Making Safer Streets for Aging Populations

As aging populations grow, more cities and design organizations are looking at how to make streets safer for older residents.

1 minute read

May 25, 2011, 6:00 AM PDT

By Nate Berg


This report from NPR looks at ways cities are changing their deign habits to accommodate older people.

"Complete Streets promotes revamping roads to make them safer for all users. So far, 24 states and 200 localities have signed on. Bipartisan legislation in Congress would require all states and regions to come up with their own such plans for future projects.

McCann says a typical makeover is what's called a "Road Diet" - turning four lanes of traffic into three, with a center lane serving as a turn lane, and bike lanes on the outside.

Local groups often object at first, saying the change will worsen traffic, McCann says. But 'you can actually move a lot of cars at slower speeds very safely,' she says. 'And the time costs for the drivers are in the realm of 30 to 60 seconds.'"

Tuesday, May 24, 2011 in NPR

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Tunnel for pedestrians, bikes, and buses in Lyon, France lit up with purple lights.

The French Solution to Congested Tunnels: Make Them Car-Free

Bay Area transportation officials keep expanding car capacity. Lyon’s Croix Rousse Tunnel offers a different way.

7 hours ago - Streetsblog San Francisco

Missouri state Rep. Chris Brown speaking in government chamber.

Missouri Governor Reverses Anti-Discrimination Housing Policies

A new state law bars cities from prohibiting source-of-income discrimination against tenants using Section 8 housing vouchers.

7 hours ago - Missouri Independent

Pedestrians crossing a rainbow painted crosswalk in New York City.

USDOT Launches Unfunded 'SAFE ROADS' Program

The program targets “distractions” and “political messages or artwork,” and paves the way for autonomous vehicles.

July 16 - Urban Milwaukee