Complete Streets for an Aging America

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Leo F. Estrada, PhD UCLA School of Public
Affairs Board Member, AARP
AARP Public Policy Institute January 27, 2009
Transportation for an Aging America
2203 Rayburn House Office Building
June 8, 2009
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Livable Communities
A livable community is one that has affordable
and appropriate housing, supportive community
features and services, adequate mobility options,
which together facilitate personal independence
and the engagement of residents in civic and
social life.
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AARPs Livable Communities Goal for Mobility
Americans 50 are able to sustain mobility as
they age
More communities increase affordable and
accessible mobility and housing options and
community services to meet the needs of the 50
population through engagement and influence of
local level decision makers

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Mobility Matters

• Transportation connects individuals with
  economic, social, cultural and civic activities
• Essential to maintain independence, freedom and
  emotional well-being

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Source Getting Current Recent Demographic
Trends in Metropolitan America, Metropolitan
Policy Program at the Brookings Institute, 2009.
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AARP, Across the States 2009 Profiles of
Long-Term Care and Independent Living
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Health Status

• Health and disability status is stronger
  predictor of mobility than age.
• Those 85 in excellent physical condition are
  more mobile than younger persons in poor
  condition.
• Chronic conditions tend to rise with age.
• Over half of persons age 75 have 2 4 chronic
  conditions
• Over one-fifth of persons age 75 have 5 or more
  chronic conditions

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Poverty Characteristics

• In 2007, 6 million persons 65 (16.1) were in
  poverty or near poor.
• In poverty
• White 7.4
• African American 23.2
• Asians 11.3
• Hispanics 17.1
• Women 12.0
• Men 6.6

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Growth in Minority Elderly

• From 5.7 million in 2000 to 12.9 million in 2020
• Increase between 2007 and 2030
• White 68
• Hispanic 244
• African-American 126
• American Indian 167
• Asian 213

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Older Women Likely to Live Alone As They Age

• 55 of non-institutionalized older persons lived
  with their spouse.
• Nearly 39 of women 65 live alone
• 19 of men 65 live alone
• Half of women 75 live alone

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Geographic Location
Source Administration on Aging A Profile of
Older Americans 2008
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Suburban America

• America is largely suburbanized
• Evolved around trolley, rail and highway access
• Housing tracts were once mini-communities but
  eventually bedroom communities (housing without
  services)
• Dispersed housing (sprawl) led to the
  car-dependence
• What happens when you get older in a car
  dependent culture?

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Growth of First Suburbs

• Home to nearly 20 of US population
• Older population increased nearly twice as fast
  in first suburbs as the nation as a whole from
  1950 2000
• Non-families, including the elderly living
  alone, are most prevalent household type
• Highest of elderly in Rust Belt
• Highest of elderly in NY, Boston, Chicago and
  LA metro areas

Source One-Fifth of America,
Brookings, 2006
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Rural Challenges

• Persons age 60 and older account for nearly
  one-third of rural riders far more than their
  19 share of the rural population.
• Nearly 75 of households in rural areas do not
  have access to public transportation.
• Medical trips are a particular need.

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• Stranded Without Options
• More than one in five (21) Americans age 65 and
  older do not drive (6.8 million).
• More than 50 of non-drivers age 65 and older -
  or 3.6 million Americans stay home on any given
  day.
• Non-drivers take 15 fewer trips to the doctor
  than drivers.
• Where public transportation is available, older
  Americans make regular use of it.

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Key Issues for Older Drivers

• Declining vision
• Decreased physical fitness and flexibility
• Decreased ability to focus attention
• Increased reaction time

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Driving Oneself Declines with Age

• 90 of trips by older persons are in personal
  automobiles.
• Drive Themselves
• Age 50 74 73
• Age 75 62
• Passenger
• Age 50 74 17
• Age 75 27

Source AARP Beyond 50.05, 2005
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Incomplete Streets
Photograph from Edward Stollof
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Pedestrians Chance of Death if hit by a Motor
Vehicle

• Older adults (65) are over-represented in
  traffic fatalities
• 12.5 of population in 2007
• 14 of all vehicle occupant
• 19 of pedestrian fatalities

Source NCHRP Report 500, Vol. 10 A Guide for
Reducing Collisions Involving Pedestrians, 2004.
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Older adults (50) report inhospitable roads

• 47 say they cannot cross their main roads safely
• 40 say they do not have adequate sidewalks in
  their neighborhoods

International Communications Research Poll for
AARP, 1,000 adults age 50, July 2008
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Percent of respondents rating community feature
D or F
Source AARP, Beyond 50.05, 2005.
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Our Communities are Unprepared

• 54of American communities do not have the
  policies, program or services in place to promote
  quality of life, community engagement, and
  independent living of older adults (N4A survey of
  10K local governments, 2006).
• 2/3 of planners and engineers have not yet begun
  considering the needs of older users in the
  multi-modal planning (AARP Public Policy
  Institute/ITE online survey of more than 1K
  planners engineers, 2008).

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Source TCRP Report 82 Improving Public Transit
Options for Older Persons
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Public Transportation Improvements

• Increased service reliability
• Accessible vehicles, stations, and stops
• Accessible service information
• Travel training
• Driver sensitivity training
• Neighborhood circulators/service routes

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Specialized Transportation

• A 2007 Promark Research poll found that 61 of
  Americans believe that our transportation system
  needs more Dial a Ride or other special forms
  of transportation for seniors and persons with
  disabilities.
• Respondents reported greater need for senior
  transportation than for roads, buses, bike
  trails, and sidewalks.
• Among those 65, 71 believe that the
  transportation system needs more special forms of
  transportation for the seniors and persons with
  disabilities.

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Volunteer Programs

• As of 2007, there were at least 543 volunteer
  driver programs.
• Benefits of volunteer driver programs
• They operate where other services are not
  available or not accessible by older adults
• Generally less expensive
• Provide services beyond what traditional
  transportation services provide

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Family of Travel Choices Are Needed

• - Walking and Bicycling
• Public Transportation
• Paratransit
• Human Services / Specialized Services
• Non-emergency Medical Transportation
• Volunteer Driver Programs
• Safe Roads

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Complete Streets
AARP Bulletin

• A Complete Street is safe, comfortable
  convenient for travel by automobile, foot,
  bicycle, transit regardless of age or ability

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AARP Complete Streets Report Recommendations for
FHWA Handbook

• Update FHWA Handbook to
• Provide greater focus on pedestrians
• Consider the effects of vehicle speed
• Acknowledge evolving state of the practice
• Address different land use contexts

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• AARP urges Congress to Include in Transportation
  Authorization
• Complete Streets Act of 2009
• Legislation that helps states implement
  recommendations of the Highway Design Handbook
  for Older Drivers and Pedestrians and provides
  for updates to these recommendations
• Strengthened and expanded specialized
  transportation program for older adults and
  persons with disabilities.

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Staff Contact Debra Alvarez Government
Relations [phone]