With over 4,000 signatures on their petition-car, Toronto activist group Streets Are for People! is ready to deliver their anti-car petition, in automobile and paper form, to MPP Rosario Marchese. Supporters will gather on Earth Day, April 22nd, to push the motorless car in a parade from Kensington Market to Queen's Park.

Streets Are for People!, who aim to raise awareness of alternative uses of our city streets, organized this petition to call upon the Ontario government to redirect funds spent supporting the automobile industry toward pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, public transit and an inter-city train system. In other words: "cars suck."

Plus, as it says on the windshield of the car, "We want to dance in the street."

The windshield text also calls for more bike lanes, public space and cleaner air. "Cars are a blight on our planet," says Streets are for People! co-founder Shamez Amlani, "They contribute to resource depletion, corporate hegemony, perpetual war, and urban decay."

As it turns out, Queen's Park does not officially recognize petitions on cars, or at least not without proper language. So in addition to the symbolic petition-car, a secondary but official paper petition will also be delivered. The full text and rationale for that petition is available online, where you can also add your signature.

The Earth Day celebrations begin early, on Sunday, April 20th, in Yonge-Dundas Square for a rally featuring the petition-car, followed by a parade and street festival on John St, between Queen and Richmond. The Earth Day parade begins at 1pm at Bellvue Park, Tuesday, April 22nd.

Photo courtesy of Streets Are for People!