|
|||||||||||||
|
Enhancing Mobility Options for Older Americans -- A Five Year National Action Agenda Prepared for the AARP (Download Document In Adobe PDF Format) A Five Year National Action AgendaPrepared for the AARP Table of Contents
Enhancing Mobility for Older Americans: A Five Year National Action Agenda grew out of the urgent need to accelerate planning and coordination at the national, state, and community levels to ensure that more Americans are able to sustain mobility as they age. In June 2004, AARP convened over 40 experts, policymakers, and practitioners involved in aging and transportation issues. Stakeholder input at the forum and in subsequent reviews has helped produce the following document. AARP takes full responsibility for the content of the report and the strategies and tactics that are recommended. AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization that helps people 50+ have independence, choice and control in ways that are beneficial and affordable to them and society as a whole. We produce AARP The Magazine, published bimonthly; AARP Bulletin, our monthly newspaper; AARP Segunda Juventud, our bimonthly magazine in Spanish and English; NRTA Live & Learn, our quarterly newsletter for 50+ educators; and our website, www.aarp.org. AARP Foundation is our affiliated charity that provides security, protection, and empowerment to older persons in need with support from thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors. We have staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. In the next 25 years the number of Americans age 65 and older will double. Americans 85 and older comprise the fastest-growing segment of the population. As life expectancy exceeds the age at which many Americans typically cease or significantly limit driving, the need for increased and enhanced mobility options to enable Americans to age in place will become more urgent. Today&##146;s transportation infrastructure is unprepared for the transformation in America&##146;s demographic shape. Older adults identify mobility with driving. Other options, such as public transportation and walking, are often inconvenient or inaccessible. A recent report has shown that over half of all non-drivers age 65 and older stay home on any given day. In communities throughout the country, many innovative programs have been developed to help older adults maintain mobile lifestyles. In June 2004, AARP convened over 40 experts, policymakers, and practitioners in the fields of aging and transportation to develop priorities and strategies that would contribute to reaching a five-year goal of increasing the percentage of adults who have the mobility choices they need to remain independent as they age. Meeting this goal will require even more innovations in service, as well as changes in the policy framework and new levels of coordination among policymakers, human services agencies, transportation planners, advocates, engineers, transit agencies, road builders, and other stakeholders. In early 2004, AARP adopted a Ten Year Social Impact Agenda that focuses on a single overarching goal: People 50+ will have independence, choice, and control in ways that are beneficial and affordable for them and society as a whole. One of the primary factors determining people&##146;s ability to achieve and maintain independence, choice, and control throughout their lives is the quality of their communities. Today, many Americans age 50 and older live in communities that do not provide access to the services and information they need to stay self-sufficient and mobile as they age. This document focuses on a key element in developing more livable communities. For many older Americans, a lack of mobility options poses one of the greatest challenges to remaining independent. As one of the ten goals in our Social Impact Agenda, AARP has made a commitment to ensuring that Americans 50+ are able to sustain mobility as they age. In June 2004, AARP hosted a two-day Mobility Forum involving over 40 experts, policymakers, and practitioners in the fields of aging and transportation. Participants included representatives of public and community transportation providers, area agencies on aging, caregivers, and local elected officials; urban planners; public health professionals; consumer advocates; transportation and land use advocates; and government officials from the Administration on Aging, Environmental Protection Agency, Federal Transit Administration, Federal Highway Administration, and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Two recent reports have underscored the urgency of the mobility challenges facing older Americans. In November 2003, the U.S. Department of Transportation published Safe Mobility for a Maturing Society: Challenges and Opportunities. The report articulated a vision of a future transportation system that allows older adults to remain independent and age in place, and