Transportation Considerations for Aging Populations

“As people get older driving patterns change either by choice or necessity. With the age boom upon us, the number of older non-drivers (65+) increased by more than 1.1 million between 2001 and 2009. There are now 8 million older non-drivers in the U.S., comprising 21 percent of the population aged 65 and older,” reports Jennifer Wallace-Brodeur.

Wallace-Brodeur goes on to describe a number of the unique considerations of walkability, linking land use and transportation, and complete streets—as they apply to the populations of older residents who might not have given up their cars by choice and for who engagement is a matter of health and well-being.

Following Wallace-Brodeur’s analysis, Stuart Anderson provides a response differentiating the needs of aging citizens with the needs of young adults.