News Release
HRM Residents Urged to Participate in "Car Free" Day
(Wednesday, April 24, 2002) - Mayor Peter Kelly, on behalf of Regional Council, has issued a challenge to residents of the Halifax Regional Municipality and other major centers in the Atlantic Region to participate in Earth "Car Free" Day, Thursday, April 25th. The purpose of Car Free Day is to help create greater awareness of the need to protect our environment. The cities of Fredericton, New Brunswick and Corner Brook, Newfoundland have officially accepted the challenge and will be vying with HRM for the honour of having the most participants!
Individuals, neighborhoods, service clubs, citizens groups and others are being urged to leave their vehicles at home and use an alternative means to get to work or go about their regular duties on that day, such as walking, cycling, using public transit, etc.
To tabulate the number of those participating in HRM, residents have been requested to contact the HRM Corporate Call Center at 490-4000, from 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday to Friday, and up until 10 p.m. on April 25th. Callers are asked to register the following information: which means of alternate transportation they plan to use that day, e.g. walking, cycling, public transit, car pooling, etc., what mode they normally use to travel and how far a distance they normally travel to work or school.
For commuters planning to travel by bus or ferry, Metro Transit's fare will be reduced to $1.00 during off- peak hours (9am-3:30 p.m. and after 6pm) on Car Free Day.
Councillor Sheila Fougere, Chair of the HRM Bikeways Task Force, will be riding her bike to work at City Hall and others will be walking or taking the ferry.
Mayor Kelly and Councillor Fougere said, "Car Free" Day will help create greater awareness of the need to protect the environment for future generations and encourage citizens of HRM to consider means other than the regular combustion-engine vehicle as a mode of transportation."
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Contact: Councillor Sheila Fougere
Chair, HRM Bikeways Task Force
(902) 490-4050/(902) 490-6331
or
Lori Patterson
Acting Corporate Communications Officer
(902)490-6531/ (902)489-6833
