A Week Without Driving Reflections
By Maritza Lauriano & Move Redmond Team
It has been over two weeks since Week Without Driving, and I constantly think about how difficult it is to get around without a car, especially when you live in an area where there is limited transit access. I live in Everett where transit is fairly accessible. I am very lucky that my work doesn’t require me to go in person everyday and that my employer pays for my ORCA pass, allowing me to rely less on my car to get to work.
Though taking transit to Redmond from Everett can be time consuming at times, I don’t mind it, as I usually take the time to read a book or simply take a break before having to get home and do what feels like a million tasks at once, something that I normally can’t do when driving or stuck in traffic.Though I normally don’t drive, and love taking transit or walking whenever I can, I do still depend on my car when transit is not an option.
This year, unfortunately, I was not able to go a week without driving. Both my mom and brother work late night shift hours where transit isn’t an option for them to get back home. They don’t work close enough for them to simply walk either. My mom works in Woodinville, where the transit service is very limited to Everett, and my brother works in Shoreline where he sometimes gets off work between 12 to 1am and the last bus stops running at 11pm.
This experience reminds me of how much transit service is tailored to people working a typical 9am-5pm job, leaving those who work late night shifts without a way to get home, other than driving or relying on someone to pick them up. It’s a clear gap in our transit service, and it shows how our system needs to be more inclusive for everyone. We need better, more comprehensive transit options that truly serve our communities.
A Week Without Driving is meant to help highlight the difficulties that non-drivers face, including those who can’t drive, can’t afford a car, or simply choose to not drive for personal reasons. Many roads lack basic infrastructure like sidewalks, forcing people to walk on the side of the road, which can feel isolating and unsafe. For those who live further from the city, especially in predominantly communities of color, the lack of reliable transit options can make it feel like a punishment for not owning a car. This experience sheds light on how our transportation systems prioritize driving over creating safe, accessible spaces for everyone, reinforcing inequities in mobility and access to essential services.
Though Week Without Driving already passed, consider taking up on the challenge anytime throughout the year, as for many, every week is A Week Without Driving. Check out our teams reflections from Week Without Driving, along with thoughts from Redmond City Councilmember Jessica Forsythe:
Councilmember Jessica Forsythe did a Move Redmond social media take over during Week Without Driving. Feel free to check out her story post on Move Redmond IG Highlights!
When I pledged to participate in Week Without Driving, I thought, “easy, it’ll be like every other week”. I typically get around by walking, taking transit, or using a bike. I quickly realized our transportation system doesn’t provide me with convenient options to get around without a car, but it’s still enjoyable to do so.
My first day was a challenge and I did not succeed in going without a car. On Sunday, I had to go from Seattle to Tacoma to visit family. Transit would have taken over four hours roundtrip to complete the journey. I didn’t want to spend more time getting there than spending time together, so I drove. The fact that it took that long to go just 35 miles on a Sunday is absurd.
One of the most striking parts of the experience was the progress being made, but also the unforgiving nature of mistakes while riding transit.
I decided to bring my brother (who lives in Shoreline) soup while he was sick. The journey involved multiple transfers: I took the new G Line in Seattle to a restaurant on First Hill. The new line comes quite frequently, so I didn’t worry about mapping this part of my journey out. The buses had doors on both sides, dedicated places for bikes, and still had a “new bus” smell to it. After grabbing the food, I hopped back on the bus to head to the light rail station. The light rail ride, which was comfortable, fast, and quite enjoyable, I arrived at the new light rail station where I was surprised to find a public restroom. Riding on the new bus line and arriving at a new station was exciting. Decades of planning and construction came together to get me to Shoreline in under 45 minutes, which beats driving in traffic. The progress was amazing to see.
I could have walked the last mile to my brother’s place but there was a 10 minute bus ride that would bring me nearly to his doorstep. Unfortunately, I got on the wrong bus. I caught the southbound bus instead of the one heading north. This mistake brought me even further away. In a transit system with frequent service, I could have just hopped off the wrong bus, walked across the street, and boarded a northbound bus. Unfortunately, the next bus wasn’t due for 45 minutes. So I had to jump on a Lime bike and ride to my brother’s house, costing me time and money. Infrequent transit systems do not allow for mistakes. For me, the mistake meant delivering cold soup to my brother. For others, it could mean losing a job.
The experience the rest of the week was similar to other weeks in that I didn’t need to use my car. I could walk to get my groceries and prescriptions. I saw my friends at our local spots using transit. And I took bikes and scooters anytime I needed to get somewhere fast in the city. Going without a car, I feel more connected to my community. There’s a unique social aspect to public transit that I don’t experience in the isolation of my car.
On the other hand, the trip highlighted some of the inefficiencies in the public transportation system. At times, I found myself frustrated, especially when I got off at the wrong spot or when I just missed a connection. People who cannot or choose not to drive should be afforded the convenience of getting around without hassle or worry. Overall, this experience was enlightening. It pushed me to think more critically about how I get around and use our transportation system. Seattle and its surrounding areas have made significant progress in improving public transit, but there’s still room for growth.
In this year’s Week Without Driving, I had a great time exploring new bus routes and going to new places! However, I also faced some challenges. There were paths that were uneven, directions that were sometimes confusing and timings that were hard to make.
One day without driving I took the bus to a place I hadn’t before. I ended up having to drive to the bus stop as the drive was 5 minutes, and the walk was 37 minutes, and there were no connecting buses. When I got there I was confused on where it was ok to park to ride the bus, and got confused on which side I should be on to take the bus in the right direction. Eventually I figured it out, and only made the bus because it was delayed. I was incredibly grateful for this delay as this bus came about every 30 minutes. While I made the bus this time, I knew that if I didn’t, I did also have the option of driving. The privilege of being able to choose, rather than relying on it as the only option is something I definitely was keeping in mind during this week.
Additionally, challenges around timing and battling confusion in wayfinding were things that came up a few times throughout this week. As another example, I often drive to a park and ride and take the bus into the city. One park and ride I’ve been to often is the Evergreen Point Park and Ride. I take this one as it’s the last park and ride before the city and is often what I take when I’m pressed for time. And while I’m grateful for this park and ride, there are pretty much no signs at this park and ride. Where are the bus terminals? Which side of the terminal goes into the city? I’ve only figured out the answers to these questions through many trials and errors, and missed buses.
During the week I also did my best to walk and scooter places. While I often take a razor scooter for fun (shoutout my cousin for the silver razor scooter), it has made me very aware of the quality of our sidewalks. When scootering, I found uneven sidewalks that were like cliffs on a scooter. However, since I am just on a manual scooter it’s pretty easy to get off and just walk the bump instead of ride it, but I can imagine that for people that have mobility devices, uneven paths can pose an even bigger annoyance. In a bike or scooter you can stand up to absorb the shock of the bumps but if you’re sitting, for example in a wheelchair, every bump can be amplified.
I can’t remember who said it but there’s a quote that’s something along the lines of “mobility is a human right”, and I couldn’t agree more. Despite a few hiccups, my trips went smooth, and that is in part because of my able bodied-ness. I was able to run to the bus stop and not worry about how expending that extra energy might affect the rest of my day. In the walking and scootering parts of my day, uneven terrain or obstacles were mostly easy to navigate around, things that might not have been with a mobility aid.
Overall, I’m grateful to Week Without Driving for pushing me to be more aware of how accessible or inaccessible commutes can be, and for the bus drivers, maintenance workers, and for all those working to get us to where we need to go!