National Week Without Driving - a bit of history
October 2 - 8, 2023
Absorbing all of the programs, advocacy, and community building efforts that LSA is involved with can be overwhelming at times, we know, but we invite you to pay special attention to the first ever National Week Without Driving, coming up soon during the first week of October.
This event, although founded in Washington state, has a special connection to Tucson, with one of its principal leaders - Anna Zivarts. Anna was living and working in Tucson as a person with nystagmus – a genetic condition that makes her eyes ‘shake’ constantly. As a result of this condition, she couldn’t drive, but she could (and did) bike and walk to all of her appointments. This was some years before Tucson committed to a comprehensive Complete Streets Policy, which is working to make our streets safer for pedestrians, bikers, and those with limited mobility.
Although the main reason she and her family decided to move to Washington State was its proximity to relatives, a big reason was also because Anna felt that she could not safely and comfortably commute in Tucson. The pedestrian deaths were too high, and she was constantly thinking to herself that the risks outweighed the benefits of living in our sunbelt city, which like others has high-density and velocity streets. She recalls the memorial for a mother and her child who were struck by a vehicle while they were crossing Pima, a street Anna crossed so frequently. “That memorial fell on my birthday,” she said. “It seriously impacted me, and from then it felt like it was only a matter of time until that was me.”
The decision for Anna wasn’t easy as she loved (and still loves) Tucson dearly, but it was for the best that she moved on to safer streets, and to a city where her experiences and skills could be better applied. After moving to Washington, she began working at Disability Rights Washington, where she is now Director of the Disability Mobility Initiative Program. The National #WeekWithoutDriving began in 2021 in Washington State, and was spearheaded by Anna and her hard work at this excellent nonprofit organization; thank you Anna! The Initiative was created, in their words, “to challenge our leaders to better understand the barriers faced by non-drivers in our communities.”
It is sobering to consider that nearly a third of the US population does not drive - out of necessity, not choice, because of age, ability, legality, and/or affordability. By putting a spotlight on the lived experiences and perspectives of these diverse non-drivers, NWWD aims to start a conversation that can soon be translated into effective policy, infrastructure, and a culture that supports the mobility needs of all people - today and tomorrow. Furthermore, a more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable approach to transportation planning can improve life for most of us, when it comes to safety, hot temperatures, housing, jobs, and a wide range of other impacts that are felt most deeply by the most vulnerable among us. Mahatma Gandhi said that “the true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members,” and we at LSA believe that:
“Addressing the needs of non-drivers is a matter of social, racial, and economic justice.”
This is why next month (October 2023) Living Streets Alliance is asking the Tucson community to join us in leading this initiative here in our desert community - with all of its unique opportunities and challenges. By taking our survey & pledge you will be helping to give us all the opportunity to better understand our streets, sidewalks, and public transportation system, and how their design can create barriers for those who need to use them daily - and allow our community to envision the much-needed changes that will make life better for all of us - but especially those of us who do not have the privilege of relying on our own motor vehicles to get around.
Tucson needs to move away from being a city for cars - especially oversized, wasteful, and dangerous ones, to be a city for people, and one that stands by its stated goals, including our Complete Streets Policy, Climate Action & Adaptation Plan, and the many equity, sustainability, and resilience goals promised time and again by our policymakers.
This event is not meant to be easy, but it doesn’t have to be hard either - and we urge you to go a week, a day, or even just run a single errand without driving during the week of October 2. Take our survey, keep a journal of your thoughts, tell your friends about your experience, post about it on social media (#weekwithoutdriving), and engage with the movement - Your participation is needed! If you already use your bike to commute every day, try out our public transportation system, it’s free! LSA’s board, staff, and friends, along with more than 50 advocacy groups across the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico, together with thousands of individuals around the country are participating in National Week Without Driving. Will you?
Some more information on this topic:
https://www.disabilityrightswa.org/9407-2/
https://cascade.org/blog/2022/09/lessons-mobility-privilege-week-without-driving
And now, a little something fun to help you get ready for NWWD:
Pascal Albright is a native Tucsonan and has been taking the bus his whole life. He’s a big advocate for public transit and wanted to share his playlist for a good bus commute and start to your day. You can catch more of Pascal on our upcoming NWWD preparedness video that will be posted on social media. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
