Week Without Driving PA

Thursday, October 1 – Thursday, October 8, 2026

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Events

WESTERN PA — we are pleased to announce that the PA Secretary of Health, Dr. Debra Bogen, the Executive Director of the Governor’s Advisory Commission on People with Disabilities, Dr. Josie Badger, and Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato will all be speaking at the kick-off press conference in Schenley Plaza in Pittsburgh on Thursday, October 1, at 10am.

CENTRAL PA — Red Rose Transit, BARTA, rabbittransit, and Lebanon Transit are coming together for a joint press conference also at 10am on Thursday, October 1, at RRTA Operations Center, 45 Erick Road, Lancaster. They invite the public to learn about their services and encourage everyone to “Try Transit.” They will be unveiling special offers on each of their systems for both existing customers and new riders. Rep. Ismail Smith-Wade-El will be speaking and other elected officials from the counties in those service areas have been invited.

EASTERN PA — Transit Forward Philly has unveiled a full calendar of events for WWD which they are co-branding Week With Affordable Transit! If SEPTA is your home transit system, check it out!

STATEWIDE PA — The long-promised statewide virtual scavenger hunt is live! People are welcome to register to participate and start completing the missions that are live now. Additional missions will appear as we move through the observance. Quick access is available through this link or QR code. Scroll down on this page for more detail. The fine print of eligibility is posted here. As a note, while people all over the state are welcome to participate, the activity is more geared to participants who do not live in the two major metro areas around Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, as there are a variety of activities and events available in those places. More details about prizes will be posted by Day 1 on the first of October!

Share Your Plans

There are events planned in Pittsburgh, Lancaster (see above), and Philadelphia recognizing WeekWithoutDriving. What is happening in your community? Did you get a resolution or proclamation recognizing the week from your local elected officials? Did you invite your state leaders to join you for a ride on local transit or shared ride or for a walk or bike ride to an everyday destination?

There have already been activities in Harrisburg, Philadelphia, and Scranton in the lead-up this fall that look to be tailor-made for Week Without Driving. Check out these great events:

  • Strong HBG and Mobilify panel discussion entitled “What Is Enough?” — the event was held on July 8 and featured remarks from the head of Rabbittransit, Rich Farr. Check out the recording and consider whether you could put on something similar with transit riders, providers, supporters, and elected officials in your area.
  • Transit Forward Philly Transit Marathon — advocates rode transit for 24 hours, starting at 9am after a kick-off event at City Hall on Tuesday, July 28. They were joined by an amazing array of local and state-level leaders and had some punctuated activities scheduled across the day. What a great way to bring awareness to the realities of transit! The TFP instagram feed tracking their progress includes some epic footage!
  • NEPA Moves Lived Experience Transit Rider Panel — on 8/28, the quarterly meeting of the Scranton Area Foundation’s Northeast PA social services collaborative focused on a variety of issues including housing, workforce development, and transportation hosted a panel discussion with riders of the two local transit agencies, LCTA and COLTS. They also invited Transit for All PA coalition partners to share about the upcoming Week Without Driving observance and the transit organizing fellowship program. Here are the WWD slides and the recording of that portion of the program. (The audio was not set up to capture the panel for people outside the room.)

Ultimately your personal #WeekWithoutDriving stories, reflections, and posts become the event. You could put together a video like Ruth Rosas, one of the leaders of Week Without Driving national, did in 2025 here: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/alptshJvwQk. Or just share your thoughts and experiences more spontaneously however is comfortable for you. Just remember to hashtag #WeekWithoutDriving and #WeekWithoutDrivingPA.

The Right Stuff

Plan to join in for the statewide virtual scavenger hunt on the GooseChase App (now also available in a desktop version for the app-averse!). Look for game name: Week Without Driving PA 2026 and game code: LNM1BE. We’re making it a little fun and offering some prizes to boot. Info is available in the graphic below and also as a pdf here.

Looking Ahead

  • Week Without Driving PA runs from Thursday, October 1 to Thursday October 8! Sign up on the homepage to join in, share your story, and learn about new events as they’re announced!
  • Send in word of events you are holding in your region so that we can post them here. Email pawalkworks@padowntown.org with information to be shared.
  • Monthly planning meetings were held for interested parties in PA outside of the Philadelphia and Pittsburgh metro areas the first Thursday of the month at noon on zoom. There will be a debrief the first Thursday in November! Email pawalkworks@padowntown.org to get the login information.
  • If you would like to confer about what the best options or course of action would be for your community, your organization, or yourself to participate, feel free to contact pawalkworks@padowntown.org and we’ll review the resources that would be most useful for you.