The week brought us together to walk, bike, roll, ride transit, and learn why safe and accessible transportation choices matter for everyone in our region

As part of the nationwide movement calling for transportation systems that work for everyone, our third annual Week Without Driving PGH just wrapped up and was a great success. From October 1st – 8th, we invited residents, elected officials, and community organizations to experience the challenges non drivers face, and to understand what it takes to get around without a car.

For nearly 30% of Allegheny County residents, owning and operating a car is simply not an option. Older adults, people with disabilities, young people, those who can’t afford the high cost of car ownership, and lifelong non-drivers rely on walking, biking, rolling, and public transit to get where they need to go. And yet, our region’s transportation systems are largely built around the assumption that everyone can and does drive.

However, building a transportation system that works for everyone means designing communities around this simple principle: Everyone deserves to move freely, safely, and affordably, regardless of income, ability, or how they get around. This was the focal point of Week Without Driving PGH and the events of the week.

…Keep reading for this year’s recap!

➥ Thursday, October 1 – We kicked things off at the Press Conference

Week Without Driving PGH officially kicked off at Schenley Plaza, bringing together community advocates, elected officials, transportation leaders, and people with lived experience as non-drivers. Speakers from across the region highlighted why accessible, reliable, and affordable transportation matters, and challenged decision-makers to experience Pittsburgh from the perspective of people who don’t drive.

We were grateful to see so many of our local elected leaders show up for the Week Without Driving and recognize the importance of making our streets and transportation systems work for everyone.

Thank you to our speakers:

Debbie Cherry, Board Member, Access Mob Pittsburgh
Dr. Josie Badger, Executive Director, Governor’s Advisory Commission on People with Disabilities
Scott Bricker, Executive Director, BikePGH
Dr. Debra L. Bogen, Secretary of Health, Pennsylvania Department of Public Health
Board Member, Pittsburghers for Public Transit
Sara Innamorato, Allegheny County Executive
Cassandra Masters, Interim Executive Director, Age-Friendly Greater Pittsburgh
Jacob Evangelista, Complete Streets at Pitt
Corey O’Connor, City of Pittsburgh Mayor

Week Without Driving PGH is co-hosted by BikePGH, Pittsburghers for Public Transit, Access Mob Pittsburgh, Age-Friendly Greater Pittsburgh, and Complete Streets at Pitt, along with dozens of community partners across the region.

➥ Friday, October 2 – Saturday, October 3: Experiencing our streets without a car

Across the region, participants began the weeklong challenge of getting around without driving. For people who already rely on walking, biking, rolling, and public transit, these things are part of everyday life. For others, the week offered a chance to notice both the barriers and the possibilities that can be easy to miss from behind the wheel.

➥ Sunday, October 4 – Getting rolling with adaptive cycling

At Allegheny Landing, community members joined Access Mob Pittsburgh and Age-Friendly Greater Pittsburgh to try out POGOH adaptive cycling. Open to people of all abilities and experience levels, the event offered a chance to experience how adaptive bikes can expand opportunities for recreation, mobility, and connection. It was a gorgeous day of learning and accessible biking for people of all abilities!

➥ Tuesday, October 6 – Sidewalks are essential infrastructure

The Safe Sidewalks Crew hosted a virtual training to teach volunteers how to document sidewalk conditions across Pittsburgh. Participants learned what makes a sidewalk safe and accessible and how collecting this information can help identify where improvements are needed.

➥ Wednesday, October 7 – Walking & Rolling to School + Building momentum for Complete Streets

City of Pittsburgh Safe Routes to School Walk and Roll to School Day brought active transportation into focus at schools across Pittsburgh. BikePGH was happy to be out and about supporting students from Faison Elementary, Montessori Elementary, and Morrow Elementary/Middle as they walked and rolled to school! Check out our recap video here

As we’ve previously reported, inequitable access to safe streets for walking, biking, and rolling can be a barrier to active transportation for the most vulnerable in our community. Many neighborhoods lack safe and wheelchair-accessible sidewalks, connected bike infrastructure, traffic-calmed streets, crossing guards, or all of the above. Fortunately, the school community can be a real force for change, even more so when working alongside neighborhood bike-pedestrian committees to demand safer streets for all, especially our children.

Later this day, Complete Streets at Pitt hosted a panel discussion with elected champions working on transportation issues in the city. The conversation highlighted progress on policies and projects affecting people who walk, bike, roll, and take transit, and the work still ahead.

➥ Thursday, October 8 – Hitting the ground walking with the Safe Sidewalks Crew

At the Safe Sidewalks Blitz in Mt. Washington, volunteers hit the streets to document sidewalk conditions, turning the lessons of Week Without Driving into tangible data about the places where Pittsburgh’s pedestrian infrastructure works, and where it falls short. Together, we surveyed over 200 sidewalk blocks at this meetup!

➥ Friday, October 9 – Putting transportation options to the test

Week Without Driving PGH culminated in a “Multimodal Transportation Challenge” from Station Square to Riverlife’s Shore Thing. Teams walking, biking, and taking public transit traveled different routes to compare their real-world experiences. The event brought community members, advocates, elected officials, and media together to reflect on what the week showed so many ways our built environment needs to be improved so that non-drivers can get around safely and conveniently. Check out our recap video online

It really was a full week of illustrating the challenges non-drivers face every day, but it was also week of community and joy. There is such connection and relatability when it comes to sharing our stories of how we get around Pittsburgh outside of the car.

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Thanks to everyone who participated in Week Without Driving PGH 2026. We hope it was a great learning experience and shed a light on what we can be doing as advocates to make our streets safer and more welcoming for all road users.

Message us if you want involved in the advocacy that’s happening in our neighborhoods every day, and learn more here!

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