Thursday, October 1 - Thursday, October 8
What would change in your life if driving were not an option?
Nashville Connector invites residents, commuters, employers, community organizations, transportation professionals and public officials to participate in Week Without Driving.
For one week, participants are encouraged to experience how they would meet their daily transportation needs if they could not drive themselves. The purpose is not to complete a perfect car-free week. It is to better understand the choices, costs, barriers and tradeoffs experienced by people who do not drive.
PLEDGE HERE
Take the pledge earn a complimentary Nashville Connector Swag Bag!
Why Week Without Driving Matters
More than one-third of people in the United States are nondrivers. This includes people with disabilities, older adults, young people, people who cannot afford a vehicle or gasoline, and others who do not have access to driving.
For many people, driving is not an available choice. Getting to work, school, medical appointments, grocery stores and community activities may require additional time, money, planning or assistance from others.
Week Without Driving gives people who regularly drive an opportunity to experience these transportation challenges firsthand. The experience can help individuals, employers and public leaders better understand how transportation decisions affect access to jobs, services and opportunities.
How to Participate
1. Take the pledge
Commit to participating in Week Without Driving from October 1–8. You can participate as an individual, employer, organization, community group or public official.
2. Try another way to travel
For some or all of your trips, explore an option other than driving yourself:
- Ride public transit
- Walk or use a mobility device
- Ride a bicycle or scooter
- Carpool or travel as a passenger
- Ask a friend, family member or coworker for a ride
- Use a taxi or rideshare service
- Combine multiple transportation options
- Work remotely when appropriate
- Reschedule, consolidate or skip a trip
The goal is to consider how you would complete each trip if driving yourself were not available.
3. Pay attention to the experience
As you travel, consider:
- How long did the trip take?
- How much did it cost?
- Was the route safe, comfortable and accessible?
- How much advance planning was required?
- Were sidewalks, crossings, stops and stations easy to use?
- Could you make the trip at the time you needed?
- Did you have to depend on someone else?
- Did you change, delay or cancel a trip?
- Would the same option work for someone with a disability, a caregiver, an older adult or a person traveling outside traditional work hours?
4. Share what you learned
Participants will be invited to share their experiences with Nashville Connector. Your feedback can help identify transportation barriers, highlight useful services and inform conversations about making Nashville more accessible for everyone.
SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE
You Have Not Failed If You Need to Drive
Some trips may not be possible without driving. If you need to drive yourself, use that experience as an opportunity for reflection. Consider what prevented you from using another option and what someone who cannot drive might have done in the same situation. They may have needed to pay for a ride, depend on another person, spend significantly more time traveling or skip the trip entirely. Those observations are an important part of participating.