outlined seven areas of pursuit in which progress was needed to achieve this vision. In April 2004, the Surface Transportation Policy Project, in coordination with AARP and the American Public Transportation Association, published Aging Americans: Stranded without Options. This national study showed that more than half of all non-drivers age 65 and older stay home on a given day, many because of limited transportation options. The study&##146;s recommendations included increasing investment in public transportation systems, increasing funding for specialized transportation programs that provide mobility for older adults, incorporating older Americans&##146; mobility needs into the planning of transportation projects, improving coordination between service providers, and making streets safer for pedestrians. These reports formed a foundation for discussions at the Mobility Forum. Participants developed a framework for translating the reports&##146; goals and recommendations into a Five Year Action Agenda. Which goals and objectives were feasible within this time frame? Which needs were most urgent? Which solutions had the broadest appeal to consumers of all ages? With these and other criteria in mind, participants developed a set of priorities and strategies toward meeting the following goal: Increase the percentage of adults who have the mobility choices they need to remain independent as they age. The following five priorities represent the main thrust of the Five Year Action Agenda:*
Implementing this agenda will require collaborative efforts with an array of diverse organizations and agencies to change public and private policies and practices. A broad range of approaches at various levels and decision points will be necessary to realize our goal. We must stimulate community-level innovations as well as key changes at the federal and state levels, such as improved coordination of transportation funding programs. Sometimes the needed change will require a focus on policymakers. In many instances, other stakeholders such as transit providers and aging advocates must work in concert. Sometimes there are steps individuals should take to empower themselves or friends and family members. Often, a coordinated effort aimed at all these audiences is needed to effect a desired change. Many innovative efforts are already under way to enhance and expand mobility options; many organizations and individuals have tremendous expertise in these issues. Realizing the Action Agenda&##146;s goal will require that AARP and other organizations join forces to leverage our unique strengths. This document represents an important step in the process. Overview The next 25 years will witness a doubling of the population of Americans age 65 and older. Americans 85 and older comprise the fastest-growing segment of the population. To live independently and age successfully, older Americans must be able to maintain a mobile lifestyle. Today, in most parts of the U.S., that means owning and driving a car. Yet the process of aging often involves a deterioration of physical and functional skills that can make driving much more difficult. To a greater extent than previous generations, today&##146;s older Americans identify mobility with being able to drive. The coming generation of older Americans will be even more accustomed to driving, and less familiar with other options such as public transportation. For many, the prospect of no longer driving is unthinkable. It often means having to depend on others for rides to the grocery store, to visit friends, and to medical services. Public transportation is unavailable in many communities. Walking is often unpleasant and dangerous, especially for those with visual and other physical impairments who don&##146;t have access to sidewalks. Little wonder that most older Americans — and most adults of any age — can hardly imagine a fulfilling life without driving. For too many older Americans, putting the keys down for good is a traumatic experience. Unprepared for the transition, they become isolated from friends, services, and their communities. Increased isolation affects well-being and increases physical vulnerability, preventing older adults from aging in place, increasing health care costs, and adding to the burdens on adult caregivers. To ensure that the 70 million Americans who will be 65 or older in 2030 participate actively in their communities and enjoy independent living, we need to make a broad effort to increase and enhance mobility options. This includes extending driving lives and expanding other options such as walking, public transportation, and ride-sharing. Implementing transportation improvements that better fit America&##146;s changing demographic profile will require new levels of coordination between policymakers, human services agencies, transportation planners, advocates, engineers, transit agencies, road builders, and other stakeholders.
