Seniors face Transportation Problems

LANSING, MICH. (WXYZ) - As we get older, we worry about many different things.
But having the ability to get around from place to place, may not be one of them.

And yet, it should be.

In 4 years, almost a half-million seniors in the Metropolitan Detroit area and countless others around the state will not have public transportation, or what there is will be poor.

This outlook will only deteriorate as the suburban population ages.

The stark realities appear in a report for the Transportation of America entitled "Aging in Place, Stuck without Options."

Michigan Environmental Council's Tim Fischer says: “The bad news isn't surprising - Detroit is near the bottom when it comes to providing transportation options to its residents, including senior citizens.”

By the year 2015, the Detroit area will be listed third from the bottom in access to public transportation for those 65 and older. Only Atlanta and the Riverside-San Bernadino area of California will be worse.

AARP Michigan associate State Director for Livable Communities, Karen Kafantaris, points out, "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. But the suburbs and exurbs that will turn gray with the boomers in the next few decades are almost totally car dependent."

Michigan isn't alone. More than 15 million senior citizens from around the country will face the prospect of poor transportation.

But, Fischer isn't without hope adding, "The good news is that there is growing consensus on the tools we need to fix it. Light rail on Woodward in Detroit, consistent funding sources, consolidation of services, regional coordination and other improvements are getting closer to reality.”

For more information regarding the report, go to: http://t4america.org/resources/seniorsmobilitycrisis2011