New Report: Most Aging Baby Boomers in Eight Wisconsin Metro Areas Will Face Poor Mobility Options

95% of Seniors in Kenosha, 82% in Janesville, 75% in Eau Claire Will Have Poor Access to Transit By 2015

WISPIRG, WISPIRG Foundation

Madison, WI – The first baby boomers turn 65 years old this year and seniors in eight Wisconsin metro areas are in danger of being unable to get around. The largest generation in history, Boomers are also the most dependent on automobile travel. Yet by 2015, more than half of seniors ages 65 and older in these eight Wisconsin cities will live in communities with poor options for people who do not drive, according to a new report.

The number of seniors in the Fox Valley with poor access to public transit options is expected to increase from 18,936 in 2000 to 26,438 in 2015, a 40 percent increase. By the completion of the Baby Boom retirement surge in, projections estimate over 70 million Americans will be senior citizens.

“It’s a tragedy that funding for public transportation is getting cut when the need for public transit is set to take off with this demographic explosion,” said Bruce Speight with the Wisconsin Public Interest Research Group (WISPIRG).

The current version of the state budget cuts funding for transit services by ten percent, or $10 million.  Meanwhile, the state legislature has been unable to agree on new sources of funding for transit; the Joint Finance Committee has repealed regional transit authorities and the ability of regions in Wisconsin to levy a sales tax to fund regional transit services.

The report, Aging in Place, Stuck without Options, ranks metro areas by the percentage of seniors with poor access to public transportation, now and in the coming years, and presents other data on aging and transportation.

“As much as older Americans want to age comfortably in the homes and communities they love — and nine out of ten do — they fear being stuck at home when they don’t drive,” said Lisa Lamkins, AARP Wisconsin’s Federal Issues Advocacy Director.  “But the suburbs and exurbs that will turn gray with the boomers in the next few decades are almost totally car dependent.  The good news is that the range of public transportation services and improvements that aging boomers will need to get to the doctor, the grocery store and the movies will improve the quality of life for everyone.”

By 2015, more than 15.5 million Americans ages 65 and older will live in communities where public transportation service is poor or non-existent by 2015, the new study shows. That number is expected to continue to grow rapidly as the baby boom generation “ages in place” in suburbs and exurbs with few mobility options for those who do not drive.

“Metro Transit plays a role in serving the older adults in our community, on both our fixed-route buses and paratransit services.  Our last three surveys have shown an average of 6% of our riders are over the age of 65.  We know that public transit access encourages older adults to stay active and independent in our community, even for those that are no longer able to drive for medical reasons.  While we are pleased that we have a relatively small percent of older adults with poor transit access in the Madison area, we shouldn’t rest until all older adults have good transit access.”

Metro Atlanta ranks the worst for metro populations 3 million and over. Kansas City tops the list for metros of 1-3 million, followed by Oklahoma City, Fort Worth, Nashville and Raleigh-Durham. In smaller areas like Hamilton, OH, 100 percent of seniors will live without access to public transportation. These conditions present a daunting challenge to local communities as a larger share of their population demands increased mobility options.

With only a small portion of older American relocating researchers already are seeing the emergence of so-called “naturally occurring retirement communities” as seniors age in place. That phenomenon is growing as baby boomers begin to turn 65. Across the country today, 79 percent of seniors age 65 and older live in suburban or rural communities that are largely car-dependent.

“The baby boom generation grew up and reared their own children in communities that, for the first time in human history, were built on the assumption that everyone would be able to drive an automobile,” said John Robert Smith, president and CEO of Reconnecting America and co-chair of Transportation for America. “What happens when people in this largest generation ever, with the longest predicted lifespan ever, outlive their ability to drive for everything? That’s one of the questions we set out to answer in this report.”

Without access to affordable travel options, seniors age 65 and older who no longer drive make 15 percent fewer trips to the doctor, 59 percent fewer trips to shop or eat out, and 65 percent fewer trips to visit friends and family, than drivers of the same age, research shows. As the cost of owning and fuelling a vehicle rises, many older Americans who can still drive nonetheless will be looking for lower-cost options.

“Our elected officials here in Wisconsin, need to make sure that seniors don’t end up stuck in life as they drive less, “ said Speight. “Older Americans should remain mobile, active and independent. That’s going to require better alternatives to driving.”

Aging in Place, Stuck without Options outlines a number of policy recommendations:

    
•    Increase funding for improved service such as buses, trains, vanpools, paratransit and ridesharing;
    
•    Provide funding and incentives for innovative practices among transit operators, nonprofit organizations, and local communities to serve seniors;
    
•    Encourage state departments of transportation, metropolitan planning organizations, and transit operators to involve seniors and the community stakeholders in developing plans for meeting the mobility needs of older adults;
    
•    Ensure that state departments of transportation retain their authority to “flex” a portion of highway funds for transit projects and programs;
    
•    Include a “complete streets” policy to ensure that streets and intersections around transit stops are safe and inviting for seniors.

The report is produced by Transportation for America, a coalition of more than 500 groups working on transportation reform today.