This Saturday (22nd September 2007) is World Car Free Day. It’s the perfect time to leave your car at home and head for the city for a day of exploring by foot. Daunted by the sheer size of a city like London? Don’t be, just get online before your go and try walkit.com, the award-winning online walking route planner.
Walkit.com has generated an astonishing 1.3 million kilometres of walking routes across the streets and parks of London, Birmingham and Edinburgh in the past year. It’s a great alternative to expensive taxis, buses and tubes, and congested roads, and very easy to use. Enter any two points to generate a walking route map and journey time between them. Each route also includes an estimate of the number of calories you will burn, and the amount of carbon saved by not travelling by taxi, car or bus. Here are some examples from the site:
London – Buckingham Palace to Bond Street
Birmingham – Custard Factory to Gas Street Basin
Edinburgh – Scottish Parliament to Waverley Station
Walkit.com team has calculated that if every route generated during our first year of its operation had been walked at a medium pace, the site’s visitors would have burnt off over 13 tonnes of chocolate cake and walked 32 times round the earth.
Jamie Wallace, founder of walkit.com, said:
“Savvy people walk. It’s the quick, free, green and healthy way to get around town. No lycra or padding needed. No need for intimacy with sweaty strangers on the bus or tube. And best of all, no waiting – you’re in charge.”
On Sunday (23rd September 2007) parts of London will be completely car free for the Hovis London Freewheel. It’s a rare chance to enjoy London’s sights as you’ve never seen them before. The whole route is only 9 miles in total, and is not a race, so it’s perfect for the whole family, you can even bring grandma along.
While you’re on your bike, stop in at The Freewheel Festival at St James Park where you’ll be entertained by the fantastic Cycling Circus, cycling acrobatics, jugglers, mime artists and face painters. Or brush up on your bicycle maintenance with free demonstrations. Of if you just want a rest and some chill-out time, find a picnic spot where you can watch the festivities from a safe distance.