Week Without Driving Commemorated in Communities Across Washington State

The 4th Annual Week Without Driving challenge concluded on Sunday, October 6, 2024 and was celebrated this year with events and official proclamations across Washington state in Vancouver, Kitsap County, Olympia, Kent, Pierce County, Tacoma, Seattle and Pasco. First launched in Washington state in 2021, the challenge has grown to become a national event, with more than 400 organizations cohosting the challenge across all 50 states.

Governor Jay Inslee commemorated the Week Without Driving with a proclamation recognizing that “Going a week without driving is great way to understand how we can improve our current transportation system to better meet the needs of Washingtonians and improve and enhance transportation options such as transit, light rail, biking and walking pathways as key strategies in our decarbonization efforts.” Additionally, Pierce County, Kitsap County, Kent, and Vancouver all celebrated with official Week Without Driving proclamations.

Highlights of Washington state events include a walk/roll audit from the Vancouver Amtrak station to city hall, a forum with community members and transit leaders in Pasco, Washington, a walk/roll audit of the Judkins light rail station cohosted by Seattle Neighborhood Greenways, a bus-ride along hosted by Thurston County Regional Planning Council, an online forum with Real Change News about how transportation impacts the lives of Real Change vendors, a walk/roll/elevator tour of downtown Seattle organized with the Seattle Department of Transportation, and Week Without Driving’s induction into Transportation Choices “Transportation Hall of Fame.”

Week Without Driving wouldn’t be possible without our allies and partners here in Washington state. Amazon, a strong advocate of public transportation throughout the Puget Sound region, has supported the Week Without Driving for three years with funding that has allowed the initiative to develop and expand outside of Washington State. We’re also grateful to our sponsor, King County Metro, and we appreciate their unwavering commitment to ensuring everyone has the freedom to move. 

What Is the Week Without Driving?

If you can drive or afford a car, you may not understand what it’s like to rely on walking, rolling, transit and asking for rides. But for nearly a third of people living in the United States – people with disabilities, young people, seniors and people who can’t afford cars or gas – this is our every day. We created the Week Without Driving challenge so that those who have the option to drive can learn firsthand about the barriers and challenges that nondrivers face and work with nondrivers to create more accessible communities for all. The Week Without Driving challenges elected leaders, advocates, and individuals to understand the barriers for nondrivers. Participants can get around however they want, but can’t drive themselves. This applies to all activities — not just work commutes. The challenge isn’t about not using a car, rather it’s to see what it’s like to not be the one able to drive, to better understand what it’s like to try to navigate their communities without the privilege of driving. 

Washington State Week Without Driving cohosts include: