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Recognizing September 30th through October 6th, 2024 as Week Without Driving in the City of Philadelphia, honoring all Philadelphians who participated, and encouraging all Philadelphians to join efforts to reduce reliance on automobiles and fossil fuels.
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WHEREAS, A Week Without Driving is a campaign that challenges the public to learn firsthand about the barriers that nondrivers face and to work with nondrivers to create more accessible, safer, healthier, and greener communities for all. The campaign also promotes walking as a mode of transportation, calls for reductions in carbon emissions, and bring attention to the barriers to mobility that many face daily; and
WHEREAS, Access to mobility is a fundamental part of health and community connection, allowing the City of Philadelphia to reach education and employment opportunities, medical services, shopping, recreation, and visit friends and family. It is one of the Commonwealth's six transportation system policy goals, including investing public dollars to improve the movement of people throughout Philadelphia; and
WHEREAS, As the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates, the cost of owning a car is approximately 72 cents a mile, with average household spending on transportation reaching $10,961 a year in 2021. Many people cannot afford the cost of a car, and nearly a third of the people residing in the US do not have a driver's license, either because of their age or a condition that does not allow them to drive; and
WHEREAS, Transportation represents the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. In order to meet our state's greenhouse gas emission reduction goals, cities across the country must reduce emissions in our transportation sector; and
WHEREAS, In addition to greenhouse gas emissions, cars also create tire dust that can enter watersheds; have necessitated freeway expansions that have been detrimental to neighborhoods historically home to communities of color; and require impervious surfaces for parking. All of these factors have contributed to automobile transportation being a catastrophic threat to environmental justice; and
WHEREAS, Public transportation has played a significant role in reducing carbon emissions and promoting environmental sustainability. Public transportation produces lower carbon emissions, consumes lower amounts of fuel, and provides an affordable alternative to driving. Households that use public transportation save an average of $6,251 every year; and
WHEREAS, Alternatives like walking, biking, and scootering draw greater attention to pedestrian and bike safety. Higher attention to pedestrian safety will increase community engagement and will help accomplish the city’s Vision Zero Initiative goals of having zero traffic related injuries or fatalities. Accomplishing the goals of the Vision Zero Initiative will increase the number of pedestrians walking and biking across the city, and lower the city’s carbon emissions, further making the City of Philadelphia one of the most walkable cities in the United States; and
WHEREAS, A week without driving is an important challenge for everyone to understand how we can improve our current transportation system to better meet the needs of Philadelphians. It is also an opportunity to think about how we can improve and enhance transportation options such as transit, biking, and walking pathways as key strategies in our decarbonization efforts; now therefore be it
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, that we hereby recognize September 30th through October 6th, 2024 as Week Without Driving in the City of Philadelphia, honor all Philadelphians who participated, and encourage all Philadelphians to join efforts to reduce reliance on automobiles and fossil fuels.
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