The Crisis Hits Home Jean, a retired businesswoman and widow, lives in the same house that she and her husband moved into soon after the birth of their son.Many of her closest friends live nearby, and town life keeps her very busy. But getting from place to place never seemed so hard. The shopping center is on the left side of a fivelane road, and she&##146;s come to dread making that turn.Who wouldn&##146;t? There&##146;s no traffic light, and gaps in the onrushing cars are few and far between. Then there are her board meetings every other Thursday evening. She&##146;d gladly host each one; so little does she enjoy navigating the busy roads and sudden turns. She wishes she could walk to the store sometimes, or share a ride to some of her meetings. But the nearest store is on the other side of a wide street with fast traffic. And she doesn&##146;t want to become dependent on her friends. If her son and daughter-in-law weren&##146;t so busy with work and their own family, she might ask them for rides more often.With all of her activities, her car has never been so important to her, even though she&##146;d gladly get around in other ways if they were available. Today, too many older Americans share predicaments like Jean&##146;s—and their numbers will swell over the next 25 years. In Aging Americans: Stranded Without Options, the Surface Transportation Policy Project starkly outlines the mobility challenges facing older Americans. Written and released in coordination with AARP and the American Public Transportation Association, this 2004 national study shows that more than one in five Americans age 65 and older do not drive. Over half of this non-driving population— or 3.6 million Americans—stay home on any given day. Compared to earlier cohorts, today&##146;s older Americans are far more likely to get around by automobile. Between 1983 and 1995 the percentage of trips made by older Americans in automobiles rose from 75 percent to 90 percent. The next generation of older Americans will be even more accustomed to occupying the driver&##146;s seat. &##147;By 2012,&##148; observes mobility expert Sandra Rosenbloom, &##147;almost every U.S. man and more than nine out of 10 U.S. women will enter their retirement years as drivers.&##148;1 Older drivers generally are safe drivers. The aging process does affect specific functions related to driving skills, such as vision, hearing, and cognitive and motor abilities, resulting in an increased risk of accident involvement. But older drivers tend to regulate their driving behavior to reduce these risks. Because of self-regulation, older drivers have fewer crashes per licensed driver than any other age group. One study has found that renewing the license of a 70-year-old male driver for another year poses, on average, 40 percent less threat to other road users than renewing the license of a 40- year-old male driver.2
But being limited to a single form of mobility serves nobody well, especially older adults. Because of their increased fragility, older drivers are far more vulnerable to the impacts of crashes than other age groups. Fatality rates per mile driven for 75 to 79 year-old motorists, for example, are more than four times as high as for 30 to 59 year-olds.3 When driving becomes more difficult, many Americans discover that they have few options. Most live in areas that are not served by public transportation. Others live in areas where transit is difficult to reach on foot and services are inconsistent. Walking is rarely a viable option. Services and social opportunities are too far away, there are no sidewalks, and crossing the road is too dangerous. When individuals cannot get around by driving, walking,
or using transit, the burden often falls on caregivers and human services
agencies. As a result, these individuals and organizations are overtaxed
with the need to provide transportation services that have essentially
been neglected by public policy. Caregivers provide an estimated $257
billion worth of unpaid services each year, and more than eight of 10
caregivers provide transportation assistance either directly or through Of course, older Americans aren&##146;t the only ones lacking mobility options. Federal transportation policy over the last 60 years has driven public resources toward building and maintaining roads, leaving relatively little funding for public transportation or pedestrian infrastructure. Road building has spurred and been spurred by land use patterns, as Americans&##146; homes have become ever more dispersed and disconnected from services and employment centers. The development of our road network has resulted in unprecedented mobility gains for many Americans, while enabling countless families to own homes and enjoy a high quality of life. But it has also left us increasingly dependent on a single form of transportation. For many Americans, aspects of driving become more difficult long before they need to consider putting their keys down for good. Research has indicated that a 40-year-old driver may need 20 times more light to see at night than a driver at age 20.5 Yet even in areas with relatively strong public transportation services or other community transportation options, many consumers remain unaware of other choices. So it is that much harder when the 40-year-old driver—five years later or 45 years later—realizes that driving for most of his or her needs is no longer safe. At that point, the prospects of aging in place and retaining independence, choice, and control become far bleaker. Little wonder that for many, driving and living are practically one and the same.
