We’re so typically advised that no person walks, no person bikes, or no person takes the bus, however we all know that 30% of the inhabitants doesn’t drive. Utilizing the framing of “nondrivers” is inclusive of all individuals who don’t personal a automobile. It consists of older adults, disabled folks, folks experiencing homelessness, youngsters, and extra. All collectively there are such a lot of of us, and collectively we’re a lot stronger. In her new e-book, When Driving Is Not an Possibility Steering Away from Automotive Dependency, Anna Zivarts encourages us to empower these with the least decisions and guarantee their tales lead.
We have been joined in dialog by Gabe Cazares, Govt Director of LINK Houston and Laura Saltzman, Senior Coverage Analyst at Entry Residing.
Some Huge Takeaways:
Transportation not recreation
Lively transportation too typically begins with a concentrate on folks biking or operating recreationally. However when you lean into the coalitions to develop the dialog you create higher and extra inclusive advocacy. YES, folks biking recreationally want protected bike lanes, but in addition individuals who bike as their fundamental mode of transportation want protected bike lanes. Sidewalks profit leisure runners, however it additionally advantages folks utilizing mobility units and fogeys utilizing strollers. After we lead with recreation, it fosters a notion that sidewalks are usually not mandatory, simply an amenity, or adequate for match energetic folks. As a substitute, let’s lead with transportation for every day wants, for everybody..
Altering the default mode on spending
We all the time hear there’s not sufficient cash for the infrastructure we’d like. But legislatures routinely give you the funds that assist driving and roadway enlargement. When transportation advocates lean in to know the wants of incapacity advocates and amplify their voices, it makes a stronger coalition to vary that default mode of pondering.
Amplify incapacity advocates – however don’t tokenize!
Main with voices of the disabled issues, however actually make the house for management. In a dialog the place drivers are prioritized, it is important that now we have folks within the room who’re visibly nondrivers and have their voices heard. It’s onerous to disregard the particular person really within the room. It’s about framing the dialog to incorporate all of us and being intentional about making a platform that amplifies the precise issues and priorities of these at the moment excluded
Keep in mind it’s not simply cities!
Even in tremendous rural areas there are various nondrivers. If the choice makers start to see the quantity of nondrivers of their place, it opens the door to insurance policies that embrace nondrivers and drivers. The Week With out Driving framing can attain individuals who aren’t all the time prepared to simply accept that not everybody drives.
Right here’s what you are able to do:
The Week With out Driving was created to embolden elected officers and transportation resolution makers to expertise the world of nondrivers. We’re difficult all elected officers to take no less than one journey with out utilizing a private automobile. Creating allies in management is the objective!
Even when they don’t participate, having conversations with elected officers in regards to the Week With out Driving introduces the concept that consciousness of nondrivers is necessary. That alone is a hit. Use the week to share transportation tales, participate in neighborhood dialog, and amplify your and others’ experiences on social media and information protection.
When you’d like to search out native organizations who’re concerned within the Week With out Driving, try our checklist of native and regional companions, and when you don’t see somebody in your space, try these templates and trainings to get began internet hosting the problem close to you!
Try the complete recording of the webinar:
