COCC joins national ‘Week Without Driving’ campaign
KTVZ – News Team
With a mission of encouraging carpooling, bus rides and bike trips in the name of recognizing that some one-third of Americans aren’t able to drive, Central Oregon Community College (COCC) is participating for the first time in the national Week Without Driving initiative, Sept. 29 to Oct. 3.
As fall term gets underway, faculty, staff and students are being encouraged to try different modes of getting to campus, in partnership with Commute Options, the city of Bend, Cascades East Transit and other regional groups and agencies.
“Not everyone drives, and Week Without Driving helps us understand what it’s like for those who can’t, such as those with vision impairment or a low-income level or people facing mobility barriers,” said Hal DeShow, assistant professor of geology at COCC, who presented the idea of participation to the college’s board of directors earlier this year. “Plus, it’s a chance to connect — ride the bus with a colleague or classmate, share a laugh while trying the new Veo bikeshare program, or walk and talk your way to campus.”
Started in Washington state in 2021 by an advocate for those living with disabilities, Week Without Driving is a challenge to experience a week’s worth of commutes or trips barring single-occupancy car travel. Staged from California to Maine, the educational campaign is a way to highlight the needs of nondrivers to elected leaders, policy makers, transportation departments and entire communities.
COCC’s president, Dr. Greg Pereira, and other college leaders will be hosting a series of morning meetups throughout the week at Bend-area coffee shops and other locations to treat participating COCC staff and students to coffee and pastries, and to complete the commute together. Each day of the week will spotlight a different mode of travel: carpooling on Monday, walking or rolling on Tuesday, bus riding on Wednesday, ridesharing on Thursday and “anything goes” on Friday.
Last year, across all 50 states and Washington, D.C., 523 local organizations and 10 national organizations promoted Week Without Driving events and advocacy.
For more information on COCC’s Week Without Driving, contact Lucas Alberg, director of marketing and public relations, at 541-383-7599 or lalberg@cocc.edu.