A Week Without Driving starts October 1 + Watch me talking about my no-biking challenge from last year

Week Without Driving 2026 runs October 1-8, challenging people to do exactly what it says on the tin: Go an entire week without driving a car. It's an enlightening experience for individuals, but it is especially powerful when decision makers participate. Too many people in charge of transportation and even transit decisions do not know firsthand what it is like to rely on biking, walking and/or transit to get through the normal tasks of daily life.

About one third of people in the U.S. cannot drive whether due to age, disability or economic reasons, yet so many transportation and land use decisions have been made and continue to be made assuming that all or most people will get around by car. Anna Zivarts, friend of the blog and a founder of A Week Without Driving, wrote an excellent book about the issue titled When Driving Is Not An Option" (available in the Seattle Bike Blog shop). Zivarts also co-hosts a podcast with Devin Silvernail called nondriver" (available through podcast apps and on YouTube).

No, I will not be repeating my Week Without Biking challenge from last year. I learned a lot from that week, and one of the things I learned was that biking is a huge source of joy in my life. We've got an anniversary date night by bike planned this weekend, and that's one of my favorite things in the world. Perhaps I'll do a no-biking challenge again, but not this week. If you try it, let us know all about it in the comments below.

One pattern I've noticed over the years is that someone will choose to replace car trips with bike trips to help them get through the week, then the week ends and they keep biking because they realize they love it. Get creative because while the challenge may force people to confront difficulties, it is also an opportunity to experience joy in their community that they would usually drive past. Meeting new people, finding hidden gems, feeling more active, and, well, you all are reading Seattle Bike Blog so you know how great biking around this city can be.

A fair and accessible place meets everyone's needs, and for that means providing a wide range of transportation options. I know people who can bike but cannot drive, and I know people who can drive but cannot bike. I also know people who can't do either. Some people have a temporary disability, some have good days and bad days, some people have a long and slow progressive loss of ability. Painting a couple parking spots blue isn't enough. Places and services should meet everyone where they are, which means giving people many good options.

I spoke about my experience going a week without biking during a League of American Bicyclists webinar over the summer. Watch (21:45):