Recently, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution examined the transportation challenges older adults face today in the Atlanta region. Deciding when to give up your car keys or when an aging loved one should do so is a complex challenge in a car-centric place like metro Atlanta.
The poignant stories of individuals who face losing their independence after years of working, raising families and serving their communities are emblematic of thousands of individuals and families across the region. Many older drivers begin to accommodate physical changes by driving less often and only in familiar territory. But most often, drivers strongly resist giving up the car keys entirely, because the loss of independence is too much to bear.
Let’s face it, moving around the region is very difficult for those who do not drive. That fact was brought home last year in “Stuck without Options,” a Transportation for America report that ranked metro Atlanta as worst in the nation for access to transit by older adults. Without an alternative to the car, many non-drivers are indeed “stuck.”
Older adults are the fastest-growing segment of metro Atlanta’s population. They can no longer be considered a special group with special needs. Their needs must be planned for and financed, just like we plan for and fund transportation infrastructure for commuters and freight haulers. So, what are the solutions?
The Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) is committed to helping the region prepare for a future that includes all residents, no matter their age or ability. As both the Metropolitan Planning Organization and Area Agency on Aging, ARC has a dual mandate to consider the mobility of everyone, including older adults. Last year’s transportation referendum proposed $10 million for transportation alternatives for older adults and non-drivers, almost doubling the funding available. Despite the referendum’s failure to pass, the challenges of meeting the mobility needs of older residents still exist and increase with each passing year.
Federal funding to address the transportation needs of older adults specifically is tiny, approximately $2 million, compared to the billions of dollars in projects included in the region’s six-year transportation program. Despite the small amount, the region has used these dollars to help pay for alternative transportation programs including vouchers, travel training and wheelchair-accessible vehicles. But with the consolidation of funds in the newest federal transportation bill, support for transportation options is shrinking just as the demand is increasing.
Other regions are charting a better future for their older drivers. Communities around the nation are seeking new and creative funding sources to tailor transportation services to specific local needs. Metro Atlanta must do the same. The time will come for each of us when driving will not be an option. The time to expand those options — that keep us independent in our communities for as long as possible — is now.
Judy Waters is chairwoman of the Atlanta Regional Commission’s Aging Services Committee. Tom Worthan is chairman of ARC’s Transportation and Air Quality Committee.