The Mobility Arena
For most American adults, mobility does not become an issue until driving becomes a problem. Yet by then, it is often extremely difficult to adjust to other mobility options. People also discover that trying to increase those options by changing aspects of the transportation system requires extraordinary patience and perseverance. Making an intersection safer to cross, or making road signs easier to read, can take many years to accomplish. Providing better mobility for all Americans is partly a question of showing them how to use the options they already have. For individuals who have rarely boarded a train or bus and may have special needs, public transportation services can be confusing and intimidating. Travel training programs can help. These programs provide one-on-one assistance to help consumers learn how to use public transportation services. Transportation guides listing all mobility options in a given community form another piece of the puzzle. Some communities are going even further and setting up &##147;mobility managers,&##148; who can direct residents to different mobility services based on their transportation needs and destinations. Such a &##147;one-stop&##148; resource is extremely valuable for navigating the universe of mobility options in one&##146;s community. But improving older Americans&##146; mobility also requires increasing their options through improving existing services and infrastructure, as well as establishing new services. That involves greater participation by organizations and consumers in the many processes that affect older Americans&##146; mobility. Every six years Congress sets parameters for how federal transportation funds will be spent. The outcomes of the federal transportation reauthorization process significantly influence communities&##146; mobility investments. Yet many decisions at the state and community levels also affect mobility. Transportation planning agencies are required to develop long-range transportation plans and short-term transportation improvement programs that allocate federal, state, and local funds for specific projects. In metropolitan regions with more than 50,000 residents, Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) develop these plans; transportation planning in smaller areas falls directly under the responsibility of state Departments of Transportation. These agencies must solicit extensive public input, although specific outreach to older consumers is not required. Many transit operators often hold public forums and other events to solicit riders&##146; views on routing, fares, and other issues. Some communities have initiated ongoing dialogues among transit providers, private and public transportation operators, advocates, and other stakeholders to improve coordination and delivery of mobility services. Because land use often greatly affects mobility options, local planning and zoning decisions also represent key processes in the mobility arena. The processes of deciding how transportation dollars are spent are much more accessible to consumers than they once were. Many individuals and organizations have seized the opportunity to participate vigorously in their communities&##146; transportation planning processes. However, the voices of older transportation consumers have not yet been well heard. A 2004 report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office recommended that the federal government require or encourage state and local agencies to include older Americans in transportation planning processes. 7 Mobility Options: Incremental Progress, Fundamental Challenges In many ways, the past 15 years have seen promising trends in American transportation policy toward encouraging other mobility options besides driving. Transit ridership in many urban areas has expanded dramatically. Transit services have become more responsive to the needs of customers with disabilities. New federal programs have been established to fund the construction of walking and bicycling trails and sidewalks. Yet the influence of these trends on older Americans&##146; mobility has been relatively minor in a landscape where automobile-oriented design remains standard. Community design profoundly influences consumers&##146; mobility decisions. Wide streets, lack of sidewalks, and large surface parking areas are among the community design features that discourage trips by walking and public transportation. An increasing percentage of older Americans live in suburban and rural communities that have been designed for automobile travel. Nearly four in five older adults live in rural and suburban areas. Public transportation is rarely used by most of these individuals. A 2002 AARP Public Policy Institute study found that less than half of households in suburban areas are located within a half mile of a public transportation stop or station. In rural areas, less than one in eight households have such access.8 It is not surprising, then, that public transportation accounts for less than three percent of trips taken by individuals 65 and older, while walking accounts for only five percent of trips. 9 Residents of rural areas face particular mobility challenges. These areas are home to a growing proportion of older Americans. Rural transportation providers often must cover vast service areas for relatively few riders, making reliable and cost-effective service a challenge. Thirty-one percent of transit trips in rural areas are made by the elderly; a much higher proportion than in other areas. 