, football skills, donkey rides and a theatre performance.
Councillor Julian Bell, leader of Ealing Council said: “We are once again backing World Car Free Day this year and have supported people in setting up Playstreets across the borough.
“I am delighted that Ealing will be hosting the most PlayStreets in London on World Car Free Day. It means residents people of all ages will have alternative use of 25 roads in the borough for activities, to experience the outdoors safely enjoy each other’s company.
“Encouraging more people to walk, cycle and take public transport is vital as we look to improve air quality and to address the urgent need to address the climate emergency. World Car Free Day in Ealing provides a great opportunity for people to explore other means of transport and leave their cars at home.
“Ealing Council’s ambitious transport strategy is supporting residents to make greener and more sustainable travel choices and improve air quality across the borough.
“We are rolling out cycling provision for local people, reducing the cost of parking permits for the greenest vehicles, and in the last year alone, we have installed more than 120 new electric vehicle charging points across Ealing.”
• For further information on World Car Free Day in Ealing, visit https://ealingnewsextra.co.uk/features/car-free-ealing/
• For full details on Soundbite Festival, visit https://ealingnewsextra.co.uk/features/soundbite/
To celebrate World Car Free Day, St John Fisher Primary School and Perivale Primary School ran the borough’s first School PlayStreets on Friday, 20 September. They are aiming to improve the air quality around the school through preventing parents driving and parking outside and giving children, parents and staff members the opportunity to enjoy the streets through playing and socialising outside.
Live West Ealing is a project set to improve West Ealing with changes made on street level, so that residents are more likely to walk, cycle or use public transport.
