National “Week Without Driving” begins next week. It’s the week when residents in cities around the country are asked to leave their cars at home at least for some of their local trips to see what it is like to go to work, school, or chores via another means. 

Locally, one of the most vocal and eager participants will be Sacramento Regional Transit District (SacRT) Board Member and Sacramento Vice Mayor Caity Maple.  

“I’ll be on the bus, light rail, on my bike and getting my steps in walking,” she said. And she’ll probably ride an electric scooter too. “I love taking the scooters.”  

Maple, who also is a Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District board member, is inviting Sacramentans to join her in taking clean air modes of transportation the week of September 30 through October 6, 2024. That includes Wednesday, October 2, which is the California Clean Air challenge day.  

Director Maple is not the only SacRT board member encouraging community members to take the challenge, SacRT board chair Patrick Kennedy, an avid SacRT rider, is also asking others to join the challenge. “The Week Without Driving is a great time for people to find out how safe, clean and convenient SacRT is,” said SacRT Board Chair Patrick Kennedy. “I hope our community will join me by leaving their cars at home and hop on a bus or light rail train!” 

SacRT plans to help participants out by offering free rides on fixed-route buses and light rail on three select dates of those seven days. A free ride flyer is available to kick off and end the Week without Driving on Monday, September 30 and Sunday, October 6, 2024. SacRT is also offering free rides on fixed-route buses and light rail for California Clean Air Day on Wednesday, October 2, 2024 – no flyer needed.  

To plan your free rides, go to sacrt.com/planyourtrip or visit sacrt.com/howtoride for our online "How to Ride" page, which offers easy steps for riding the bus and light rail. 

“People who participate during the Week Without Driving or on Clean Air Day will get an enjoyable bonus this year. They can ride our new, accessible low-floor light rail trains on the Gold Line, which we rolled out just weeks ago,” said SacRT General Manager/ CEO Henry Li. “The new trains are some of the most modern and convenient trains in the world. It’s just one more way we are encouraging capital region residents to consider sustainable lifestyles that are less reliant on personal automobiles.” 

Advocates for transit and other non-car means of transportation say the goal of Week Without Driving is to encourage people to think about ways we can build a better community for all, including those with less means, by investing more in transit and in safer streets for pedestrians and cyclists. 

“This is an air quality issue, a safety issue, and an equality issue,” said David Moore of the community advocacy group CivicThread. “We want to get people to think about what it would take to use alternative modes. The outcome, we hope, is for those who typically drive to gain a greater awareness and empathy for those in our community who don't have access to a car, or the ability to drive everywhere.” 

That may include people who are too old to drive, who don’t have the money to afford the costs involved in owning a vehicle, as well as those who cannot drive because they are disabled or who choose not to drive for other reasons, including growing numbers of people who are attempting to reduce their environmental “footprint.”  

Plus, Moore said, “there is also joy and positive experiences” to be had by getting out and walking, biking and taking public transit. A quick reminder: Bikes are welcome on SacRT light rail trains in designated areas and also can be placed on the front of all SacRT buses. 

SacRT board member Maple said leaving the car at home takes some preplanning, especially on days when she has meetings to attend around town, and where she must bring along her laptop and work binders. 

“Yes, it is a little more work,” she said, “but probably not as hard as you think. I enjoy it. Still, we need more options for people. That is going to take investment.” 

Maple is working with City staff and advocacy groups on strategies to drum up more funds to reduce crash risks on city streets and build a safer urban landscape for pedestrians and cyclists. 

Dan Allison of Sacramento Transit Advocates and Riders, an organizer for Week Without Driving in Sacramento, said people who are interested in giving it a try don’t need to leave their car home all week. They can try just a few trips to places, such as to the store or school, without using a car, if they want to just get a taste, he said. 

“Week Without Driving asks people to replace one or more car trips with walking, bicycling, transit, or even ride-hailing if that is a new experience,” Allison said. Then, he said, you can ask yourself a few questions: 

“What is it like when you don’t use your car? What planning did it take? How did the cost in money and time compare? How was the effect on your health? Did you interact with other people? Did you see people with disabilities or who were otherwise dependent on their mode of travel? What if you could not drive, or could not afford to drive?”  

You can find information about how you can participate in Sacramento Week Without Driving at: weekwithoutdriving-sac.org/ 

You can also sign up to take the October 2 California Clean Air Day challenge at sacrt.com/cleanairday. 

Visit sacrt.com/freerideflyer to print or download the Free Ride Flyer to use on Monday, September 30 and Sunday, October 6 for the Week without Driving campaign.