Milwaukee County 'Week Without Driving' runs Oct. 1-8

MILWAUKEE - Milwaukee City and County officials held a news conference on Monday recognizing October 1–8 as the official "Week Without Driving."

Week Without Driving

The backstory:

Over a third of Wisconsinites—and 40% of Milwaukee County residents—are non-drivers due to age, disability, income, or other personal circumstances.

To foster greater awareness of daily transportation barriers, Milwaukee County invites all residents to participate in, reflect upon, and share their experiences during Week Without Driving, taking place October 1–8, 2026.

"For thousands of people in our community, getting to work, school, or other important activities isn’t as easy as simply getting in a car," said Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley. "Participating in Week Without Driving is an opportunity for policymakers and community members to strengthen their understanding of the options that exist for nondrivers so we can continue to work toward a transportation network that serves everyone."   

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How to Participate 

What you can do:

From October 1–8, local officials, policymakers, and community members are invited to navigate daily life without a car and share their experiences.

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• Reduce or eliminate driving from October 1-8 by riding the bus, walking, biking/scooting, or asking for rides to understand what it takes to get where you need to go without driving.
• Take the Week Without Driving pledge and attend one of the many events that will take place throughout the Week. The pledge and a full list of events are available at www.mobilisewi.org/weekwithoutdriving.
• Sign up for CommuteWISE to log trips and track stats along with others in the community.Log in or sign up at connect.commutewise.org
• Engage with the MCTS Forward system redesign with input about the bus network’s future. MCTS will host a Week Without Driving kick-off event on October 1 at the Wauwatosa Public Library. The event is one of dozens of community events to get public feedback about the future of the transit system during its redesign process. More information is available at www.ridemcts.com/programs/mcts-forward.
• Attend MobiliSE’s Fall Summit on October 8 to join a community conversation. Join elected officials, community leaders, transportation professionals, advocates and transit riders to chart a path forward for better transportation choices for all. Register and find the agenda at www.mobilisewi.org/fallsummit2026
•  Share experiences when going car-free. Even though a third of Americans don’t drive, most people aren’t aware of the barriers those without access to personal vehicles face. Take photos and post experiences on social media using the hashtag #weekwithoutdrivingmke.