Many people in the United States are unable or choose not to drive. Anna Zivarts spoke during a webinar on Community Design and Nondrivers about how our transportation systems can better serve nondrivers.
Anna is Director of the Disability Mobility Initiative at Disability Rights Washington. She also recently founded the Nondrivers Alliance. As a nondriver and parent who is low vision, Anna is a passionate advocate for the nondriver movement.
Here are our top takeaways from the webinar:
Transportation impacts our public health, social fabric, and economic opportunities
About a third of U.S. residents do not drive, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. So why does our transportation system so heavily favor cars?
Nondrivers are often left out of the conversation about transportation and public space. Nondrivers, including low-income communities, people with disabilities, people of color, recent immigrants, youth, and elders who can no longer drive, face limited transportation options. They must rely on walking, rolling, biking, public transit, and asking others for rides, all of which can be difficult, dangerous, or outright impossible depending on where they live. That reality impacts their access to care, services, connection, economic opportunities, and aging in place.
Driving, owning, and maintaining a vehicle is expensive, whereas reliable, comprehensive public transit can be a more affordable option. During the webinar, Anna described transit, including paratransit, as “freedom for nondrivers.” But we must consider where transit goes and where it doesn’t go in our communities, as well as how frequently it runs.
How and where we design our communities matters for everyone, especially nondrivers
Whether urban or rural, the places where we live, work, and play are often not designed for nondrivers.
In many places in the U.S., we are used to driving long distances to get where we need to go. The farther we live from where we work, shop, and meet up with our community, the more difficult it is to travel without a car, which is a massive barrier for nondrivers. Housing near reliable transit tends to be expensive, often pricing nondrivers out of denser areas where there are more services.
There also are infrastructural challenges in every community that make moving as a nondriver unsafe and undesirable. Sidewalks that are inaccessible, cluttered, or lead to nowhere are one such challenge. A lack of safe, visible crosswalks is another issue that many communities must contend with, sometimes through quick-build projects or pedestrian safety campaigns.
It’s also critical to build a connected transportation that everyone can access, which means talking about how different modes of transportation align with each other. For example, public transit is a wonderful option, but it’s only usable if people can reach it, whether they’re walking, biking, or rolling.
Exploring community-driven solutions and considering the role of public agencies and local leaders are key to improving mobility, safety, and independence for nondrivers
Nondrivers are often left out of the transportation conversation. So what do we do? We work together to imagine a system that works for everyone.
That’s easier said than done, but it is possible to create change in your community.
At the local level, look at what is missing in your community. Are there sidewalks that are easily accessible and connected to services like transit, shopping, parks, and job centers? Are the streets safe to cross for everyone? Organize a walk audit to identify gaps in the system, engage your community, and get your local public agencies and leaders involved to create change.
At the national level, Anna founded Week Without Driving, an annual campaign that centers the experiences of nondrivers, particularly involuntary nondrivers, and asks leaders to consider their needs and how the current system serves them.
So when you’re working for safe, accessible streets for all in your community, we encourage you to consider the experiences of nondrivers!