10 Mobility solutions in rural and suburban communities often involve alternatives to conventional &##147;fixed-route&##148; transit. In fixed-route services, vehicles such as trains and buses run along an established path at preset times. Demand-response services, also known as &##147;paratransit,&##148; are transit services that pick up and transport passengers upon request to and from their destinations.11 While many transit agencies&##146; fixed-route services are expanding and improving, their demand-response services are not experiencing a similar level of support or innovation. Areas served by fixed-route transit are required to provide complementary paratransit for passengers who qualify as disabled under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). But many older Americans are not eligible for this service, although they may have significant health impairments or other limitations that make it extremely difficult to access fixed-route services. More consumers of all ages—both able-bodied and with disabilities—have difficulty using fixed-route services because these services are separated from their homes and destinations by poorly maintained and designed pedestrian environments. Human services agencies such as senior centers and health care institutions, as well as private transportation providers, have moved in to fill the gap. For many human services agencies, providing transportation assistance has become indispensable to fulfilling their missions. They have become highly resourceful in tapping various sources of human and financial capital to meet their clients&##146; transportation needs. Rural areas are often laboratories for the most innovative approaches. Entrepreneurial nonprofit organizations in rural communities have developed model volunteer driver programs and made excellent use of advanced technology to improve services, among other innovations. But these organizations often run into formidable barriers. Securing insurance for volunteer drivers can be a difficult and expensive process. Federal and state funding for human services transportation is scattered among numerous programs, each with its own reporting requirements. A lack of clarity and sufficient flexibility in these programs&##146; requirements often prevents providers from coordinating their services and achieving greater efficiencies. For example, a shuttle service serving older residents being supported by one agency may run on the same route as a van serving people with disabilities being supported by a different agency. But because real or perceived funding requirements have confined each agency to serving a particular client base for a particular need, they continue to duplicate services. Tough Choices for Older Drivers Compared to two decades ago, many more opportunities are available for adults to assess and refresh their driving skills. AARP offers a driver safety classroom program and is developing an online driver education program. AARP&##146;s classroom program graduates over 700,000 drivers annually. The American Automobile Association offers an online driver education program and a classroom program in some regions. Many Area Agencies on Aging provide information and training on driving to older adults. Participation in these programs is voluntary, and the most at-risk motorists may not benefit. As stated in The Policy Book: AARP 2004 Public Policies, &##147;Traffic Safety experts are concerned that there will be an increasing number of at-risk drivers as the population ages.&##148;12 But identifying these drivers for assessment, rehabilitation, and, if necessary, removal of driving privileges is an extremely difficult and sensitive process. Regulation of driver licensing is a state function, and states do not have uniform standards or policies to address this highly emotional issue. Reliable driving assessment methods have yet to be agreed upon, although assessment programs have been developed that provide a strong indicator of whether additional evaluation is needed. While efforts are under way to expand the number of certified driver rehabilitation specialists, such highly trained practitioners remain unavailable in most communities. As a result, much of the responsibility for regulating at-risk drivers falls on family members. Discussing driving safety with family members can be difficult, although organizations are increasingly providing help in this area. For example, The Hartford Financial Services Group and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology AgeLab (MIT AgeLab) recently published We Need to Talk: Family Conversations with Older Drivers, a guide that offers families a multi-step approach to crafting candid, effective conversations about older driver safety. Many of the hazards facing older drivers can be reduced with improvements to the driving environment. Poorly designed intersections increase the risk of collision for all drivers but disproportionately affect older drivers and pedestrians. Older drivers tend to experience considerable difficulties reading traffic and street-name signs. Aggressive driving is a major threat to older drivers as well as to pedestrians. Overview Throughout the country, individuals and organizations are resourcefully addressing the mobility needs of older citizens. They are building community-wide coalitions, setting up volunteer driver networks, and establishing &##147;one call does it all&##148; brokerages enabling older adults to find low-cost transportation. Rural transportation providers are using advanced computer technology to cover vast service territories