Let’s change habits, travel differently! 16 to 22 September 2011 – European Mobility Week in Ljubljana.

For the tenth consecutive year, the City of Ljubljana is taking part in European Mobility Week, the most widespread campaign for sustainable mobility that runs between 16 and 22 September every year. We are building upon activities undertaken thus far with the closure of a section of Slovenska cesta to vehicle traffic for the whole week.

Slovenska cesta will be closed between Gosposvetska and Aškerčeva cesta from 16 to 22 September 2011. It will be closed to all vehicle traffic except city public transport buses, emergency vehicles and vehicles with City of Ljubljana permits. Access to the Kongresni trg (Congress Square) car park will be from Šubičeva ulica.

The City of Ljubljana has chosen to close this part of Slovenska cesta for the additional reason that, in the long term, it plans to dedicate the road exclusively to pedestrians, cyclists and public transport.

This year’s central theme, ‘travel differently’, opens the way to sustainable development, the introduction of alternative mobility, contributes to reduced energy consumption and helps to improve the environmental impacts of the transport system. Alternative mobility enables us to benefit from a healthier urban life, which is safer and more pleasant due to better air quality and reduced noise and CO2 emissions.

As part of European Mobility Week, every year we carry out one or more sustainability measures. This year, these are the remodelling of Congress Square, where the areas formerly used for car parking have been transformed into pedestrianised areas with green spaces, and the adaptation of city public transport bus stops. The stops are to be equipped with a safety line and gradually height-adapted to suit the new buses. For passenger safety, the busiest stops in the city centre and all new bus stops will be given a safety line a few metres long parallel with the road 30cm from the curb. The line will be done in such a way that blind people using a stick will notice it, as will every passenger who steps on it. The ‘Pošta’ stop at the central post office will be done as a pilot project. As well as the safety line, the appropriate height of stops will be put in place in the construction of new stops and the upgrading of existing stops.

Among others, preparations for European Mobility Week have been made by the departments and services of the City of Ljubljana, partners in the EU CIVITAS ELAN project, the public companies and institutes owned by the City of Ljubljana, Ljubljana police, the Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning, the European Parliament information office in Slovenia, the European Commission Representation in Slovenia and various other societies and organisations.

In addition to its regular measurement of air and noise pollution at Tivolska cesta, during European Mobility Week the City of Ljubljana’s Department for Environmental Protection will carry out additional air pollution monitoring with a mobile measuring post on Slovenska cesta (at Drama). Measurements of pollution by SO2, NOx, PM10 and BTX will be taken. The ongoing measurement records (hourly values) will be available on the www.ljubljana.si website, on which final results of the measurements taken will also be published when the task has been concluded.

In joint patrols, the City of Ljubljana’s traffic wardens and Ljubljana police will carry out more stringent controls of traffic, illegal parking and stopping at bus stops, non-permitted use of yellow lanes, illegal parking and stopping in cycling areas, cyclists‘ behaviour etc.

At an info point in Prešeren Square from 9am to 1pm from 16 to 22 September 2011, partners in the CIVITAS ELAN project, co-financed by the EU, will raise public awareness about the European Mobility Week programme, provide project information and promote sustainable forms of mobility. At various sites in Bežigrad, primarily along Dunajska cesta, they will encourage the use of city buses with the slogan ‘a step to the bus, a moment to your destination’. As part of the campaign, smaller guidance boards will be put up with the distance to the nearest bus stop.

From 16 September on, the Ljubljana public transport public company will use the ‘110 years of public transport in Ljubljana’ travelling exhibition to inform residents of and visitors to the Slovenian capital about the history of public transport in Ljubljana. The exhibition will be on a city public transport bus all the way to 31 December 2011.

There is going to be a mobility workshop called ‘Safely on an LPP bus’ on a city public transport bus which will be sited at Vegova ulica next to Kongresni trg. The objective of the workshop, which lasts just over an hour, is to facilitate the socialisation of elderly residents and to improve their quality of life in the city via regular public transport use. Passengers will be given practical advice on overcoming the barriers to public transport that older people may face. The workshops will not take place in the event of rain.

In front of the EU House at Breg 14, the European Parliament information office in Slovenia and the European Commission Representation in Slovenia will set up an information stand where between 10am and 6pm passersby can find out about sustainable mobility and the EU’s measures in this field. Visitors to the stand in front of the EU House can check their knowledge about sustainable mobility by taking part in a ‘Wheel of Fortune’ prize game.

The Ljubljana Tourism public institute has prepared a free tourist programme including a viewing of City Hall, guided walks around Ljubljana, guided tours by bike, tourist train journeys up to Ljubljana Castle and on the Happy Johnny panoramic bus.

