In the coming decades, there will be a huge increase in both the absolute number of older people and in their percentage of the U.S. population. The elderly in the future will look different compared with the elderly in the past. Most will be healthier and more independent for two and three decades after they retire. Almost all older men and a majority of older women will be car drivers and accustomed to the convenience and flexibility that the car provides. As a result of both trends, older people in the future will enjoy active and mobile lifestyles. Unfortunately, some older people who lack access to a car will not share those advantages. But even older people who do drive will increasingly experience physical, financial, emotional, and even mental barriers when using various transport modes for moving around their communities and accessing the services and facilities they desire. There is no indication that older people's need for activities outside the home will drop as fast as their skill levels or mobility resources. Sadly, for many older people, there will be a large gap between what they want to do and what they have the transportation resources to do. Certain older people will be especially disadvantaged, particularly those who live alone, have no close family, or have limited financial resources. Many of those hit hardest will be the very oldest and women living alone. It is clear that traditional responses will not meet the large and growing needs of the new generations of older people. But it also should be clear that no single policy strategy can address the growing mobility gap. No single policy program will overcome the growing access barriers older people will encounter. People's travel needs and their problems result as much from land use and housing patterns, social and human service delivery systems, neighborhood and community design, and the physical specifications of various transport modes as they do from actual transportation programs and resources. 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: 1. Effective driver evaluation and retraining programs, 2. Better-designed cars and improved signage and information systems on roads and highways, 3. User-friendly public transport networks, 4. Choice of transportation alternatives, 5. Well-designed land use and housing choices, 6. Cost-effective delivery of private and public services, and 7. Coordinated delivery of human and social services. As a 1995 Population Reference Bureau report cautions: Today's generation of elders has taught us that the older years can be both the best and worst of times in an individual's life. With some exceptions, most people now enter their older years with the health and resources to pursue full and independent lives. But the aging process does take a toll. . . . The transition from active, independent living to a period when greater assistance is required can be a painful time. . . . Addressing this need will be one of the greatest challenges that individuals and society will face in the 21st Century.
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