by concentrating fleets in high-demand areas. Public health professionals are joining with realtors, urban planners, neighborhood volunteers, and others to advocate for more walkable communities. Public transit operators have made major enhancements to vehicles such as low floor buses that are easier to board. These efforts embrace all travel modes. They include both service innovations and infrastructure improvements. They share one trait: a clear understanding of consumers&##146; needs. Such successes inform the Five Year Action Agenda. Participants at the June 2004 Mobility Forum shared with one another a wide range of innovations that are improving older Americans&##146; mobility. This section offers a few of these best practices to illustrate the plan&##146;s priorities. Though effective, current efforts are increasing mobility options for a relatively small number of individuals in some communities. Over the next 25 years, the number of Americans 65 and older will grow by 35 million; the number of Americans 85 and older will grow by 13 million. The sheer magnitude of this demographic shift demands a more coordinated effort to address mobility needs. To realize our goal, AARP and the Mobility stakeholders must develop, encourage, and support many more innovations in mobility. We must also build support for changes in aspects of transportation policy, design, and planning that affect older Americans&##146; mobility. The range of participants in the June 2004 Mobility Forum, and the priorities and strategies comprising the Action Agenda, reflect the breadth of approaches needed to realize our goal. These include enabling older individuals to drive safely longer, as well as enabling them to use transit services; advocating for more walkable communities, as well as advocating for improved highway signage. Broadening mobility options will require special efforts
and entrepreneurial approaches within the private sector, as well as
changes in law and policy. For example, recruiting volunteer drivers
will require both resourceful outreach and training efforts, and more
systemic changes in insurance policies to facilitate access to liability
coverage for volunteer drivers. No single group can effectively do both
without partnerships. The same need for partnership and coordination
applies to every
Action Agenda 1. Individuals can drive safely as long as possible with lessened concern about lack of mobility options when they cease driving. Challenges Driving will continue to be the dominant mode of mobility for older Americans. To reduce the risk of driving and ensure continued safe mobility, automobiles and roadway design must become more sensitive to the needs and limitations of older drivers. Sound policies and practices must be developed for fairly assessing driver competencies and assisting at-risk drivers. Strategies
DID YOU KNOW? In the year since increasing the size of street-name signs, repainting median strips, installing larger and brighter stoplights, upgrading walk lights, and adding left-turn lanes along one busy street, Detroit saw a 35 percent drop in injury crashes for drivers age 65 and older and a four percent drop for drivers age 25 to 64. Source: The Policy Book: AARP 2004 Public Policies, 10-8
2. Transportation options are expanded by integrating paratransit and human services transportation into all transportation planning. Challenges Many human services agencies, such as senior centers, provide transportation assistance. Paratransit and human services transportation are important mobility options for older adults, particularly those with disabilities or who are the frailest. Paratransit services tend to be very oversubscribed, and many older Americans do not qualify under Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) guidelines. Human services transportation does not receive sufficient funding and often is highly fragmented. The federal and regional transportation planning process generally does not adequately consider the need for these services, or encourage better coordination of these services with fixed-route transit, partly because older consumers are generally not actively engaged in the planning process. Consumers are often unaware of the range of mobility services in their communities and how to access them. Strategies
3. Federal, state, and local policies provide for expanded and enhanced mobility options. Challenges Lawmakers at every level of government must be better educated about the mobility needs of older adults, including the importance of better pedestrian facilities, more accessible transit services, and more sensitive road design features. Local zoning ordinances often discourage the development of mixed-use, walkable communities.
Strategies
4. An increased number of communities offers a wide range of transportation options. Challenges Most older Americans live in suburban and rural areas that lack sufficient density to support fixed-route transit and where walking for errands and other trips is difficult. Human services transportation providers often must cover large geographic areas and meet a tremendous demand, often without sufficient resources. As the number of Americans 85 and older rises dramatically, so will the demand for door-to-door, door-through-door, and even higher levels of assisted transportation. A common challenge in all communities — even those where walking and transit options are relatively accessible — is a lack of familiarity among most older residents with mobility options other than driving or riding in a private vehicle.
