Balducci leads Council in urging #WeekWithoutDriving with proclamation

October 1, 2024

The King County Council will on Wednesday proclaim the week of Sept. 30 to Oct. 6 as a Week Without Driving, encouraging people across the region to take part in the challenge to try getting around all week without driving. 

Organized annually by Disability Rights Washington and America Walks, the Week Without Driving Challenge encourages those who have the option to drive to instead try going a week without driving. The challenge is a chance to put people – especially policy makers, elected leaders and transportation professionals – in the place of those who don’t have the option to drive. Air and water pollution reduction benefits aside, the week can help leaders better understand how they can improve public transportation and make public streets, trails and sidewalks safer and easier to use for everyone.

“Nondrivers make up over 30% of the population in King County and yet most of our current transportation system is built only for people who drive,” said King County Councilmember Claudia Balducci. “The Week Without Driving Challenge offers important insights for how our transportation system works — and often doesn’t work — for many young people, seniors, people with disabilities and those who cannot afford a car. Even as someone who typically gets around by bike and transit, I learn something new during this challenge every year. I encourage everyone to step up to the challenge to get a better understanding of how critical it is to invest in transportation options that connect nondrivers to opportunity across King County.”

Balducci will present the proclamation at Evergreen Health’s Mobility Fair in Kirkland on Wednesday, and is available for interviews this week to discuss the challenge and the importance of creating accessible communities where anyone who needs to get around can do so whether they have a car or not.

Without a car, many areas of the U.S. – including many parts of King County – can become nearly impossible to navigate. Beyond the reach of robust public transportation systems, and streets that provide safe and accessible crossings and sidewalks, the prospect of going car-less could simply mean not going. And with a third of the U.S. population lacking a driver’s license – young adults, older people, and those with disabilities, largely – and others who may not have access to a car – including people of color, immigrants and those in poverty – even if they do have a license, that’s a lot of people struggling to get around to jobs, healthcare, school and more.

To better understand the barriers non-drivers face, Balducci and the rest of the Council join advocacy groups and other municipalities across Washington state and the U.S. to understand how our transportation system can meet better the needs of county residents who are non-drivers, while also benefiting our community and the environment.

To learn more about #WeekWithoutDriving and to personally sign-up for the week-long challenge, visit the Week Without Driving website: https://weekwithoutdriving.org/