[sustran] Support Bogota C/FD 2004

[ecoplan.adsl at wanadoo.fr]

Monday, August 23, 2004, Paris, France, Europe

 

Dear Friends,

 

We have learned that the new mayoral administration of the city of
Bogota Colombia is hesitating about holding that city’s fourth
consecutive Car/Free Day this year.  We would hate to see this fine
tradition of innovation and sustainable mobility interrupted, and we are
therefore sending this note to all of you out there to see if some of
you might be so kind as to write a short note encouraging the city’s
political leaders to continue this fine program.

 

Quick Background on Bogota Car/Free Days 

 

As you may recall, this program under The Commons has taken an active
role in supporting both the first several Car/Free Days in Bogota, and
indeed for our successful collaboration for the first day back in 2000
both we and the city were jointly awarded the Stockholm Prize for
Environment.  In case you are curious here are a couple of historic
reminders for this first and most important round of collaboration by
way of quick background:

 

*	 <http://ecoplan.org/carfreeday/bogota/lessons.htm> Lessons of
Bogotá's First Car Free Day -
<http://ecoplan.org/carfreeday/bogota/lessons.htm>
http://ecoplan.org/carfreeday/bogota/lessons.htm
*	 <http://ecoplan.org/carfreeday/bogota/bogota4-guestbook.htm>
Bogotá 2000 Car/Free Day International Guestbook at
<http://ecoplan.org/carfreeday/bogota/bogota4-guestbook.htm>
http://ecoplan.org/carfreeday/bogota/bogota4-guestbook.htm - which
brought together more than one hundred letters of support for that
project.
*	 <http://ecoplan.org/votebogota2000> The Bogota Project – at
<http://ecoplan.org/votebogota2000> http://ecoplan.org/votebogota2000 
*	 <http://www.challenge.stockholm.se/feature_right.asp?IdNr=5>
Stockholm 2000 Environment Prize Citation: “Bogotá Car Free Day Creates
New Model for Organizing Transportation in World Cities- at
<http://www.challenge.stockholm.se/feature_right.asp?IdNr=5>
http://www.challenge.stockholm.se/feature_right.asp?IdNr=5

 

2004 Peer Support/Mailing:

 

I propose that we are modest in this approach, because it is not of
course for any of us to tell the duly elected fine of that city of seven
people what to do.  But we can encourage them, not least because of the
importance of their terrific international lead which has served well
the people of Bogota, of Colombia and indeed many cities and groups
across the developing world.

 

There are several recommended local contact points for this, including
the mayor’s office, the city's Department of Transit and Transport., the
TransMilenio' program,  and the Ciudad Humana. Since no single official
contact has yet been because time is now pressing, I propose that for
now you address your email notes of support to
<mailto:bogota at ecoplan.org> mailto:bogota at ecoplan.org and we will see to
them that they are forwarded immediately to the designated contact. (We
shall also, as we usually do in these case, be pleased to post them on
this site in a place of honor, (so if you prefer not to appear there be
sure to let us know in your note).

 

International Coordination: 

 

Finally, we are coordinating with two other international groups on this
support effort, for whom the respective contacts are:

*	For the Institute for Transportation & Development Policy
(ITDP), Oscar Edmundo Diaz, Latin America Regional Director;
diazoe at itdp.org
*	For Car Busters and the World Carfree Network: Randall Ghent,
Co-Director, Int'l Coordination Centre -  <mailto:rghent at gmx.net>
rghent at gmx.net

 

We shall of course be coordinating closely with and copying to them as
well.

 

Kind thanks for taking the time to read this note.  And if you can see
your way to it replying with a short note of support here at
<mailto:bogota at ecoplan.org> bogota at ecoplan.org, which we shall duly
forward.  (I attach a copy of my message of support by way of example,
including for the address.

 

With all good wishes,

 

Eric Britton

 

The New Mobility Agenda at http://newmobility.org 

The New Mobility Forum at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WorldTransport/

 

The Commons: Open Society Sustainability Initiative 

Le Frene, 8/10 rue Joseph Bara, 75006 Paris, France

Tel: +331 4326 1323         Mobile: +336 8096 7879

24 hour Fax/Voicemail hotline: +33 (1) 53 01 28 96

IP Videoconference: 81.65.50.63

Email: postmaster at ecoplan.org    

 

 

 


--------------------------------------------

 

Monday, August 23, 2004, Paris, France, Europe

 

The Honorable Luis Eduardo Garzon

Mayor of the City of Bogota 

Alcaldía Mayor - City Hall 

Bogota, Colombia

 

Reference: Support for Bogota’s forthcoming Car/Free Day project

 

Dear Mr. Mayor,

 

We would respectfully like to indicate our strong support for your
city’s participation in the forthcoming Car/Free Day project in
September.  

 

Bogota has in recent years made a major contribution to its own citizens
in terms of innovative transportation system efficiency and quality of
life, and it is widely seen in professional circles around the world
that an important step in this process of citizen reflection,
participation and major system overhaul has in many ways been symbolized
by your leading role in organizing Car/Free Days and setting the
standard for cities around the world. As you now this considerable
achievement was awarded the Stockholm Prize for the Environment in 2000
and the year following Bogota was selected as one of the lead city’ in
the United Nations Car Free Days Programme. 

 

To give you an idea of which your lead in doing this is much appreciated
internationally I would point to the following reference --
http://ecoplan.org/carfreeday/bogota/bogota4-guestbook.htm  -- which
brings together messages of congratulations and support received from .
. . Ministers, Commissioners, transport activists, professors, cyclist
groups, environmentalists, authors, international civil servants,
mayors, students and citizens of all stripes... and from the European
Commission, the United Nations, UNDP, UNESCO, OECD, International Energy
Agency, Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy,
International Atomic Energy Agency, and from leaders in the field from
the cities of Lima, Santiago, Kuala Lumpur, Amsterdam, Antwerp,
Birmingham, Cambridge (Mass.), London, Oxford, Lancashire, Gothenburg,
Paris, Tokyo, Brussels, Utrecht, Luxembourg, Rome, Vienna, Wuppertal,
Worcestor, Los Angeles, Alameda and Davis (California), Calgary,
Victoria (British Columbia), New Brunswick (NJ), Portland (Oregon),
Washington DC, Toronto, Adelaide, Canberra, and Perth. 

 

With all these considerable people and groups behind you, Bogotá must be
doing something right.  And for our part if there is anything that we
can do to help in this. I hope that you and your collaborators will not
hesitate to get in touch.

 

Respectfully,

 

Eric Britton

Coordinator

 

The New Mobility Agenda at http://newmobility.org 

The New Mobility Forum at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WorldTransport/

 

The Commons: Open Society Sustainability Initiative 

Le Frene, 8/10 rue Joseph Bara, 75006 Paris, France

Tel: +331 4326 1323         Mobile: +336 8096 7879

24 hour Fax/Voicemail hotline: +33 (1) 53 01 28 96

IP Videoconference: 81.65.50.63

Email: postmaster at ecoplan.org    

 

  

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