Tucson, AZ (September 18, 2023) –If you have the advantage of being able to drive, you may not understand what it’s like to rely on walking, rolling, transit, and asking for rides to get around. But for nearly a third of people living in the United States—including people with disabilities, people with legal issues, youth, seniors, and people who can’t afford cars or fuel—this is their everyday reality, and their barriers to mobility throughout the city are many. For many non-drivers, commuting can be costly, dangerous, exhausting, and much more difficult than it needs to be.

To bring awareness to this issue, Tucson-based nonprofit, Living Streets Alliance (LSA) invites the greater Tucson community to participate in the first annual National Week Without Driving this October 2 - 8, 2023. LSA is spearheading this call to action in Arizona as part of the newly formed National Coalition for a Week Without Driving, led by the Disability Mobility Initiative, America Walks, Access Living, and Front and Centered.

The Week Without Driving challenges participants to learn about transportation inequity firsthand and urges the public and local leaders to put themselves in the shoes of those in our community who do not drive. As the event name implies, the idea is to go without driving for one week, or for however long you can manage, paying close attention to how your mobility and access is limited as a result. Could YOU go a #WeekWithoutDriving in Tucson? Participate by:

1. Taking the Living Streets Alliance NWWD pledge.

2. Sharing your NWWD (or everyday non-driving) experience and observations. A form will be emailed to you when you take the pledge, or you can email observations, images, and videos to info@livingstreetsalliance.org.

3. Sharing your experience on social media throughout the week using the #WeekWithoutDriving hashtag and let your friends and family know about NWWD.

 

Living Streets Alliance is organizing Tucson events and actions in conjunction with National Week Without Driving, including inviting local officials to shadow a disability justice advocate for one day and share their leanings about how the design of our streets and transportation system impacts mobility for non-drivers. Other organizations that would like to host their own #WeekWithoutDriving challenge can sign up to learn more and participate at weekwithoutdriving.org.

 

Living Streets Alliance is a nonprofit organization that advocates for a thriving Tucson by creating great streets for all of us. Learn more about other ways that LSA is promoting healthy, dignified, sustainable transportation in Tucson through outreach, education, and advocacy at www.livingstreetsalliance.org.

 

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