Who Doesn’t Drive, Where Are They, and

Why Does it Matter?

Anish Tailor; Michael Hintze, AICP; Manuel Soto, AICP

An equitable transportation system provides access to affordable and reliable travel options for all people. Our transportation systems play a vital role in helping people meet their daily needs, facilitating social bonds, and providing access to opportunities such as employment and education, and economic exchange. If a person can drive and has access to a car, they can generally meet their daily needs in most places in Washington State. But what about people who don’t or can’t drive? How big a group is this “nondriver” population and how do available transportation options impact their ability to meet their daily needs? These were the central questions of a study commissioned by the Washington State Legislature Joint Transportation Committee (JTC) to understand the characteristics of the nondriver population, estimate how large the nondriver population is, and identify the availability of transportation options for nondrivers. This work is important for informing policies around equitable transportation investments. The final report along with a series of interactive maps showing nondriver population distribution, as well as distribution and access to daily life activities by travel mode can all be found on the JTC’s website.

The nondriver population study involved analysis of U.S. Census Bureau and FHWA Highway Statistics data, a statewide survey that balanced responses from the Puget Sound with all other counties in the state, and a series of focus groups to gain insight into the characteristics of nondrivers in Washington state and how not driving impacts people’s lives. Nondrivers include people of all backgrounds and abilities such as aging adults, youth, students, recent immigrants, low-income individuals, those with physical, mental, intellectual, or developmental disabilities, and people who prefer not to drive. The survey categorized nondrivers into four groups: people under age 16, people over age 16 who do not have a driver’s license, people over age 16 who do not have a personal car, and people over age 16 that prefer not to drive.

Key findings from the study include:

•  Nondrivers make up approximately thirty percent of Washington’s population

• The high costs associated with owning and driving a car, and the costs of obtaining a driver’s license were the two most common reasons for not driving that were identified among survey respondents.

• A variety of transportation barriers make trip planning without a car challenging for nondrivers, including:
• Public transit is not a reliable option for many nondrivers due to lengthy bus rides; limited hours of service during the weekday and lack of service on weekends, or the lack of any public transit option altogether.
• Nondrivers rely on friends and family for their rides and are often ashamed or afraid of asking
• The cost of ride-share vehicles is too high for many nondrivers.
• Access to the nearest bus stop is often dangerous and hampered by lack of adequate sidewalk and street crossing facilities.
• Nondriver status negatively impacts the quality of life of Washingtonians. As a result of the transportation barriers they face, some nondrivers limit the number of trips they take, including essential ones like commuting to work or medical appointments.

• For some nondrivers, social and family life suffers because not having a car prevents them from participating in events and activities.

• Rural and disabled nondrivers are particularly constrained by lack of travel options. Key services they utilize for transportation end too early in the evening, and transportation service outside of operating hours is very limited. So, attending evening social events or traveling to out-of-theordinary places was a particular challenge to these populations.

Overall, nondrivers in Washington state are extremely limited in how they can travel given limited public transit, biking, or walking options. Nondrivers have to make choices on where they go and when to go, that drivers typically do not have to make, which impacts their overall quality of life. Meeting the needs of Washington’s nondriver population is critical to creating more equitable transportation systems and communities across Washington.

In a future issue of the Washington Planner, we will share the highlights from another study commissioned by the JTC, in partnership with the Association of Washington Cities, focused on Transportation Equity and the tools and strategies communities are using to achieve more equitable transportation systems.