Actif-trafic Referendum
Sunday, March 12th, 2000 was the day of a vote, a "Citizens' Initiative" which was intended to challenge voters' attitudes and the politics of sustainability in Switzerland. The call was for government and its agencies to do whatever is needed to cut motorized vehicle kms in the region by >50% steadily over the course of the next ten years (not including public transportation). The target area is the entire Swiss Confederation, the cantons, and the communes. This would reduce the traffic volume to the level existing at the beginning of the Seventies. The initiative, which was carefully scoped and prepared over a period of several years, did not specify the measures with which to achieve the reduction. However, the supporting groups had blocked out a detailed concept plan. For details see http://www.actif-trafic.ch/.
Only 21% of those going to the polls approved this initiative on March 12th. Does that mean it was a bad idea? That it could have benefited from a different approach? Is this just one more flagrant loss which is to be forgotten as soon as possible? Or might it be a step in the right direction?
We are hopeful that the results will be carefully scrutinized and discussed in these various discussions groups and fora, in the hope that we can learn the lessons of this important experience in activist democracy (as opposed to the administered brand that so many seem to prefer... see de Tocqueville for further clarification on this one). For the time being we can offer the following background materials for these discussions. We also have asked the actif-trafic group to supply additional background and links, as well as perhaps to comment themselves on all of this. Your inputs are cordially invited.
Available as per 13 March 2000
Materials available in French, English, German and Italian.
Further materials being sought. Thank you for sharing.
Thus far there have been some first exchanges on these events in the Sustran and utsg fora, as well as under several sections of The Commons and TP2000. This search engine is intended to help visitors recall these materials based on their keyword searches. (For further assistance on this, see Search Tips here.)
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Updated 13 March 2000