Equal Access to Transportation Options for Everyone? Improving Our Understanding of Non-Drivers in Washington State

Session 1B | Wednesday | 2:45 – 4:00 PM (PT)

This session will shine a light on the nondriver population in Washington State. Roughly thirty percent of Washington’s population is considered a “nondriver,” meaning they either can’t drive or don’t have access to a car. The transportation system in the state is mostly automobile oriented and the general lack of transportation options and safe walking and biking infrastructure make trip planning challenging for nondrivers. Being a nondriver negatively impacts the quality of life of Washingtonians. Because of the transportation barriers they face, many nondrivers limit the number of trips they take, including essential ones like shopping for groceries or medical appointments. Through this session, attendees will get a better understanding of who are the nondrivers in Washington State, why some individuals can’t or don’t drive, how not being able to drive limits their freedom and access to opportunities, and how it diminishes their quality of life and self-esteem.

Manuel is a transit planner and mobility specialist with extensive U.S. and international experience in design, planning, and implementation of projects and programs that increase multi-modal mobility and reduce the use of single-occupant vehicles. Manuel has wide-ranging expertise in transit service planning and operations, transportation demand management plans and programs, curb management, and street design. He has worked on the implementation of all types of transit services from BRT to shuttles to micro transit, for public agencies and private entities, such as Los Angeles Metro and Microsoft, and has worked on the design of parking and mobility programs that have delivered reductions in vehicle miles traveled and parking demand for major employers, hospital and university campuses, mixed-used developments, and downtown districts, such as Seattle Children’s Hospital and Cannery Row in Monterey, CA. Manuel was the project manager of the Nondrivers Population Analysis study for the Washington State Legislature’s Joint Transportation Commission.

Mary Ann Rozance

Senior Associate at Cascadia Consulting Group

Mary Ann is a social scientist with expertise in climate vulnerability assessments, community resilience, inclusive engagement, and community-driven sustainability research. She is passionate about working with communities to co-design research and planning projects that support their climate action and resilience planning goals. She has supported climate and sustainability-related projects across many contexts, including with the Washington State Department of Commerce, the Puget Sound Partnership, the North Olympic Resource Conservation and Development Council, and others. Prior to joining Cascadia, Mary Ann was a Postdoctoral Fellow with the Northwest Climate Adaptation Science Center at the University of Washington and a National Science Foundation IGERT Fellow at Portland State University. She has published work in over 10 peer-reviewed publications as well as reports and conference proceedings. Mary Ann holds a PhD in Urban Studies from Portland State University, M.S. in Forest Resources from the University of Washington & a B.S. in Natural Resources Conservation from the University of British Columbia. She was the leading researcher on the Nondriver Population Analysis study.

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Anna Zivarts

Director of the Disability Mobility Initiative at Disability Rights Washington

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