Strategies
5. The public is better informed and more engaged in understanding and acting on the need for increased and enhanced mobility options. Challenges Public interest in older Americans&##146; mobility is sporadic, often prompted by tragic and well publicized incidents involving older drivers. To move beyond reactions that don&##146;t constructively inform public policy, and to enable the public and policymakers to understand the negative impact of constrained mobility on their communities, efforts must be made to engage public audiences in an ongoing dialogue about the challenges to older Americans&##146; mobility. Caregivers and other especially affected constituencies
must be educated about the transportation planning process and transportation
services in their communities, so that they can become advocates for
efforts to broaden mobility options. Health care and social service
professionals must become better informed Strategies
Appendix: Current Efforts and Potential Partners Most of the strategies articulated in the Agenda draw on approaches by current practitioners. To guide implementation of the Agenda, this section offers a snapshot of current efforts in the mobility arena. Input on a variety of efforts, from national-level policy advocacy to community-based service innovations, was provided by Mobility Forum participants to develop the snapshot. We recognize that this picture remains incomplete. To use a different metaphor, it represents a cross-section of the various efforts being undertaken at the national, state, and community levels. In particular, only a fraction of state-based and local efforts are captured here. Our knowledge of the mobility arena is evolving, and we welcome further information about other efforts. This section is intended both to identify models and to begin to identify gaps where more resources are needed. For example, while further research may yield more information, this preliminary snapshot suggests that relatively few resources go toward consumer education. Educating older adults about the processes that affect the availability of mobility options may represent an important gap. 1. Individuals can drive safely as long as possible with lessened concern about lack of mobility options when they cease driving. Strategies. Develop methods and technologies to extend safe driving (e.g., car
manufacturing, road safety,
Work with coalition partners, industry, legislative, and regulatory bodies to adopt driver licensing and renewal requirements that fully evaluate driving skills and driving capacity to improve public safety.
Promote affordable remediation/rehabilitation options for those at risk of losing their ability to drive.
Create community support for transportation alternatives for older adults that do not undermine their sense of autonomy. Build opportunities for people transitioning from driving to learn to use the mobility options available in their communities.
Use the Internet as an information resource and build out AARP Driver Safety course to include comprehensive information on local mobility options. 2. Transportation options are expanded by integrating paratransit and human services transportation into all transportation planning. Strategies. Develop an integrated transportation plan: Include stakeholder organizations in planning at the national, state, and local levels.
Support federal agency efforts to integrate funding for mobility services to create a more seamless system.
Create local coalitions to support integration and increased access to mobility options.
Train consumers to engage in the planning process.
Promote use of technology in integrating mobility services. Assess current transportation services available in communities and support expansion to meet needs.
Assure that integrated planning meets changing needs of communities.
Advocate for one-stop community mobility managers to navigate local transportation systems on behalf of residents.Highlight best practices in community transportation integration.
Assure access to public as well as private transportation systems by mobility managers. Expand role of mobility managers to include &##147;travel training&##148; (teaching others how to use existing services). Address the obstacles in obtaining vehicle liability insurance to cover volunteer drivers.
Use common language across all transportation services. 3. Federal, state, and local policies provide for expanded and enhanced mobility options. Strategies. Create a national coalition, starting with Mobility Forum participants,
to support increased mobility
Use all possible communications vehicles to bring public attention
to the need for citizen support for expanded
Advocate at the national level for resolution to inequity between rural and urban transportation funding.
Conduct seminars for key policymakers in Congress and state legislatures to educate on mobility needs.
Organize best practices forums for MPOs.
Advocate for policies for public and private resources to pay for transportation for older adults. Bring attention to transportation/walkability issues in the media. Advocate for and promote walkable communities.
4. An increased number of communities offers a wide range of transportation options. Strategies. Conduct a community-wide education campaign to elicit public support for improved community mobility options. Form alliances/coalitions with non-traditional partners to advocate for alternatives to driving in their communities.
Involve the MPOs.
Broadly publicize success stories.
Develop and promote role for one-stop mobility managers to include the use of technology and travel training. Promote personal responsibility for understanding the variety of mobility options offered in one&##146;s own community.
Encourage rural states to earmark greater percentages of their transportation dollars for public transportation funding.
Promote current health findings on the benefits of walking.
