A feast of family fun activities will be on offer in Limerick this Sunday [22 Sept 2019] as part of European Mobility Week 2019. Limerick City and County Council, in partnership with the National Transport Authority, will be hosting a Car Free Day in Limerick City Centre on Sunday between 2pm and 4pm.
We are encouraging residents/ businesses to come out and support Car Free Day on O’Connell Street (between William Street and Roches Street junctions) which will be pedestrian/ cyclist only.
There will be lots of street entertainment, fun and games taking place.
In addition, Limerick City and County Council, in partnership with Limerick Cycling Campaign, is also hosting an event called a cyclovia.
A cyclovia is a Spanish word meaning ‘cycleway’. It has become synonymous with the open street movement method of temporarily closing streets to cars so that they become more open to pedestrians/cyclists etc. During Cyclovia anyone can bike, walk, skate and participate in activities right in the middle of the street.
A circular Limerick City Centre route will be open to all walkers, cyclists, scooters and rollerbladers, with restrictions placed on motor vehicles.
We are calling on all people to come and explore our city by their preferred method of human-powered transport between the hours of 2pm and 4pm on Sunday.
Activities along the route will include cycling and walking tours, face painting, street games, live music and more, reduced admission to King John’s Castle and freedom to weave through the city’s streets however, the main attraction is open streets.
Pack a lunch, bring a blanket, invite a neighbour, and have a picnic, or enjoy one of the many shops and stores open around the city centre.
Get your bike out of the shed or lace-up your rollerblades or skates, the city is yours to go explore.
The cyclovia route begins on O’Connell Street, down Bedford Row, along the quays to Shannon Bridge, over Condell Road before turning right onto Shelbourne Road.
It then proceeds along O’Callaghan and Clancy Strands before turning right over Thomond Bridge, down Nicholas Street, right onto Bridge Street, continuing over Mathew Bridge before turning right onto Francis Street, through Arthur’s Quay Park, under Sarsfield Bridge and returning to Bedford Row and O’Connell Street.
There will be traffic restrictions in place along the route.
The cyclovia is open to everyone, young, old and of all abilities. During cyclovia cautious and more vulnerable cyclists get to explore their city on their terms, walkers are no longer confined to the footpath and skaters, scooters and rollerbladers have the space of the open road.
Limerick’s mild climate, compact size and flat terrain lends itself easily to being a healthy active commuting city. Cyclovia promotes and increases awareness for cycling and walking as an acceptable and safe mode of travel in our city. It also raises discussions about how we use our city spaces and how we could best optimise them to serve the city.
Cyclovia is not competitive, it’s not a race. It’s a chance to enjoy your city from a different perspective, It’s a chance to meet neighbours old and new, it’s a carbon-free, people-powered movement that celebrates shared space and shared community.