Telegraph Hill residents went car free to support children’s playtime and cleaner air

Around 400 residents joined in on Sunday 20 September as a normally busy road was transformed into a vehicle-free play street for World Car Free Day 2026. Attendees walked, wheeled, and scooted to the event focused on greener travel, cleaner air and stronger community connections. 

The family-friendly day encouraged people to rethink how they travel and to adopt more sustainable habits while enjoying a day of community activities and entertainment. 

World Car Free Day is a global initiative that encourages people to explore cleaner and greener ways to travel. By reducing vehicle use, communities can help improve air quality, cut carbon emissions and create safer, more welcoming public spaces for everyone. 

Lewisham Council and London Cycling Campaign joined forces to deliver London Cycling Festival (LCF) as part on the event. The festival encouraged residents to get active and get on their bikes. The London Cycling Festival, a celebration of cycling across the capital, brought cycling activities to Lewisham as part of the day's programme. With 100 free Lime bike codes given out to attendees. 

Residents were able to speak to Council teams about responsible bike use and how to report abandoned bikes via Love Clean Streets, particularly where they were found in rivers, ponds or waterways.  

To help improve green spaces in the borough, residents were invited to design their dream park. Giving people the opportunity to share what they love best about the borough's parks and green spaces, and what they’d like to see more of.  

Car Free Day has been running in Lewisham for three years, free activities for residents at the event help people learn more about sustainable transport, while having fun with their families. Activities included: 

• Cycling sessions delivered as part of the London Cycling Festival by London Cycling Campaign. 
• interactive play activities for children and families run by London Play
• face painting for all ages
• stalls hosted by Lewisham Council services, including air quality, Lewisham Listens, strategic waste and Nature Neighbourhoods
• a stall run by London Fire Brigade raising awareness around lithium-ion batteries in e-bikes and e-scooters
• a fire appliance
• Solve The School Run

The Lewisham Listens stall was there to engage with residents about the upcoming Healthy Neighbourhoods programme set to launch in Telegraph Hill. The programme will work alongside the community to make our neighbourhoods more walking and cycling-friendly, improve accessibility for disabled and wheelchair users, make our local roads greener, improve our air quality and reduce danger and congestion through residential roads.   

Cllr Corin Ashwell, Cabinet Member for said: “Less traffic, more play, that’s what Car Free Day is all about, and it was great to see that in the heart of Telegraph Hill. A huge thank you to everyone who came along, got involved and helped turn Kitto Road into a brilliant space for families and the community.” 

If you visited any of the stalls, either Council-run or partner-led, and would like to find out more about the services they offer or would like to take part in next year's event, please contact the Civic Events team at CivicEvents@lewisham.gov.uk.