Aging & Mobility: Stranded Without A Choice Linda Bailey, Policy Analyst This report was created in cooperation with AARP.
Why This Study? [Taking away someone s license] really takes away a person s independence and their desire to live. ---Mary Jane O Gara, AARP Board of Directors, July 25, 2002 Congressional Testimony before the House of Representatives
Growth in 65+ Population: 2005
Growth in 65+ Population: 2015
Growth in 65+ Population: 2025
16-20 21-25 26-30 31-35 36-40 41-45 46-50 51-55 56-60 61-65 66-70 71-75 76-79 80-84 85+ Fatalities per 100 Million Vehicle Miles Driven Annual Vehicle Miles Driven Fragility, Self-Limitation Reduce Driving as an Option Driver Fatality Rates and Distance Driven by Age, 2001 10 20,000 8 6 4 2 0 Miles Driven 15,000 10,000 5,000 0 Driver Age
Self-Limitation on Driving o One in five 21 percent - of people 65 and over do not drive (NHTS 2001) o Among drivers 65 and over, one in five do not drive at night (Omnibus June 2002) o Drivers at 70 likely to stop driving and spend an average of 6-10 years dependent on others to meet their transportation needs (Foley et al. 2002)
Non-Drivers & Age 120% 100% 80% Non-Drivers as a Portion of the Population Not Licensed Licensed, Not Driving 60% 40% 20% Drivers 0% 65-69 70-74 75-79 80-84 85+ Age Group Source: Highway Statistics, NHTS 2001.
What Driving Cessation Means My ego has taken a big hit since not driving I don t feel in complete control [My] world had been reduced to one square mile [Stopping driving] took my independence away. Depending on someone else, that is really tough. Not driving... You become a prisoner. I have to depend on other people. AARP Focus Groups (Coughlin, 2001)
Things Can Be Different U.S. Urban/Suburban Trips by Mode, 55+ Car, 88% Bicycle, Walk, 0% 9% Transit, 2% Mannheim, Germany - Urban Trips by Mode, 55+ Car, 30% Transit 11% Bicycle 8% Walk, 50% Source: NHTS 2001 Mollenkopf, 2002
Isolation: Non-Drivers with No Options o Over half of non-drivers aged 65 and over stay home on a given day. o --3 times as much as drivers (17%). Non-Drivers 65 Years and Older Leave Home 46% Stay Home 54%
Trips Per Week Getting Rides from Others: Loss of Independence Non-Drivers Lose Independence, Lose Mobility Adults Aged 65 and over 30 25 20 15 22 Independent Trips Passenger Trips 10 5 0 5 Yes 4 7 No Currently a driver
Trips per Week Trips per Week Trips per Month Which Trips do Older Non-Drivers Social, Religious, Family Forego? 10 Shopping/Get Meal 8 6 4 2 0 7.6 Drivers 8 7-65% 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 2.7 7.2 Non-Drivers 4 3 2 1-59% Medical/Dental 3.1 2.9-15% 2.6 Drivers 0 Non-Drivers Drivers Non-Drivers
80% Livable Communities Help Isolation and Public Transportation Use By Neighborhood Density, Non-Drivers, 65 and over 60% 40% 61% 53% Percent staying home on a given day 55% 47% 38% 58% 43% 20% 5% Rate of occasional public transit use 12% 19% 0% 1,000 or less 1,000-4,000 4,000-10,000 10,000-25,000 25,000 and up People per Square Mile (Census block group)
Walking & Livable Communities 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% Walking By Neighborhood Walking Density, By Neighborhood Density, All 65+ Non-Drivers, 65+ 35% Rate of walking on a 32% given day 25% 15% 22% 14% 12% 13% 14% 8% 5% 0% 1,000 or less 1,000-4,000 4,000-10,000 10,000-25,000 25,000 and up People per Square Mile (Census block group)
Disparate Impacts 40% 30% Race and Isolation: Over 65, Stay Home on Given Day 36% 34% 38% 20% 22% 10% 0% White African- Am erican Latino Asian- Am erican
Why Disparate Impacts? o More likely to be non-drivers o Less likely to live with a car o More likely to be below poverty line 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Race and Non-Driver Status 65 and Over Race and No-Car Household 65 and Over 16% White 42% 30% 20% 10% 39% 7% Latino White 46% 28% African-0% Am erican Asian- AmAfrican- erican Am erican 20% 19% 10% Latino 0% 9% 5% Race and Poverty 65 and Over 16% Asian- Am erican White African- Am erican 16% Latino 6% Asian- Am erican
Public Transportation is Part of o Older African- Americans and Latinos twice as likely to use public transportation the Solution 30% 20% 10% Race and Public Transit User Status 65 and Over 9% 20% 20% 16% 0% White African- Am erican Latino Asian- Am erican
Rural Areas More Strongly 80% Affected Rural and Small-Town Isolation: Staying Home on a Given Day, Non- Drivers 65 and Over 60% 63% 60% 40% 51% 20% 0% Small Tow n (less than 50,000) Rural Area Home Location Urban/Suburban
Recommendations Public Transportation: Substantially increase investment in public transportation systems to expand and improve services to meet the needs of older Americans in metropolitan and rural areas. Increase funding for existing specialized transportation programs that provide mobility for older persons, such as FTA s Section 5310 program.
Recommendations Planning and Coordination: Incorporate the mobility needs of older Americans into the planning of transportation projects, services, and streets. Coordinate with land use planning. Improve coordination among human services agencies and between those agencies and public transportation agencies.
Recommendations Road and Street Improvements: Complete the streets by providing a place for safe walking and bicycling for people of all ages. Urge states to adopt federal guidelines for designing safer roads for older drivers and pedestrians.
Recommendations Road and Street Improvements (cont d): Preserve the flexibility of state and local governments to spend federal transportation funds on improving public transportation, pedestrian and bicycle paths, and other alternatives that will meet the mobility needs of older Americans. Support the Transportation Enhancements program, which is the only federal source of support for pedestrian and bicycle safety projects and facilities.
Aging & Mobility: Stranded Without A Choice Linda Bailey, Policy Analyst This report was created in cooperation with AARP.