This paper has seven sections that accomplish the following purposes: (1) Evaluate older people's population trends and analyze the demographic differences; (2) Identify basic travel patterns and trends among the elderly, including the dramatic increase in automobility and travel over the last 10 years; (3) Consider differences in the travel patterns of those with and without a driver's license; (4) Focus on women's travel and the still growing gender disparities as people age; (5) Evaluate differences in travel patterns by race and ethnicity (differences not generally explained by income or residential location); (6) Summarize the "bad news"; and (7) Outline positive steps to ensure that the good news about aging outweighs the bad. In conclusion, it is stated that, to meet the needs of older people, a comprehensive strategy will need to be developed--one that encompasses all the substantive issues and links all the policy arenas that affect the travel patterns of older people. Such a strategy will include: effective driver evaluation and retraining programs, better-designed cars and improved signage and information systems on roads and highways, user-friendly public transport networks, choice of transportation alternatives, well-designed land use and housing choices, cost-effective delivery of private and public services, and coordinated delivery of human and social services.
Abstract