Get Moving

Mobility in Europe and North America

By: C G B (Kit) Mitchell | September 19, 2005

Independent mobility is necessary to enable older people to reach the services they require and to live full and satisfying lives. It is fundamental to livable communities. In both the United States and Britain, when people retire, the number of trips they make each day for non-work activities increases. Only after the age of about 75 does the number of non-work related trips fall with increasing age, although the distance traveled reduces earlier.

There are great differences between the ways older people remain mobile in Europe and the US. In the US, for adults of all ages, about 90 percent of all trips are by car, with typically 15 to 20 percent of trips as a passenger for those age 20 to 60, and 30 percent for those age 75+. Only about eight percent are as pedestrians and two percent by mass transit. Contrast this with Europe, where typically 30 to 40 percent of all trips are by non-car means of transport, and this percentage increases with age to 40 to 50 percent for people in their early 70s. In Britain, walking accounts for 20 to 25 percent of all journeys for people in their 40s, rising to 35 percent for those over 75.

In all countries, as people age beyond 60, they tend to make fewer trips as car drivers. Older drivers also avoid driving in stressful conditions, such as at night, in busy town centers, and on highways. A preferred alternative is traveling as a car passenger with family or friends, but other alternatives include taxis, local public transport, Service Routes (community buses) and dial-a-ride. Because people use alternative modes throughout their lives in Europe, seniors are not quite as isolated as older Americans when they have to stop driving.

For short trips, walking, like cars, offers the spontaneous ability to, provided that local facilities are within a comfortable walking distance (say, half a mile). In some countries, bicycles also offer spontaneous mobility. A mode that is increasing in importance in Europe is powered pavement vehicles (scooters and powered wheelchairs), which are being used for local trips of several miles in good weather.

The area in which people live affects how they travel: in large cities, there is more walking and use of transit, and less car travel; in rural areas, there is much less use of buses. In Britain, people age 70+ make more trips on foot than as car drivers, except in rural areas. People in their 60s in all areas except London make most trips as car drivers. But in most areas, the second most frequently used mode is walking, even in rural areas.

The Pedestrian Environment

Creating a pedestrian-friendly environment that encourages walking is a high priority for independent mobility. Hills, narrow or uneven sidewalks, and crossing roads, affect everyone, though people with disabilities are more affected. Other features, such as curbs, steps, and crowds, affect mainly people with more severe impairments. Crossing roads is one of the major deterrents to older pedestrians. Medians make crossing roads much easier for older pedestrians, as the pedestrian only has to worry about traffic from one direction at a time.

Older pedestrians often request signal-controlled crosswalks, but complain of insufficient time to cross. People-detectors at crosswalks can adjust the time of the pedestrian phase to match the walking speed of slower pedestrians. International studies have shown that measures, such as lower speed limits, roundabouts, and appropriate signal timing for both cars and pedestrians reduce pedestrian accidents.

Buses that Are Easy to Use

Since the early 1980s, local buses in most of Europe have been made easier for older people to use. This has involved providing lower steps at entry and exit, good handrails, widespread use of bright contrasting colors, and plenty of grab-rails attached to the ceiling and backs of seating in the passenger compartment. Although buses did not become accessible for a passenger in a wheelchair until low-floor vehicles were introduced around 1990, they were very much easier than US buses for 95 percent of disabled people who do not use a wheelchair.

The low-floor bus with a ramp at the entrance has become the standard urban bus in Europe and is accessible to wheelchairs and baby buggies, and much easier for everyone to use. Although the ground clearance at the axles is similar to earlier buses, the long overhangs do cause problems if roads are not of high quality. A low-floor bus needs to get close and parallel to the curb at a stop, to enable a passenger in a wheelchair to board the bus. This sets the bus drivers a difficult task. If the sidewalk is extended into the traffic about 1½ to 2 metres at a bus stop, the driver can position the bus close and parallel to the curb. Parked cars will not block the stop, and fewer parking places will be lost than if a long length of the curb is kept clear. The sidewalk can be raised at the stop to reduce the step height or even provide level boarding, and the extended sidewalk provides space for a bus stop shelter and seating.

Family of Transport Services

The concept of a family of transport services recognizes that there is no single solution to the mobility of a whole population. It starts with a network of high quality, low-floor accessible buses, often with reduced fares for seniors. These provide the opportunity for spontaneous travel and are relatively inexpensive to provide and use. They do, however, require people to be able to walk to and from bus stops, to move quickly when boarding and exiting, and to tolerate crowding at peak periods.

For people who find mass transit too demanding, the second tier of transport services is Service Routes or community buses. These are scheduled bus services using small low-floor buses on routes that bring buses close to trip origins and destinations to reduce walking distances. Plenty of time is allowed for boarding and exiting, and staff are trained to help passengers if necessary. Service Routes are more expensive to provide per passenger than transit, but less expensive than taxis or dial-a-ride.

For those who need door-to-door service, taxis are provided with user-side subsidies for particular groups of passengers. Europe is fortunate in that there are few places where it is not possible to order a taxi, albeit at a price.

Finally, for passengers who need help from their home into a vehicle, or attention during the journey, dial-a-ride services with an attendant provide mobility for people with the greatest mobility problems. These services are the most expensive to provide and, because their capacity is limited, they can only offer relatively inflexible service.

Underpinning the family of transport services is a comprehensive network of user-friendly pedestrian routes. These need to be available and safe for people and also for those using powered pavement vehicles.

Conclusions

In European countries, walking provides for about a quarter of all trips and local buses provide useful mobility, particularly in larger urban areas. Between the ages of about 60 and 75, the average number of trips a senior takes on foot and by bus increases or is at least constant, while the number of trips he or she takes as a car driver reduces. In Britain, people age 70+ make more trips on foot than as car drivers, except in deep rural areas. In the US, walking only accounts for some eight percent of all trips and local buses for less than two percent. As people age in the US, they walk and use buses less and become even more dependent on car travel than they were in middle age.

Pedestrian infrastructure and local public transport can be made easier for older persons to use, enabling them to retain their independence and mobility.