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Humboldt County’s Week Without Driving challenges residents and local decision-makers to experience what it takes to get around without driving themselves.
Now in its fourth year locally, the annual initiative runs Oct. 1-8 and encourages participants to take the bus, ride a bicycle, walk or ask others for rides.
“It's an opportunity for folks who normally drive for most of their transportation needs to get a little bit of a firsthand experience of what it's like to get around our communities without driving,” said Colin Fiske, executive director of the Coalition for Responsible Transportation Priorities.
The coalition estimates that more than 36,000 Humboldt County residents do not have a driver’s license. Nondrivers include young people, older adults, people with disabilities and residents who cannot afford a car.
For people who usually drive, participating can reveal how much planning everyday trips require.
“One of the most common things that we hear is just the extra amount of planning and time that it takes to get around,” Fiske said.
Riders take the bus in Humboldt County. (Photo courtesy of Coalition for Responsible Transportation Priorities )Car ownership costs can also keep driving out of reach, he said.
Public transportation connects riders to work, school and local businesses.
The coalition estimates that last year, Humboldt Transit Authority riders used transit to reach nearly 190,000 work shifts and more than 200,000 school days, and spent more than $7 million at local businesses.
Fiske said transit funding challenges, including reduced university-funded bus service in Arcata, threaten the connections residents depend on for work, education, health care and daily errands.
Guest- Colin Fiske, executive director, Coalition for Responsible Transportation Priorities
