On behalf of Mobiel 21 we wish you all a happy heathy new year with good vibes on the road! It’s that time again when a lot of us make resolutions for the new year. Maybe you want to start exercising? Get through your reading list? Plan more activities with family and friends? … Or maybe you hate making resolutions and you just want to enjoy 2023? That’s all fine. But when it comes to mobility, our planet needs some more good intentions. And we happen to have two low-threshold challenges anyone can try out!
1. 30 dagen minder wagen / 30 days without car
Last year more than 6.500 people in Belgium (Flanders) choose to leave their cars parked for at least 30 days. The campaign is an initiative of Netwerk Duurzame Mobiliteit and its members, including Mobiel 21. This year, we’re aiming to double the participants! Everyone who wants to join the challenge will get regular inspiration with sustainable promotions, and this time you will be able to compete in a group of family, friends, or colleagues. You simply have to register on the website: Homepage | 30 dagen minder wagen. And you can already start the challenge now by reading this recently launched e-book packed with helpful car-free tips and tricks!
2. Car-Free Sunday
A second good intention for the new year is to experience more car-free days! Because it’s good for the ears, heart, and lungs and it’s just a lot of fun. J Therefore we sent a new year’s wish for a great Car-Free Sunday in 2023 to all public administrations. But you don’t have to wait for your administration to fire into action. You as citizens can also initiate a Car-Free (Sun)day. There’s a range of possibilities from requesting a play street to urging your administration to organize a bigger event. Get inspired with our DIY guide and keep us posted!
What is your mobility resolution for 2023?
- What is mobility?
- What is a resolution?
- New Year’s resolutions are lame, I’m not participating!
- No idea yet, I came here for inspiration…
- I definitely have some mobility resolutions for 2023 and I will share them in the comments!!!
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Thanks for getting the ball rolling @sanne.vanderstraeten
My honest first resolution is:
don’t make any resolutions in January 
I don’t want to be just another temporary visitor in the gym when it is busiest and packed with other temporary visitors!
I do plan on making changes more gradually. Last year we experimented with 1 change, however small, at a time. Many of those have stuck much longer than making lots of changes all at once then finding the effort too much and dropping them all.
For example, rather than “becoming vegetarian”, or “eating vegan for a month” we committed to having at least 1 vegan/vegetarian family meal per week … and now we regularly have 2 or 3.
I’m hoping to do the same with my mobility and other sustainable choices this year.
Mobility Resolution #1
I’m planning to ditch my leased EV, but rather than go car-free in one go, we’re going to buy a second-hand EV, and put it on a sharing site so others can use it - meaning we will also be “car free” on those days. We don’t use it much, but we’re still used to having it around.
Mobility Resolution #2
(Finally) buy myself an e-bike for local journeys. There are too many hills around my home in London for me to get any ‘momentum’ with switching to regular cycling (as a rather unfit 50+ year old). I might try leasing one (e.g. Swapfiets), but the plan is to buy a second-hand one for myself soon - then maybe my family members will be tempted to join me.
Mobility Resolution #3
To campaign locally for a parking-free approach to our local station to encourage others to see this ‘hub’ in a new way, and to avoid unnecessary car journeys locally.
Maybe others have something similar to share? Hopefully this can inspire other ideas
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I’m not normally a New Year resolution type of guy, but there is something I’d like to focus on more in 2023:
Recreational cycling
Today, I cycle every work day from the local train station to my apartment, using Antwerp’s bike-sharing system, called Velo.
These small bikes are amazing to cycle short distances, but not intended for longer rides. So a few weeks ago, I bought myself a comfortable second-hand “Omafiets” (or literally “grandma bike”). Why this type of bike? Well, it has an oldschool backward kick brake! In my opinion, the greatest invention since sliced bread. 
Obvisouly, I did not buy the bike just for the brakes. I intend to use it to do some more recreational cycling in 2023: along the canal to visit family members in the Kempen, through the polders to unwind, or just for an envigorating morning ride in my neighbourhood park…
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Thanks guys, so great to read this!
And @Rob_Telraam , you have a very good point there that one of the keys to longlasting behavourial change is to set reacheable goals and break it up in smaller steps. And you both are keen on cycling more, electric or bomma-style: nice! 
Anyone else who wants to share their mobility desires with us? Anything goes.
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Something completely different, my resolution(s). In our street, we are confronted with a lot of car traffic and car traffic that is speeding. Although we are a ‘woonerf’ with a speed limit of 20 km/h and the idea that as a pedestrian you can use thé whole street and even play on the street.
When checking these figures (Telraam | Platte Lostraat), everyone will understand that a 'woonerf’in this street is a big joke.
We have been confronting our local government and police with this joke. But our last ‘confrontation’ was some time ago. So finally my resolutions: coming back again on this to our local government and designing some posters to also inform car drivers.
Soon.
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So we developed our posters to inform the passers-by about our ‘Woonerf’! :slight_smile.
We inform them about the fact that it is a ‘Woonerf’ (because the traffic sign at the beginning of our street is really small), and about what the principles are of a ‘woonerf’:
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As it is now early February, is it too early to check in on our resolutions?
Here are my reports:
- My car is going back on 22/2 and no (current) plans to replace it for a while
- I’m still looking for a reasonable second-hand e-bike. Hard to find an ommafiets style ebike here in the UK
- Working on a number of local plans, including parking-free station, plans for local low-traffic neighbourhoods and a walking festival
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Impressive! I hope you find your bike soon. Here in Belgium it’s currently the perfect cycling weather 
Keep us updated.
And @ElkeFranchois , did you notice any effects after hanging the posters?
Anyone else who has a statusupdate to share? Welcome! 
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No, we see no difference, unfortunately…
That’s a shame, hang in there!