Daily activities

Friday 16 September 2011

At 10am on Vegova ulica, Ljubljana Public Transport begins its ‘Safely on an LPP bus’ mobility workshop.

Staff from the Slovenian office of the Regional Environmental Centre, a partner in the CIVITAS ELAN project, together with the Slovenian Transport Ministry, the European Platform on Mobility Management (EPOMM), Sinergija Development Agency, the Ljubljana Urban Region’s Regional Development Agency and other CIVITAS ELAN project partners have organised a conference entitled ‘Mobility management and mobility centres – European experiences and Slovenian challenges’. The conference runs from 9am to 6pm on 15 September 2011 and 9am to 5pm on 16 September 2011 in City Hall’s Large Meeting Hall.

From 8am to noon, joint patrols by the City of Ljubljana’s traffic wardens and Ljubljana police will carry out strict control of illegal parking and stopping at bus stops and of non-permitted use of yellow lanes that are designated for LPP buses.

 

Saturday 17 September 2011

The Slovenian Skike Club will have a promotion of Nordic skating in Congress Square between 10am and 7pm.

From 8am to noon, joint patrols by the City of Ljubljana’s traffic wardens and Ljubljana police will carry out strict control of illegal parking and stopping in cycle lanes and LPP bus stops.

 

Sunday 18 September 2011

Ljubljana Tourism public institute will organise a free tourist programme:

• free viewing of City Hall with costumed guide: at 10.30, 11.30, 12.30, 15.30, 16.30 and 17.30;
• free sightseeing tour of the city: two-hour walks around Ljubljana at 10.00, 11.00, 15.00, 16.00 and 17.00;
• free sightseeing tour by bike: two-hour guided tours by bike (maximum 15 people) at 11.00, 13.00 and 15.00;
• free journeys up to Ljubljana Castle by tourist train: journeys all day as per timetable
• free getting-to-know Ljubljana and its sights a little differently – trips with the Happy Johnny panoramic bus at 9.00 and 15.00.

From 10am to 4pm, joint patrols by the City of Ljubljana’s traffic wardens and Ljubljana police will carry out strict speed checks and cycling violations.

 

Monday 19 September 2011

In partnership with the Automobile Association of Slovenia (AMZS) Safe Journey Centre and implementation by the Europe Centre, the European Commission Representation in Slovenia and the Slovenian Government Communication Office have prepared a workshop on the safety of different road users entitled ‘More forms of mobility, more forms of danger – let’s be careful together’. The workshop runs from 5pm to 7pm at the Europe Centre at Dalmatinova 4.

With colleagues and other co-organisers, CIVITAS ELAN has prepared a CIVITAS day and cycling events: ‘Ljubljana – Copenhagen – two cities – one bike’

A Ljubljana Cycling Network photography exhibition: ‘Ljubljana on the cycling frontier, in the labyrinth of cars’, from 9 to 30 September 2011, at various sites around Ljubljana. (Ljubljana Cycling Network, CIVITAS ELAN, Ljubljana Tourism Institute, the Danish Embassy, the City of Ljubljana, Europlakat and Fotoformat d.o.o.).

Photography exhibition by M. C. Andersen : ‘Monumental motion: a cycling life in the Danish capital’ from 19 September to 25 October 2011 at Krakovski nasip, opening at 4pm on 19 September (CIVITAS ELAN, Ljubljana Tourism Institute, the Danish Embassy, the City of Ljubljana).

Lecture by M. C. Andersen on urban cycling culture, 7pm, 19 September 2011, Ljubljana City Museum (CIVITAS ELAN, the City of Ljubljana, Ljubljana City Museum).

Civitas parade, 19 September 2011 at 16.30, starting at Krakovski nasip until 19. 00, finishing at Ljubljana City Museum, at 17.00 stop at Kongresni trg and take part in the ‘I breathe dance’ project (CIVITAS ELAN, Ljubljana Cycling Network, Ljubljana Regional Paraplegic Society).

The ‘I breathe dance’ performance by Kazina dance school, at Kongresni trg, 19 September 2011 at 10am and 5pm (Kazina dance school, City of Ljubljana primary and middle schools, CIVITAS ELAN). Part of a Ljubljana Regional Paraplegic Society dance performance project at 17.00.

Slovenian Railways have an info point at Congress Square from 10am to 6pm.

At noon on Vegova ulica near Congress Square, Ljubljana Public Transport (LPP) award the prizes for the best drawings entered in a competition called ‘We drive the selected’. The competition, whose main theme was the ‘busbonton’ campaign for good behaviour on buses, drew more than 600 individual artworks from youngsters from kindergartens and primary schools in and around Ljubljana. The winning designs will be published the next day on GEM digital screens on buses and on the www.lpp.si website; the winning drawing will be seen around the city as a large sticker on the outside of an LPP bus. In the event of rain, the event will be postponed until the following day.

