Newsroom
For Immediate Release
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Contact: Bobbi Greenberg 703-228-4787 (voice) 703-228-4611(TTY)
Arlington Celebrates World Car-Free Day
Launches Seven-Day Diet Plan to Help Residents & Commuters Go Car-Free
ARLINGTON, Va. – Today, on World Car-Free Day, Arlington County is hosting a local Car-Free Diet Celebration and rolling out its Seven-Day Diet Plan to help residents and commuters save money, protect the environment and burn calories.
“Arlington is nationally recognized as a great place to walk or bike,” said Board Chairman Barbara Favola. “We invite residents and commuters to try getting around the County without a car, even if just a few days a week. You’ll save money and reduce air pollution.”
World Car-Free Day Event Details
Join us at the Car-Free Diet Celebration from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 22, at Mister Days, 3100 Clarendon Blvd. Begin your own Car-Free Diet by taking transit to the festivities. Mister Days is near the Clarendon Metro Station and served by ART 41 and 77 and Metrobus 24P and 38B.
The Seven-Day Diet Plan
To start the Seven-Day Diet Plan, residents and commuters can visit the Car-Free Diet web site where you can find tools, such as the Car-Free Diet calculator, that show how much money you’ll save, emissions you’ll reduce and calories you can burn by going car-free. Links to the Car-Free Diet Facebook fan page and Twitter page provides car-free dieters with a way to share their experiences. You’ll find suggestions for each day of the plan that will help you make the most of your diet.
Arlington County Commuter Services (ACCS), a bureau within the Department of Environmental Services, promotes Arlington’s Car-Free Diet and facilitates the use of alternative types of transportation. From July 2007 to July 2008, the use of ACCS-sponsored transportation alternatives in Arlington helped eliminate 38,000 daily vehicle trips, which eliminated 64,000 tons of air pollution and saved nearly 23,000 gallons of gasoline.
Arlington, Va., is a world-class residential, business and tourist location that was originally part of the "10 miles square" parcel of land surveyed in 1791 to be the Nation's Capital. It is the geographically smallest self-governing county in the United States, occupying slightly less than 26 square miles. Arlington maintains a rich variety of stable neighborhoods, quality schools and enlightened land use, and received the Environmental Protection Agency's highest award for "Smart Growth" in 2002. Home to some of the most influential organizations in the world - including the Pentagon - Arlington stands out as one of America's preeminent places to live, visit and do business.
