Why I'm Giving Up My Car Again — And Why Other Elected Officials Should Too

Last fall, I parked my car for a week and tried to live my life the way many of my constituents do every single day: without a vehicle. 

Courtesy of WeekWithoutDriving.org

A typical 20 minute drive from my home in Maryvale to Downtown Phoenix took me 1.5 hours on a bus. Traveling from 75th Ave and Thomas to a meeting on 43rd Ave and McDowell required three transfers. You can follow along with my trips last year on Tiktok or Instagram. And my eyes were opened to just how unsafe our streets truly are for pedestrians and cyclists. One thing was clear: Arizona has a long way to go to improve public transit and create more walkable, accessible communities.

It was part of the national Week Without Driving challenge, a campaign to encourage policymakers to put ourselves in the shoes of seniors who've given up their keys, people with disabilities, veterans, teenagers, and all other constituents who don't or can't drive.

One of the constituents I met on the bus was a man with a visual disability who works a late-night security job. Because the buses don’t run late, he pays tons of money on ride-share apps to make it home after his shifts. He wants 24/7 buses, free transit, and less delays. These are all policies we can pass–all it takes is the political will to do so. 

That’s why I’m calling on my colleagues in the State Legislature, on the Phoenix City Council, and in other elected positions across Arizona to join me for Week Without Driving 2026 (Oct. 1-8). It’s a national campaign led by America Walks that asks policymakers to take the challenge every year. Let’s experience the barriers our constituents face together and get to work on solutions. 

We've shown what's possible when we act.

This year, I was proud to help pass the Stop Super Speeders Act — HB 2417 — which Gov. Katie Hobbs signed into law in June. This bipartisan win will make streets safer for all by using Intelligent Speed Assistance technology to rein in the small number of repeat, reckless speeders responsible for a disproportionate share of Arizona's traffic deaths. HB2417 gives repeat speeders the option to use this technology instead of having their license suspended. That's what smart, prevention-focused policy looks like, and it's proof that when we focus on saving lives, both parties can find common-ground.

But that same spirit of safety and access is under direct attack when it comes to public transit.

Last year, Republican legislative leaders threatened to block light rail expansion into west Phoenix and around the state Capitol — the same expansion Phoenix voters already approved and funded back in 2015. GOP leadership sent letters vowing to fight any new light rail extensions. One bill would have expanded the no-light rail buffer around the Capitol. Another would have banned the state from helping pay for light rail at all.

This backward mindset cuts working families, seniors, veterans, and people with disabilities off from housing, health care, and job opportunities. Robust, affordable, and safe public transit shouldn't be a partisan issue. But right now it is, and the people paying the price are the ones with the fewest options to get where they need to go.

That's why Week Without Driving matters.

It's easy to write off public transit, safe streets, and bike lanes as small issues until you're waiting 40 minutes for a bus that was supposed to come 30 minutes ago. Every lawmaker who votes on transportation funding, on light rail, or other issues should experience how these systems work.

So here's my ask, to my fellow elected officials: take the challenge from Oct. 1 to Oct. 8. Skip the car. Take the bus, ride your bike, walk, roll. Post about it. Tell your constituents what you learned. Then come back to the Capitol or to City Hall and vote with a better understanding of what it means to move through this state without a car.