BEST invites you to challenge your travel habits
During the National Week Without Driving, October 2–8, 2023, BEST invites public officials, transportation professionals, advocates, and others to learn firsthand the challenges those without access to a personal vehicle face daily.
Our transportation system has been built around making sure cars can get where they need to go. The prospect of trying to make it for a week without getting behind the wheel might feel insurmountable.
But nearly one-third of all people living in the United States don’t have a choice. Some are children who are too young to drive, people with disabilities who don’t have the ability to drive, or seniors who are past their driving years. Others are a growing share of young adults who are putting off driving, those who cannot afford to own a personal vehicle, or people with legal issues.
Lacking regular access to or the ability to operate a personal vehicle, getting around can be dangerous, costly, and exhausting.
Walking in someone else’s shoes
To learn by doing, BEST invites you to go a week without driving yourself. For each trip, try to telecommute, walk, bike, roll, scoot, ride the bus, ask a friend to drive you, or pay a professional to drive you.
If you must, grab your keys and drive yourself. There is no shame in doing so. BEST just asks you to reflect on why other ways to get around aren’t practical and how they could be better.
How to participate
Take the pledge now:
Then during the week of October 2–8, 2023:
- Try to go without driving for your daily needs.
- Observe what challenges you face when not driving—or why you decide not driving isn’t practical for particular trips.
- Share your experiences:
- Via email to wwd@best-oregon.org
- On social media using the #WeekWithoutDriving hashtag:
In mid-October, BEST will report on who participated and what they observed.
Webinar
On Thursday, October 5, 2023, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. PT, American Walks will be hosting a webinar:
Partners
Originally launched in 2021 by Disability Rights Washington, this year they are joining with America Walks and others to make the Week Without Driving a national event.
BEST is proud to join with organizations across the nation to promote the event.
Further reading
- Week Without Driving helped people, especially elected officials, understand challenges faced by those who can’t drive (Streetsblog CHI, 10/12/23)
- Why We All Should Try a Week Without Driving (America Walks, 10/2/23)
- To Help Save the Planet, Take the ‘Week Without Driving’ Challenge (Streetsblog USA, 9/29/23)
- 10 Days Before Week Without Driving 2023 (Disability Rights Washington, 9/21/23)
- What a Week Without Driving Can Teach (Anna Zivarts, Bloomberg CityLab, 9/18/23)
- Leading the National Week Without Driving, October 2-8, 2023 (America Walks, 5/4/23)
- Week Without Driving Launches Nationally (Disability Rights Washington, 5/2/23)
- How You Can Host Your Own “Week Without Driving” (America Walks, 11/2/22)
- It’s Not Just Highways. The Time For Street Reform Is Now. (Anna Zivarts, Next City, 10/12/22)
- Why We Still Need a #WeekWithoutDriving (America Walks, 9/20/22)
- Here’s Why We All Need a ‘Week Without Driving’ (Streetsblog USA, 9/16/22)
