West Berkshire Spokes is supporting World Car Free Day on 22 September by encouraging local residents to swap their car journeys for more sustainable alternatives such as cycling, walking and public transport.

Given the climate emergency that we are facing, it is vital that we all play our part in reducing our carbon footprint and working towards becoming carbon neutral. Transport is currently the largest contributor to UK greenhouse gas emissions, with road transport alone accounting for almost a quarter of our total emissions.

We know it’s not easy making changes, so we suggest starting with just one journey and taking it from there. Amazingly, 68% of all the journeys we make are under 5 miles, so whether it is going to the shops, visiting friends, doing the school run or the dreaded commute, most of us can find at least one journey where we could leave the car at home and travel differently.

You can find information on your local cycling and walking routes on the West Berkshire Council website, or why not make use of an online journey planner such as Cycle Streets or Cycle Travel. Alternatively, there are loads of apps to help you such as Komoot and Cyclemaps. There are loads of routes that are traffic-free or that make use of quiet roads.

We’d love you to send us some piccies of you out on your bike tomorrow – just connect on Facebook or Twitter #WorldCarFreeDay.