Rome and about 150 other Italian cities banned cars from their centers yesterday, launching a campaign that will impose such bans on the first Sunday of each month through May in an effort to cut down on air pollution. People came out on foot, skates, and bikes to enjoy the unusually quiet and clean streets. Many cities made public transportation free, and didn’t charge entrance fees to museums and archeological sites. Enviros are thrilled with the initiative, and are pushing for all Sundays to become permanently car-less. Italy has more cars per capita than any other European country, one car for every 1.8 residents — though they’re still behind the U.S., which has one car for every 1.7 people. The European Union is considering extending the experimental Sunday program throughout the continent.
