Almost a third of Americans can’t or don’t drive — some because of age, some because of disability and some because they simply can’t afford a car. Yet post-World War II America’s infrastructure system is built for cars, and in many cases cars alone. The national Week Without Driving Sept. 29 through Oct. 5 challenges drivers to understand firsthand the challenges nondrivers experience going through their daily routines.
As Athens-Clarke County Transit Director Victor Pope says:
ACC Transit carries more than just passengers; we carry our community’s future. As ridership bounces back to 85% nationwide and nearly double in the Athens-Clarke County community since the COVID-19 pandemic, we’re reminded that for many of our neighbors, these routes aren’t luxuries, but lifelines.
Athens-Clarke County shines brightest when we stand by our neighbors who count on these daily connections to jobs, doctors’ appointments and grocery stores. By continuing our investment in our transit network, we’re not only helping individual Athenians get where they need to go, we’re strengthening the heart and soul of our community, one stop at a time.
ACC has an excellent transit system for a city its size, winning state and national awards. Yet with hour-long headways on many lines, and a hub-and-spoke system that routes most riders through downtown regardless of where they want to go, it’s still inadequate. Find out for yourself — as a fare-free system, it will cost you nothing but time, and in fact you might save a few bucks on gas and car maintenance.
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