Elderly Mobility: Current Transit Practices and Future Needs

The population of people over the age of 65 in the United States will double by 2030 and the accompanying effects of such a shift in demographics will be felt in many aspects of daily life, especially transportation. Baby boomers grew up with the automobile embedded in American culture, and focus groups with senior citizens have found that most participants consider access to a private automobile critical to overall life satisfaction. As baby boomers age, however, they will likely face driving cessation and then they and many American communities face a transportation dilemma. Using South Carolina as an example of a state with above-average elderly population, but limited public transit service, the objectives of this research were: to characterize the current state of transportation for seniors who do not drive, to forecast the anticipated dilemma the state will face as the population ages without sufficient transportation alternatives, and to identify possible solutions to this dilemma. Findings show that the percentage of the population over age 65 living in South Carolina is on par with or above national averages. South Carolina, like the rest of the nation, faces a tremendous challenge as its population ages in an environment that is largely rural and suburban and already has transportation deficiencies. Counties with little or no transit service have higher percentages of residents over age 65, lower household income, and have higher percentages of African American residents than the statewide averages. These demographics suggest an equity mismatch between transportation provision and population needs.

• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Boyles, Benjamin Lee
  • Mathias, Angie
  • Dunning, Anne E
  • Boyles, William A
• Conference:
  • Transportation Research Board 86th Annual Meeting
  • Location: Washington DC, United States
  • Date: 2007-1-21 to 2007-1-25
• Date: 2007

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: CD-ROM
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 18p
• Monograph Title: TRB 86th Annual Meeting Compendium of Papers CD-ROM

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aged; Demographics; Equity; Mobility; Needs assessment; Public transit; Systems; Systems analysis; Transit operating agencies; Transportation planning
• Geographic Terms: South Carolina
• Subject Areas: Public Transportation; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01046178
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: 07-3459
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Apr 18 2007 7:18AM