Thank you for joining CRTP and leaders from across the country who are taking the National Week Without Driving challenge, which runs from Monday, September 30 to Sunday, October 6, 2024. We will share resources and information to help you participate as we approach the week. For now, here’s a reminder of how the challenge works:
- You can get around however you want, but the challenge is not to drive yourself in any car. This applies to all your activities — not just your work commute. If you normally transport other family members or friends, it applies to those trips too.
- You can ask someone else to drive you, but make a note of how much you “owe” this person in their time, and if you felt obligated to support them in other ways (ie, doing all the dishes). You can use taxis or ride hail if they exist where you need to go, but again, think about how the cost could impact your decision to take this trip if this was regularly your only option.
- We’ll provide you with tools to prepare for the #WeekWithoutDriving and prompts during the week to reflect on what you’re learning and share with your community and other participants across the country.
- This isn’t a disability simulation or a test of how easily you can find alternatives. We know that it is far easier to give up your keys if you can afford to live in a walkable area well served by transit, or can outsource your driving and other transport and delivery needs to other people. Having to drive during the challenge does not signify failure. The point is to consider how someone without that option would have coped, and what choices they might have made.
Get ready to reflect and share, with us and on social media. You can start today by using the #WeekWithoutDriving hashtag and tagging the Coalition for Responsible Transportation Priorities when you share why you are taking the challenge.
Let us know if you have any questions, and watch your inbox for occasional news and resources in the lead up to the Week Without Driving.