‘Week Without Driving’ begins in King County, aims to highlight public transit shortfalls

SEATTLE — If you think you can live the next seven days without a car, Disability Rights Washington wants to put you to the test.

The group is holding its third annual ‘Week Without Driving’, which includes more than 123 groups from 35 states.

“The goal is to show everyone what it’s like to be a nondriver in a system meticulously designed for drivers,” Disability Rights Washington stated. “While non-drivers are often overlooked and nearly invisible in some communities, they are a sizable minority and one that needs to get around like everyone else.”

King County Council proclaimed this week as a ‘Week Without Driving’ and is encouraging residents across the region to participate by trying not to drive all week.

“By some counts, (residents without a car) are 30% or more of the people that live around here,” Claudia Balducci, a King County Councilmember participating in the challenge for a third year, said. “There are places that don’t feel very safe to travel when there’s no sidewalks and bike lanes in areas where there’s busy traffic… There shouldn’t be roads without sidewalks. We also need safe infrastructure for people who roll, whether that’s a wheelchair, a bicyclist, a scooter. (We need) a safe place for all those people to be out of traffic.”

To learn more about Week Without Driving and/or sign up for the challenge, visit the Disability Rights Washington campaign page.

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