UNUnited Nations Economic Commission for Europe

Press Release

[Index]

UNECE/WHO (Europe) workshop promotes cycling and walking in cities

Geneva, 28 September 2010 --

Good reasons to walk and cycle to work, for shopping and leisure will be highlighted in a workshop to be held in the Black Sea port city of Batumi (Georgia) on 30 September and 1 October 2010.

The workshop will bring together more than 60 experts across the three sectors, transport, health and environment to explore the benefits of walking and cycling and to carve out action points for policymakers and city planners to ensure that walking and cycling in cities is not only feasible and attractive, but safe and healthy.

The Batumi workshop will also launch the first Walking School Bus to celebrate “International Walk to School” month.

The focus of the workshop will be on cooperation between national and local authorities, industry and civil society in design, planning, financing and legislation to support walking and cycling – best practices on translating national policy objectives into local action. 

Participants will discuss concrete action points, urging policymakers, industry and civil society to:

  • Recognize walking and cycling as an integral part of transport and urban development planning and policy, on par with public transport and car traffic;

  • Promote human-powered mobility which contributes to individual fitness and public health, reduction of traffic accidents, noise and air pollution, less greenhouse gas emissions and congestion and increases the attractiveness of cities;

  • Ensure that cycling and walking infrastructure is focused on safety and eliminating barriers, including for children, the elderly, those with reduced mobility and is safe, accessible, convenient, comfortable and attractive.   

The workshop is organized by theMinistry of Labour, Health and Social Affairs, Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources, Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure of Georgia and the City of Batumi, with support from other governments through THE PEP Trust Fund.

It is part of THE PEP staffete, or relay race, to spread the word from Amsterdam to Prague to Skopje to Batumi, by “passing a baton” of best practices in sustainable urban transport to raise awareness and promote a coordinated policy approach. 

For further information, please visit: http://www.unece.org/thepep/en/workplan/urban/batumi_docs.htm

or contact: 

The UNECE-WHO/Europe joint secretariat at [email protected]
Brinda Wachs
Programme Manager
UNECE
Tel. +41 (0)22 917 2453
E-mail: [email protected]

 

Note to editors

The Workshop on Safe and Healthy Walking and Cycling in Urban Areas is the third in a series of workshops under The Pan-European Programme on Transport, Health and Environment (THE PEP), a unique policy platform devoted to sustainable mobility and cleaner, greener, healthier livelihoods, particularly in cities. THE PEP is run jointly by the UNECE and the World Health Organization’s Regional Office for Europe. 

Around half of the trips we make (what is the geographical zone or group of countries of these studies?) with our cars are shorter than 5 km and a third of our car trips are less than 3 km. Many of these trips could be made by public transport or by walking and cycling. As a rule of thumb, walking is suitable for distances of up to 1 km or 15 minutes; and cycling for distances of up to 5 km or 20 minutes.

Ref: ECE/ENV/10/P28