When Driving Is Not an Option with Anna Zivarts

Building Communities that Work for Nondrivers

On Tuesday, October 14, at the Ford Alumni Center, guests and policymakers learned about transportation options for everyone with visually impaired parent, nondriver, advocate, and author Anna Zivarts.

Missed the live event? Watch the recording below or scroll down for excerpts.

Zoom recording of the presentation by Anna Zivarts.

Summary

Anna Zivarts was born visually impaired. After learning she could not drive, she moved to New York City where that wasn’t a problem. When he son was born with the same visual impairment, she began advocating first for others with disabilities but soon for those who don’t drive.
Those who don’t drive include as many as a third of all Americans:
- people with disabilities,
- people with anxieties,
- people with low incomes,
- people with legal issues,
- more likely to be immigrants or minorities,
- youth,
- seniors,
- and adults who choose not to drive.
Anna Zivarts told stories of people she knows in some of these categories and invited the audience to read quotes and share their own stories.
The Week Without Driving aims to get policymakers to walk in the shoes of those who don’t drive.
Alternatives to driving include:
- walking,
- biking,
- rolling with a mobility assistive or other device,
- riding the bus,
- carpooling,
- driving,
- delivery services, and
- telecommuting.
Although Anna Zivarts focuses on transportation, where people live, work, shop, study, and play (land uses) determine the kinds of trips they need to make and how practical it is to not drive.
Changing transportation systems so that not driving is safe, practical, and enjoyable will take building a broad coalition and highlighting personal stories.

Photos

Charlotte Young, Ph.D., created this graphic recording of the presentation.

What’s your experience with *NOT* driving in Eugene?

How do we make Eugene better when driving is not an option?

Event

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

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 with Q&A — 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 community 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 board of the League of American Bicyclists.

Book

Anna Zivarts signed 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.