‘Week Without Driving’ Informs Improvements in Small Jurisdictions
“The Week Without Driving (WWD) gave me a chance to look at my job from a different perspective,” said Rachel Ede, Deputy Director of City of Santa Rosa Transportation and Public Works, Transit Division, who manages the Santa Rosa CityBus.
“It got me to max out my commutes on transit using the SMART train and city buses and observe how our system is utilized.” Ede noted the diversity of transit users, which included nurses wearing scrubs, students with backpacks, recreational users, and people with shopping carts. Her conclusion at the end of WWD: bus frequency, coordination with SMART train arrivals and departures, and on-time performance are priorities. “Service reliability is king,” she said.
Ede also noted the dedication of transit staff on both SMART and the Santa Rosa CityBus who she saw inviting people onto the transit system, answering questions, and helping riders manage their Clipper accounts. The WWD coincided with extremely hot weather, and Ede noticed the important role of bus stop amenities (benches and shelters) in protecting riders from the elements.
Ede was one of the transit professionals in Sonoma County who participated in the WWD. Santa Rosa city employees were encouraged by Transportation and Public Works Director Dan Hennessey to leave their cars behind as much as possible and observe how people get from place to place without cars.
Hennessey’s week included attending a Valkyries basketball game in San Francisco, although he and his family drove into the city and then took the Muni to the Chase Center. A Muni daily transit pass is included in the price of a ticket to games at the Chase Center. He often commutes from his home to his office by bicycle, using the SMART bike path and the Colgan Creek Trail for safety. “Santa Rosa is bike-friendly because it is relatively flat, and has an off-street system of trails, regional parks, and greenways,” he said. “And I think we do a good job of putting buses into as many hours of service as we can afford to.”
As Hennessey implements the City’s capital improvement and maintenance plans he makes sure bike and pedestrian safety are integrated into street improvements so that all benefit from the public investment. Since FY 23-24, Santa Rosa has built, upgraded, or is in the process of building 23.37 miles of bike lanes as part of its capital improvements and street maintenance projects. Hennessey has the support of the City Council and local advocates to “deliver on things that have been promised for a long time.” Emergency response leaders from the police and fire departments help ensure that improvements are consistent with evacuation plans, a high priority for Santa Rosa residents where more than 2,300 homes were lost in the 2017 Tubbs Fire. “Our goal is a safer environment for all,” Hennessey said.
Funding for Sonoma County’s three transit agencies and other mobility and environmental projects is managed by Sonoma County Transportation and Climate Authorities, a unique dual agency created in part by state law that operates similarly to a joint powers authority. Under leadership that includes a representative from each of the County’s nine incorporated cities or towns along with three County supervisors, the SCTCA plans, coordinates, and funds transportation programs with the 1/4 percent sales tax that is authorized through 2040. SCTCA Executive Director James Cameron also participated in the WWD, mainly using SMART and Redwood BikeShare for local trips, and taking SMART, Golden Gate Transit, and the Larkspur Ferry on a trip to a meeting in San Francisco. The WWD helped him think about how to connect Sonoma County to Sacramento, a challenge requiring multiple buses and trains and a minimum of five hours.
Sonoma County residents, along with those living in neighboring Marin County, are overwhelmingly supportive of the SMART train and its adjacent bike trail along the entire path of the train. In June of 2026, almost 75 percent of voters approved a 30-year extension of the 1/4 percent sales tax that funds SMART, allowing the agency to proceed with plans to extend the train and bike trail to Healdsburg and Cloverdale. SMART riders who are 18 or under and 65 or older ride free.
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