District Of Columbia 2023 2023-2024 Regular Session

District Of Columbia Council Bill CER25-0264 Enrolled / Bill

Filed 10/01/2024

                      	ENROLLED ORIGINAL 
1 
           
   
A CEREMONIAL RESOLUTION 
 
25-264 
 
IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 
 
October 1, 2024 
 
 
To declare September 30 to October 6, 2024, as Week Without Driving 	in the District of Columbia. 
 
WHEREAS, access to mobility is a fundamental part of health and community connection, 
allowing residents of the District of Columbia to reach education and employment opportunities, 
medical services, shopping, recreation, and visit friends and family;  
 
WHEREAS, as the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates the cost of owning a car is 
approximately 72 cents per mile, with average household spending on transportation reaching 
$10,961 a year, many people cannot afford the cost of a car, and nearly a third of the people 
residing in the United States do not have a driver's license, either because of their age or a condition 
that does not allow them to drive;  
 
WHEREAS, nearly 36% of District residents do not drive because of age, disability, 
income, or preference;  
 
WHEREAS, transportation represents the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in 
the United States, and in order to meet the District’s greenhouse gas emission reduction goals, we 
must reduce emissions in our transportation sector;  
 
WHEREAS, in addition to greenhouse gas emissions, cars also create tire dust that can 
enter watersheds, have necessitated freeway expansions that have been detrimental to 
neighborhoods historically home to communities of color, and require impervious surfaces for 
parking, with an estimated 3.4 parking spaces for every car in the United States - all of which have 
contributed to transportation being an important environmental justice concern; and  
 
WHEREAS, going a week without driving is great way to understand how we can improve 
our current transportation system to better meet the needs of District 	residents and improve and 
enhance transportation options such as public transit, biking, and walking pathways as key 
strategies in our decarbonization efforts. 
 
 
 
    	ENROLLED ORIGINAL 
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RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this 
resolution may be cited as the “Week Without Driving Recognition Resolution of 2024”. 
 
Sec. 2. The Council of the District of Columbia declares 	September 30 to October 6, 2024, 
as Week Without Driving in the District of Columbia	.  
 
Sec. 3. This resolution shall take effect immediately.