Barrie is considering closing off the waterfront and downtown streets to cars – and encouraging cycling – for one Sunday next year, in a move to get residents moving and discovering their community.

“One challenge I see as a councillor in the southwest is there are not many families who spend time at the waterfront. (A car-free day) would attract them to the waterfront and attract new residents. I wholeheartedly encourage this and look forward to our first car-free Sunday,” said Ward 7 Coun. John Brassard.

Barrie would be following the lead of other communities, the best-known being Bogota, Colombia. There on Sundays, many of the city’s roads close to cars and some are restricted to one or two lanes of traffic. Residents are then free to explore their community by foot, by bicycle or by skates or skateboard.

“Obviously car-free Sundays are happening on a huge scale in Bogota, but we have to start somewhere,” said Ward 5 Coun. Lynn Strachan.

“(Encouraging active transportation like cycling and walking) just doesn’t help our environment.

It adds to the quality of life. It promotes health and wellness. It shows the kind of city we want to have. If people can get around without their cars, it becomes a better place to live.”

The 2009 pilot project would focus on creating the car-free zone along Lakeshore Drive and Simcoe Street, between Minet’s Point Road and Mulcaster Street.

As well as evaluating that idea, Barrie is examining what streets in the city could accommodate bike lanes, as well as enhancing streetscapes to encourage cyclists and pedestrians.

Barrie is also installing more bike racks in the city core, and more are to be added along the waterfront.

The city also features 51 km of trails – including 15 km of the Trans Canada, 5 km of the Nine-Mile Portage trail, almost 4 km of waterfront trail and 3 km along the north shore