Anna Zivarts » Register
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When Driving Is Not an Option with Anna Zivarts
Building Communities that Work for Nondrivers
Tuesday, October 14, 2025
4:30–7:00 pm
Ford Alumni Center, University of Oregon
1720 East 13th 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.
If you are unable to attend in person, please register for the livestream via Zoom:
Please tell us who’s coming … and optionally preorder her book or support BEST.
Reviews of When Driving Is Not an Option
“Zivarts punctuates the hard data and research with people’s personal stories, creating a deeply humanized analysis of the scattered and often dangerous state of nondriving transportation in our nation and how we can make things better… In case it isn’t obvious, the book is a must-read.”
Seattle Bike Blog
“For much of my adult life I’ve been among the voluntary nondrivers. I have also had periods when due to disability I’ve been unable to drive, and as a senior I anticipate a time, coming soon, when I won’t be able to drive. But in recounting the experiences of the wide range of nondrivers she has worked with, Zivarts offers many perspectives that were new to me…. Zivarts’ book is excellent in describing specific problems, and equally good at linking the issues of mobility justice to other struggles. So we learn about the connections between car-dependent transport policies and housing affordability, the inequitable distribution of environmental hazards, and the challenges of climate mitigation and adaptation.”
Resilience
“This volume compellingly argues that the US needs to remedy its serious problem with transportation and planning systems to create more equitable and economically efficient structures that would ultimately benefit all citizens… The research and unabashed advocacy here are thorough and fascinating, viewed through kaleidoscopic lenses of urban planning, disability, equity, race, economics, and environmental studies.”
Choice
“Her book pulls the chair out from under the assumption that everyone in the United States drives a car…Although I consider myself a transit activist, Zivarts’s book made me feel like a beginner all over again. It is an invitation to drivers to be in solidarity with nondrivers, to imagine being in their places for a moment, and to make decisions with them in mind.”
The Christian Century
“With When Driving Is Not an Option, Anna Zivarts has coined the defining language of what will surely be a new movement—The Nondriver Movement—and sown a new common ground for everyone oppressed by a car-dominant culture. This book is exacting, whip-smart, and a must-read for every planner, urbanist, traffic engineer, and person who cares about how we all get around.”
Jessie Singer, author of ‘There Are No Accidents: The Deadly Rise of Injury and Disaster—Who Profits and Who Pays the Price’
“Zivarts provides a needed perspective of involuntary nondrivers who are also most impacted by traffic crashes, pollution, and lack of access to housing and mobility options. When Driving Is Not an Option is a must-read for disability, transportation, and environmental advocates, policy makers, and planners seeking to create a just, equitable, and livable world.”
Carol Tyson, Government Affairs Liaison, Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund (DREDF)
“Anna’s work sharing real-life mobility experiences and challenges has been key in helping transportation officials and agencies understand the very real need to expand safe access to all our citizens—including those who don’t or can’t drive. This isn’t just something we should do; it’s work we must do.”
Roger Millar, Secretary of Transportation, Washington State Department of Transportation and former President (2022-2023), American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (ASHTO)