5. The public is better informed and more engaged in understanding and acting on the need for increased and enhanced mobility options. Strategies. Educate the public on issues related to:
Find ways to encourage people to think about getting around on a given day that&##146;s different from their usual pattern. Engage AARP members as advocates at the local level and urge them to become involved in local planning. One model of a targeted education effort aiming to build citizens&##146; advocacy capacity is Easter Seals&##146; Transportation Solutions for Caregivers, which helps caregivers identify and assess existing transportation options, gaps, and needs in their communities. NHTSA funds many community-level efforts to educate consumers about mobility options. The NHTSA funded ASA DriveWell initiative conveys information about mobility options to consumers and providers of aging services at the community level. Many Area Agencies on Aging are educating older adults about enhancing transportation options through the NHTSA-funded Older Driver Safety Project of n4a. An active public education effort would need to work with a variety of organizations with issue-based expertise, including the following: APTA, CTAA, and ESPA (paratransit and human services transportation); Easter Seals, the National Alliance for Caregiving, the National Family Caregivers Association, AMA, and the Beverly Foundation (involvement of family, friends, and volunteers); America Walks, ESPA, and the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center (the role of the pedestrian environment in access to public transportation).
AARP. The Policy Book: AARP Public Policies 2004. Beverly Foundation and Community Transportation Association of America. Innovations for Seniors: Public and Community Transit Services Respond to Special Needs. 2004. Center for Home Care Policy and Research, Visiting Nurse Service of New York. Best Practices: Lessons for Communities in Supporting the Health,Well-Being, and Independence of Older People. 2003. Coughlin, Joseph F. Transportation and Older Persons: Perceptions and Preferences. AARP Public Policy Institute. 2001. Coughlin, Joseph F. &##147;Beyond Health and Retirement: Placing Transportation on the Aging Policy Agenda.&##148; Community Transportation Magazine, September/October 2002, 40-46. Hardin, Jane, principal author. CTAA Senior Transportation Toolkit and Best Practices. First Ed. May 2003. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Status Report 36:8. 2001. International City/County Management Association. Active Living for Older Adults:Management Strategies for Healthy and Livable Communities. 2003. National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP. Caregiving in the U.S. 2004. Rosenbloom, Sandra. &##147;The Mobility Needs of Older Americans: Implications for Transportation Reauthorization.&##148; Brookings Institution Center on Urban and Metropolitan Policy. July 2003. Straight, Audrey, and Anita Stowell Ritter and Ed Evans. Understanding Senior Transportation: Report and Analysis of a Survey of Consumers Age 50+. AARP Public Policy Institute. 2002. Straight, Audrey and Steven R. Gregory. &##147;Transportation: The Older Person&##146;s Interest.&##148; AARP Public Policy Institute. 2002. Surface Transportation Policy Project. Aging Americans: Stranded Without Options. 2004. Transportation Research Board. Transportation in an Aging Society: A Decade of Experience. 2004. U.S. Department of Transportation. Safe Mobility for a Maturing Society: Challenges and Opportunities. 2003. U.S. Government Accountability Office. Transportation-Disadvantaged Populations:Many Federal Programs Fund Transportation Services, But Obstacles to Coordination Persist. May 2003 (GAO-03-698T). U.S. Government Accountability Office. Transportation-Disadvantaged Populations: Federal Agencies are Taking Steps to Assist States and Local Agencies in Coordinating Transportation Services. Letter to Rep. Thomas Petri, February 24, 2004 (GAO-04-420R). U.S. Government Accountability Office. Transportation-Disadvantaged Seniors: Efforts to Enhance Senior Mobility Could Benefit from Additional Guidance and Information. August 2004 (GAO-04-971). The following individuals and organizations have provided input into the development of this document:
AARP 1-888-OUR-AARP (1-888-687-2277)
|
|||||||||||||
American Public Transportation Association / 1666 K Street NW • Suite 1100 • Washington, DC 20006 • 202.496.4800 • pt2info@apta.com |
|||||||||||||
