It has been a while since we’ve talked about the car free day we are supposed to be having. There is a good reason for that.
After Councillor Richard Cook’s motion was voted through, the Council’s team of car-centric ‘no’ men have been sticking their oar in.
A tweet from Councillor Cook this week has revealed a significantly scaled-back car free day set for 22nd September. It’s actually more of a car free street now.
A car-free Park Place day…
So, it is just going to be Park Place then, home of the Students Union, a few other university buildings and a forthcoming cycle cafe that is currently under construction.
Curiously, someone who seems to be in the loop for anything exciting going on, Matt Williams from Cardiff Ajax has suggested that this will be a test for permanently closing off Park Place.
https://twitter.com/mattd_williams/status/751361970520068096
Closing off Park Place would certainly make things a lot more pleasant around the University and would simplify the stream of traffic coming into the City Centre, forcing everyone down North Road.
However, as an exercise, restricting the ‘car-free day’ to one street that really holds little of commercial interest along its length is going to do absolutely nothing to change the perception amongst traders that the car and commercial trade are intrinsically linked. It sounds a bit pointless now, to be honest.
Cardiff By Bike 