Every day, roughly 100,000 vehicles travel along Highway 1 through Santa Cruz County, a staggering number that is evidenced by daily rush-hour backups that can last for hours.
That’s to say nothing of the often packed surface roads.
That contributes to air pollution and global warming, in addition to taking a bite out of commuters’ budgets and increasing their stress levels.
A coalition of county officials and transportation experts are hoping to change that with the first-of-its-kind “Week Without Driving,” a campaign that aims to get people to rethink the way they traverse the county’s roadways.
Organizers hope the event—which runs from Sept. 29 through Oct. 5—will be a chance for residents to walk, take a bike or hop on a bus for their daily commute and gain a new perspective on their transportation options.
In doing so, they’ll be joining 30% of Americans who walk, roll, bike, carpool or rely on public transit.
The event is hosted by the County of Santa Cruz Community Development & Infrastructure Department, the Santa Cruz County Community Traffic Safety Coalition and Santa Cruz METRO.
“We can all join in during this week by walking, riding a bike, sharing a ride, or hopping on a bus,” said METRO Board Chair Rebecca Downing. “Every time we choose to get out of our car, we gain a new perspective that helps us create a community that’s truly accessible to all.”
The campaign will kick off at Capitola Mall on Sept. 30 at 11am and will include informational booths from county agencies, cycling groups, and accessibility advocates, stories from residents who navigate Santa Cruz County without a car and an opportunity to connect with and hear from local officials and transportation planners.
There will also be raffles, games and food trucks.
In support of Week Without Driving—and California Clean Air Day—Santa Cruz METRO will be offering free fares countywide on Oct. 1.
Locally, transportation improvement efforts have included the Soquel Drive Buffered Bike Lane & Congestion Mitigation Project, and the Reimagine METRO initiative, which aims to increase ridership.
The organization currently operates a fleet of 104 buses on 20 routes and 32 paratransit vehicles.
Officials hope to increase transit ridership to 7 million trips annually within the next five years, and to transition to a zero-emissions fleet with a mix of hydrogen and electric vehicles.
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To join Week Without Driving, register online to receive a toolkit with tips and resources and log your daily transportation habits using #SCWeekWithoutDriving or visit gosantacruzcounty.org.
