The European Mobility Week (EMW), which is organized annually by municipalities throughout Europe from 16 to 22 September, also took place in Walsrode for the first time this year. Under the motto “Mix and Move! – climate-friendly mobility”, numerous activities were carried out during the week. The town of Walsrode organized numerous activities in cooperation with various stakeholders as part of the “On your bikes, get set, go! Environmentally friendly and fit through Walsrode” project.
In cooperation with the ADFC-Heidekreis, the town set up a “thank you point” in rush-hour traffic. On September 19, small, tasty surprises were handed out at a point in Walsrode’s town center that is highly frequented by commuter cyclists – as an expression of gratitude to all those who already use environmentally friendly alternatives to commute to work. This was followed by a “pool noodle campaign” organized by the ADFC. A pool noodle clamped across the luggage rack served as a reminder for all motorists to keep the required minimum distance of 1.50 meters when overtaking cyclists. This is intended to promote the safety of all cyclists in road traffic.
There was also a “light check” at the weekly market during the EMW. In cooperation with the local bike store VELOBOX, all citizens of Walsrode were offered an expert check of their bike lights so that they are optimally prepared for the darker season.
There was a “sign course” for the children, which was organized together with the traffic police. Here, the kids were able to learn the meaning of various traffic signs in a fun way and practice their road safety in a safe environment.
Two activities took place throughout the week: In addition to a promotional book table at the Walsrode public library with interesting literature on cycling tours within the Heidekreis district and on the topic of mobility, the “Wait & Guess” traffic light quiz was held at various traffic lights. Cyclists and pedestrians were invited to test their knowledge and chat while they waited.
The varied programme was rounded off with a creative workshop and a bike tour. Under the title “pimp your bike”, the workshop offered all interested parties the opportunity to decorate their bikes with colorful spokes reflectors, for example. This was followed by a bike tour on the topic of sustainability: under the guidance of Forum Bomlitz e.V., participants cycled around 16 km and visited various places where sustainability is practiced, for example in the form of “market gardening”.
All in all, the town of Walsrode put together a great and varied programme for its first EMW. aconium GmbH was able to assist the town with the conception and planning and was also involved in one or two of the activities on site.
Background to the project
aconium has been supporting the town of Walsrode since 2023 in the implementation of the project “On your bikes, get set, go! Environmentally friendly and fit through Walsrode”. It is supporting the town in implementing a campaign to develop Walsrode into a more bicycle-friendly town center. This involves organising events, setting up a temporary cycle lane, installing more cycling infrastructure and establishing a local network. The topic will be given greater visibility through effective publicity. The entire project is funded by the state of Lower Saxony as part of the “Future Spaces Lower Saxony” funding programme.