From 7am to 1pm, joint patrols by the City of Ljubljana’s traffic wardens and Ljubljana police will carry out strict controls of illegal parking on cycle paths and cycling violations (cycling the wrong way on cycle lanes).

 

Tuesday 20 September 2011

The European Commission Representation in Slovenia and the Slovenian Government Communication Office, implemented by the Europe Centre, are organising an event at Ajdovščina trg between 11am and 3pm entitled ‘Mobility is a skill’. As part of this interactive open-air event, visitors will have free bike servicing, rollerblading lessons, mini competitions in slow cycling on Bicikelj bikes, a monocycling circus skills workshop, tightrope walking, "rola bolo", etc.

The City of Ljubljana’s Traffic Accident Prevention and Education Council will set up at traffic oriented sites – information points (stands) at Prešeren Square, the junction of Miklošičeva cesta and Čufarjeva ulica, at the bus station, the Bavarski dvor junction, the junction near Delavski dom, at Prežihova ulica, the junction of Prešernova cesta and Cankarjeva ulica, on Trg narodnih herojev and at a junction near Nama (Cankarjeva ulica) from 9am to 1pm where its permanent staff, traffic experts and police officers will advise and warn about traffic dangers, answer questions about traffic regulations, showcase how to cycle properly and the most appropriate cycling equipment and protective cycling helmets. The advice will be aimed especially at organised groups of cyclist pupils accompanied by primary school mentors.

At 10am on Vegova ulica near Congress Square, Ljubljana Public Transport is organising a mobility workshop entitled ‘Safely on an LPP bus’.

From 1pm to 5pm, joint patrols by the City of Ljubljana’s traffic wardens and Ljubljana police will carry out strict speed checks and controls of the use of protective helmets by cyclists.

 

Wednesday 21 September 2011

From 9am to noon, with the City of Ljubljana’s traffic wardens and volunteers, CIVITAS ELAN is organising CIVITAS patrols with friendly warnings about mistakes made (driving on yellow lanes and improper parking).

Presentation of the National portal for electric vehicle users at Kodeljevo Castle from 4pm to 6pm, co-organised by CIVITAS ELAN, Etrel, Slovenian Government Office for Climate Change, the Slovenian Electric Vehicle Society and traders.

The European Commission Representation in Slovenia and the Slovenian Government Communication Office, implemented by the Europe Centre, are running a workshop on the practical aspects of manufacturing and using electric vehicles entitled ‘Electric mobility in practice’’. The workshop runs at the Europe Centre at Dalmatinova 4, from 5pm to 7pm.

From 8am to noon, joint patrols by the City of Ljubljana’s traffic wardens and Ljubljana police will carry out strict controls of intimidation in traffic.

 

Thursday 22 September 2011 – car free day (car free week)

From 10am and 1pm and 3pm to 6pm in front of the EU House at Breg 14, the European Parliament information office in Slovenia in partnership with academic artist Katarina Vidmar and the ZEK urban graffiti team are preparing a campaign called ‘Paint your bike’. Visitor-cyclists will be invited to paint their bikes helped by artists. The area in front of the EU House will be booming with hip hop beats and the mood among the painters will be stepped up by the break dancing group ‘Flow From Below’. Meanwhile, as the visitors are waiting for the new paint on their bikes to dry, they can take part in a dance workshop where with modern dancers they can learn how dance can put you in a specific mood, relax, enjoy active movement and disregard age restrictions.

At the end of the bike painting, the European Parliament information office in Slovenia will have a "Paint your bike’ exhibition in the atrium of the EU House, where the most imaginatively painted bikes will be put on display. The bikes will also have awareness raising labels attached about traffic in urban areas. The exhibition will be open between 10am and 6pm until 29 September 2011.

At the measurement station on Tivolska ulica, the Department for Environmental Protection will have an open door day. The doors of the measurement station will be open between 8am and 3pm. That day you will be able to view the operation of the measurement station and get answers to various questions about the measuring devices, measurements, norms and state of pollution.

The City of Ljubljana’s Traffic Accident Prevention and Education Council will give away traffic education materials to 105 Ljubljana kindergartens (30 reflective vests per kindergarten) for the traffic corner which will be provided by donors. The event is to take place at the Jarše kindergarten, Mojca Unit, Clevelandska ulica 13, at 10am.

At 10am on Vegova ulica near Congress Square, Ljubljana Public Transport is organising a mobility workshop entitled ‘Safely on an LPP bus’.