For South Austin resident Nancy Crowther, grabbing her keys and hopping in the car for a quick errand isn’t an option.

Crowther, a wheelchair user, represents just one of nearly a third of Americans who rely on alternative transit options to get around.

“When I bought my house, I made sure that I was surrounded by bus routes," Crowther said. "I wanted to be close to a transfer center. It wasn't the grocery store, it was transit."

What’s happening?

Transportation and elected officials throughout the Austin area have joined in Crowther's experience this week, participating in the Week Without Driving ATX campaign from Sept. 30 to Oct. 6—a part of a national challenge to experience the everyday realities of those who, by circumstance or choice, do not drive.


Numerous transit agencies have members who pledged to reduce how often they drive a car, including Capital Metro, Rethink35, Safe Streets Austin, Movability, Transit Forward, Congress for the New Urbanism Central Texas Chapter and more.

The initiative is geared to increase awareness of the challenges faced by those that are unable to drive or do not own a car.


“It's really exciting that some of our elected officials are doing this this week because we need our elected officials to viscerally understand the experience of getting around in a way other than driving,” said Adam Greenfield, former Safe Streets Austin board member. “They have to get on a bike, they have to ride transit, they have to walk.”

Those participating will use alternative transit options like public transit, ride-sharing, walking and biking. After each of their journeys, individuals are encouraged to share their experiences on social media using the hashtags #WeekWithoutDriving and #WeekWithoutDrivingATX.

Following the weekslong campaign, local agencies can collect participant feedback from social media. The data may be used to help transportation organizations, like CapMetro, address any gaps in the metro’s transportation system.

What else?

In a recent survey of Austinites by Movability, roughly 36% of respondents identified themselves as being car-lite, or having fewer cars than the number of people in the household. This is similar to the number of people identified as "car lite” in the census, according to transportation advocacy group Movability.


In addition to bringing awareness to accessibility concerns, the campaign highlights affordability disparities, said Heyden Black Walker, a Safe Streets Austin board member.

“It's important to think about these days owning and maintaining a car is really expensive, and some people just can't do that.” Walker said. “... We're working really, really hard to transform a transportation network built primarily for cars. That [concept] is not really a one size fits all. ... We're trying to turn it into a transportation system with options for everyone, so that people have a range of choices to get to the things they need.”

CapMetro Planner Nadia Barrera-Ramirez, a mother of two elementary school-aged children, encourages fellow parents to join her in taking on the challenge.

“In a recent regional commuter survey, 13% of respondents said that the time of day they commute is dictated by child care hours,” Barrera-Ramirez said. “So we know that caregivers have been historically underrepresented in our data collection, which means their voices aren't part of the planning solution.”


She urged caregivers to document their experiences and share feedback in order to help the agencies better serve this community.

The outlook

Crowther explained that she came from a small town in Texas “that had no access.”

Coming to Austin as a college student at The University of Texas in the early 1980s, Crowther said she got involved in transportation advocacy beginning with her time in school, joining a class-action lawsuit against the university.

“I got involved with transit because transit was never accessible. No school buses, no taxis, no anything,” Crowther said. “At UT, I got involved in a lawsuit because shuttle buses weren’t accessible. Students with disabilities—we were essentially trapped on campus.”

Crowther said the Austin area has come a long way since then, highlighting the vast amount of CapMetro infrastructure and vehicles that are accessible for all transit users, including:
  • CapMetro buses are outfitted with lifts or low-floor ramps; the buses also "kneel" for easier boarding
  • Rail trains provide level boarding at station platforms
  • CapMetro provides free travel training for seniors and riders with disabilities
  • Priority seating for adults over the age of 65, wheelchair users and individuals with disabilities—visible or invisible
  • Low cost, on-demand rides within select neighborhoods for seniors
  • Bus operators are trained to meet the needs of riders with disabilities
“​​I see people daily with different disabilities out and about, where you wouldn’t have seen that 10 or 20 years ago,” she said.

Crowther was employed with CapMetro for over 25 years, and also has participated on the Pedestrian Advisory Council and city of Austin Vision Zero initiative, all the organizations that needed representation by people with disabilities, she said.

Learn more

“It's not a destination, but a journey. And my journey has gotten more and more accessible,” Crowther said, adding that there is still more work to be done.

Find more information on the local accessibility services here.