28 Years Ago, La Rochelle Launched Car-Free Day in France
This page is translated from the original post "Il y a 28 ans, La Rochelle inaugurait en France la Journée Sans Voiture" in French.
- 09/09/2025 11:35
On September 9, 1997, La Rochelle became the first French city to organize a Car-Free Day.
This pioneering initiative by La Rochelle marked a turning point in raising awareness about urban pollution and sustainable mobility. This day, established by the then mayor, Michel Crépeau, aimed to free the city center from car traffic, thus providing residents with pedestrian spaces conducive to relaxation and social interaction. The streets were then occupied by pedestrians, cyclists, rollerbladers, and other non-polluting modes of transport, allowing the people of La Rochelle to rediscover their city from a different perspective.
According to La Rochelle Info, the idea for this initiative partly originated from the show Envoyé Spécial on France 2, which was looking for a counter-example to illustrate a show about pollution in large cities. The municipality submitted the project to the “Forum des 250,” a collective of local associations, which widely supported the idea. This participatory approach reinforced the democratic and civic character of the event.
A Bicycle Wheel Effect
The success of this first edition inspired other French and European cities. In 1998, the initiative was expanded to a European scale, becoming the Car-Free Day on September 22, as part of the European Mobility Week.
Today, La Rochelle continues to be a model in terms of sustainable mobility. The city was the first in France to implement a bike-sharing service as early as 1976, and it continues its efforts to promote environmentally friendly modes of transport.
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Thus, September 9, 1997, remains an emblematic date, symbolizing La Rochelle’s commitment to a greener and more pleasant city to live in.
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