Planning for the Transportation Needs of Older Adults

In addition to discussing transportation options with older adults, "mobility transition discussions" may need to be re-framed as "Access Discussions." There are simply too many older adults who are or will be living in neighborhoods where the only option is the car for providing transportation options to be the only answer. Most Americans have the luxury during their driving years to choose to live in one place and shop, eat out, visit the doctor, worship, get a haircut, go to a dentist in five other parts of the community. Walking, in may neighborhoods, is simply not an option, because there is nothing to walk to. A simple tool like www.walkscore.com, can allow an "Access Counselor" (aka Mobility Manager)to find out what options, if any, exist for easy access (either by walking, or by transit, or established senior transportation) in senior's neighborhood. This is information that seniors need to consider when making very important life choices (should I stay or should I go?). Many seniors prefer to stay in their own (car-dependent) neighborhoods, but at what cost to their quality of life? It will come down to personal choice in the end, but helping seniors understand all of their options, including moving to a mixed-use, walkable community which has transit, should be part of any discussion about Mobility (Access).

I agree we need to address the needs of older adults living in neighborhoods where currently the auto is the only alternative. One concept that needs to be explored is the redesign of paratransit services funded with a specific categorical funding source such as New Freedom, Title III Older Americans Act or JARC and create fixed route shuttles that serve some of these neighborhoods with services that are open to the public and designed to create agglomeration economies by serving older persons, people with disabilities, students, economically disadvantaged persons and commuters on a service open to the general public. The Swedish service route concept using flex fixed routes, smaller vehicles and low floor vehicles to speed loading is a concept that needs to be expanded if we are to meet the growing senior mobility needs in a cost-efficient way.

Suburban and rural neighborhoods need service. Curb-to-curb often makes sense where fixed route transit can't accrue enough riders. However, service doesn't have to be provided every day - two mid-days per week connecting to a main-line transit stop as well as a grocery store and medical building allows people to plan their outings in advance.

RE: I interpreted Steve Yaffe's sentence that suburban and rural neighborhoods need service to mean that the issue is how do we provide transportation for suburban and rural neighborhoods not only for their senior residents. Steve Frittante's creative solutions include serving other populations as well as older adults.

I support the idea that including planning to provide accessible, cost-efficient transportation service to suburban and rural communities would be a huge step towards meeting most senior transportation needs. Does anyone have suggestions on necessary actions to ensure that senior needs are met or necessary actions to provide special transportation services for older adults?

What we are seeing in many communities that are seeking to find ways to ensure older adults transportation needs are met is strong leadership from aging services providers and advocates at the local, county, level. These are often users of transportation options, providers of options or providers of other services - often local Chapters of national organizations. By building coalitions and discussing this need at advisory council or coordination meetings, local leaders are able to identify needs, resources, gaps and fill gaps. Often, a mobility management program can help. Sometimes new volunteer programs are suggested, sometimes new public transit solutions or partnerships help, and at other times better information and referral processes for what already exists is developed. Several communities we know of are codifying transportation resources on new websites that everyone can access - this complements existing call centers or 211 systems. In the case of local transportation needs, it does seem that a few change agents can really make a difference.

In response to Jane's comment on necessary actions to meet senior needs, I would say a greater level of specificity on proposals within the area Human Services Transportation Coordination plans is essential to having an operating program ready to go when funding becomes available. We had a wish list of proposed routes in 2007 and referred to that operating improvement program in the the plan when CMAQ and New Freedom operating funds became available in our state in 2009.

To follow up on Mary's comment about the difference a few change agents can make, I refer to Warren and Alice Smith on Cape Cod who are both retirees. I discussed them in my comment on involving older persons in planning. In addition to building support for travel training and more transportation options on Cape Cod, they training curriculum, Surviving Not Driving is being used in numerous communities across the country. Their email is: Wsmithstat@aol.com

Encouraging conversations about driving changes, limitations and cessation early on make some of that transition easier as well. We are finding that encouraging volunteer driver programs is a way to make that transition less frightening and overwhelming. Riding with someone they know or can trust makes it feel more like a group trip than a focus on being without personal transportation.