When Driving Is Not an Option with Anna Zivarts

Building Communities that Work for Nondrivers

On Tuesday, October 14, at the Ford Alumni Center, learn about providing transportation options for everyone with visually impaired parent and author Anna Zivarts.

Tuesday, October 14, 2025
4:30–7:00 pm
Ford Alumni Center, University of Oregon
1720 East 13^th Avenue, Eugene, OR 97403

Free. But to reserve your space, please register … and preorder Anna’s book at 25% off!

Schedule

• 4:30–5:30 pm: Social Hour / Mini Fair — As you enjoy free food and drink, learn about transportation opportunities from some of our partners.
• 5:30–6:30 pm: Presentation — Learn about providing transportation options for everyone with Anna Zivarts.
• 6:30–6:45 pm: Local Response — Hear from Eugene Mayor Kaarin Knudson, Lane Transit District CEO Jameson Auten, and other communities leaders about what to do locally.
• 6:45–7:00 pm: Book Signing — Anna Zivarts will be signing copies of her book.

Speaker

Anna Zivarts is a visually impaired parent and author. She launched the Week Without Driving and is currently building a nondriver advocacy organization in Washington State. She also serves as a member of the Transportation Research Board’s Committee on Public Health and Transportation and sits on the boards of the League of American Bicyclists.

Book

Anna Zivarts will be signing her book, When Driving Is Not an Option: Steering Away from Car Dependency (Island Press, 2024), which shines a light on the number of people in the United States who cannot drive and explains how improving our transportation system with nondrivers in mind will create a better quality of life for everyone.

One third of people living in the United States do not have a driver license. Because the majority of involuntary nondrivers are disabled, lower income, unhoused, formerly incarcerated, undocumented immigrants, kids, young people, and the elderly, they are largely invisible. The consequence of this invisibility is a mobility system designed almost exclusively for drivers. This system has human-health, environmental, and quality-of-life costs for everyone, not just for those excluded from it.  If we’re serious about addressing climate change and inequality, we must address our transportation system.

Preorder by Monday, September 29, for just $24, 25% off the cover price.

Ford Alumni Center

The University of Oregon Ford Alumni Center is located next to the Matthew Knight Arena along Franklin Boulevard. There are several options for getting there, including:

• Bicycle: Ride your own bike or a PeaceHealth Rides shared bike and lock up near Matthew Knight Arena.
• Bus: Take LTD’s Emerald Express (EmX) bus rapid transit to nearby Agate Station.
• Car: The University of Oregon has hourly pay-to-park areas located around campus at a rate of $2.00 per hour.

Get There Challenge

Anna’s presentation marks the end of the Get There Challenge, October 1–14, 2025. This is Oregon’s friendly, two-week competition to promote greener, more active, and more affordable transportation options, helping Oregon be an even better place to live, work, and play!

Sponsors

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Further reading

• Transit riders share stories at community-building event ahead of ‘Week Without Driving’ (BikePortland, 8/25/25)
• How ‘Week Without Driving’ Is Having An Impact (Anna Zivarts, Streetsblog USA, 8/5/25)
• Advocate for nondrivers, Anna Zivarts, will speak in Portland Wednesday (BikePortland, 4/25/25)
• E-Bikes Mean Freedom for Low-Vision Bicyclists (Anna Zivarts, Streets.mn, 2/5/25)
• Week Without Driving has arrived—here’s why it matters (Smart Growth America, 9/30/24)
• Recognizing Nondrivers Can Spur a Revolution in Transportation and Housing (Anna Zivarts, The Urbanist, 9/29/24)
• When ‘Prioritizing All Modes’ Is a Lie (Anna Zivarts, Planetizen, 9/16/24)
• WEBINAR: When Driving Is Not An Option (Anna Zivarts, America Walks at YouTube, 9/4/24)
• Don’t Forget About Non-Drivers in Rural America (Anna Zivarts, Streetsblog USA, 8/23/24)
• Steering Away from Car Dependency Is Not About Toughing It Out (Anna Zivarts, The Urbanist, 6/26/24)
• Talking Headways Podcast: When Driving is Not an Option (Streetsblog USA, 6/20/24)
• Can We Go Beyond Car Primacy—To Policymaking that Serves People and Places First? (Anna Zivarts, Sightline Institute, 6/12/24)
• WEBINAR: When Driving Is Not An Option (Anna Zivarts, Transit Equity Network at YouTube, 6/7/24)
• What If Non-Drivers Helped Plan Our Transportation Systems? (Anna Zivarts, Next City, 5/10/24)
• The Dawn of the ‘Non-Driver’ Movement: A Conversation with Anna Zivarts (Streetsblog USA, 5/9/24)
• When Driving Is Not an Option with Anna Zivarts (The War on Cars, 5/7/24)
• WEBINAR: How National Week Without Driving is Shifting the Transportation Paradigm (America Walks, 10/5/23)
• What a Week Without Driving Can Teach (Anna Zivarts, Bloomberg CityLab, 9/18/23)