Senior Transportation A Critical Need

ADRIAN SAINZ

When senior citizens finally surrender the car keys, they don't have to lose their independence.

Efficient transportation services can help local economies by allowing seniors to remain mobile consumers and stay socially active. It helps seniors age-in-place rather than be forced into a nursing home.

From discounts on public buses, to volunteer services that pick up clients at their front door, seniors who don't drive anymore can get a ride to see the doctor, buy groceries or go to work. Seniors with low-incomes, health issues, or disabilities — the neediest cross-section — don't have to rely on busy relatives for transportation.

But state and local budget cuts have reduced services and increased fares in some areas. In Prince William County, Va., for example, the government cut funding for senior transportation from $250,000 to less than $100,000. That forced the Area Agency on Aging to eliminate five drivers and sell six vans that shuttled older adults to senior centers.

At the same time, federal funding isn't keeping pace with rising demand. An estimated 20 percent of the population will be 65 or older by the year 2030. And experts worry there won't be enough accessible, affordable, and safe transportation for older adults.