Tomorrow is the seventh annual Car Free Day Long Island, and on Tuesday the East Hampton Town Board adopted a nonbinding resolution in support of the designation.
The purpose of Car Free Day is to encourage Long Island’s workers and residents to pledge not to use a vehicle, or to go “car lite” by driving less than one ordinarily would, using public transportation, car-pooling, cycling, or walking instead.
World Car Free Day is observed annually on Sept. 22 as a means to promote mass transit, cycling, and walking. Less formal events have occurred locally for decades, and many municipalities hold their own car-free days. A European Union campaign called “In town, without my car!” has occurred each autumn for more than 30 years and has spread beyond the organization’s boundaries.
East Hampton “supports the goals of this day and raising awareness to the issues relating to overreliance on use of gas-powered automobiles that cause harmful CO2 emissions, pollution, traffic congestion, and other issues,” the resolution reads. Car Free Day Long Island, which is sponsored by entities including the Long Island Rail Road and Suffolk Transit and in which a host of municipalities, private companies, civic and environmental organizations, and colleges and universities take part, bestowed on East Hampton its silver award for its participation last year.
The resolution asks that residents and visitors to the town “conduct their daily activities car-free or car-lite for the day, thereby lessening congestion on our roads and improving the quality of the air,” and encourages town employees to replace the use of gas-powered cars with other means.
To that end, Supervisor Peter Van Scoyoc pledged to cycle to Town Hall tomorrow, as he did last year. Councilman Jeff Bragman made the same pledge. Those interested can pledge their participation at carfreedayli.com/pledge. C.W.