Research Spotlight: Improving Mobility and Transportation Options for Michigan's Rural Seniors.

摘要

MDOT is committed to improving mobility and safety for older adults in Michigan, as demonstrated in a comprehensive series of planned and completed research studies. The first project in the series surveyed older adults and their caregivers statewide. This report summarizes the second project, which examined and made recommendations for meeting the unique transportation needs and challenges of seniors who live in rural areas of the state. Mobility challenges faced by older adults in rural Michigan include long travel distances to obtain basic services or medical care, and the limited availability of public, private or volunteer transportation providers. Because of these challenges, adults in rural areas often continue to drive at an older age than suburban or urban residents, even though they typically take longer trips, often on remote, unlit, or unpaved roads. MDOT saw a clear need to better understand the specific barriers to improved mobility among older rural residents and formulate strategies to overcome those barriers.