Senior/Disabled

This research report is designed to stimulate new understanding and thinking that will lead to better streets for all Americans.

As we grow older, will our community be ready for us? This question is important for all of us, regardless of whether we live in a city, a suburb, a small town, or out in the country. And it is particularly relevant for those persons age 50 and older who are planning for (or have already entered) retirement or who are facing the challenges to independence and quality of life that often accompany aging.

Designing accessible pedestrian signals, including key features, location, placement, policies

This article highlights the impact the bicycle industry and bicycle tourism can have on state and local economies, describes the need for bicycle facilities, discusses the cost effectiveness of investments, points out the benefits of bike facilities for business districts and neighborhoods, and identities the cost savings associated with a mode shift from car to bicycle. The evidence demonstrates that investments in bicycle infrastructure make good economic sense as a cost effective way to enhance shopping districts and communities, generate tourism and support business.

Across the country, a growing number of commumities are using the deceptively simple tool of complete streets policies to change the way they approach transportation. Adopted as state law, local ordinance or even as a city council resolution, these policies set a new vision for transportation investments. Most than 85 states, regions and cities have adopted such policies, including new state laws passed in Calfornia and Illinois and policy resolutions or ordinances in major cities including St. Paul, Miami, Chicago, Seattle, Sacramento and Charlotte.

Incomplete streets a problem for older Americans—Even when roads have basic pedestrian facilities, they often do not consider the needs of the growing population of older Americans. The U.S. Census Bureau projects that by 2025, the portion of Americans over 65 will increase from 12% to nearly 20%, totaling 62 million Americans. As people age, many give up driving for safety's sake.

Incomplete streets are a constant source of frustration and danger for people with disabilities. A recent study found that blind pedestrians waited three times longer to cross the street, and made many more dangerous crossings than sighted pedestrians. A significant portion of paratransit trips are necessary, not because people are too disabled to use public transit, but because the street network is so poorly designed that they cannot reach the bus stop or train station.

Complete streets are not limited to a few designated corridors. Many communities have launched main street initiatives, adopted bicycle plans, or undertaken special planning processes for nonmotorized travel in specific places. In contrast, complete streets policies strive for diversity on just about every thoroughfare. And the process of creating complete streets is leading planners and engineers across the country to approach street design in fundamentally new ways.

Universal Design (also called Inclusive Design or Accessible Design) refers to facility designs that accommodate the widest range of potential users, including people with mobility and visual disabilities and other special needs. Although Universal Design standards address the needs of people with disabilities, it is a comprehensive concept that can benefit all users. For example, people who are unusually short or tall, carrying packages or pushing a cart are not disabled, but their needs should be considered in facility design.

As people grow older, they often become less willing or able to drive, making it necessary to depend on alternative methods of trans- portation. Unfortunately, the United States is currently ill prepared to provide adequate transportation choices for our rapidly aging population. Alternatives to driving are sparse, particularly in some regions and in rural and small town communities. As the number of older people increases, so too will their mobility needs. How the nation addresses this issue will have significant social and economic ramifications. This report presents new findings based on the National Household Transportation Survey of 2001 and places them in the context of other research on mobility in the aging population.