A variety of safe, affordable, dependable and user-friendly travel options enables people of all ages to stay active and engaged in their communities. For some, regular, fixed-route public transportation services are ideal; for others, because of health, disability status or geography, more personalized services — such as paratransit, dial-a-ride, reduced-fare taxis or rides in private vehicles available through volunteer driver programs — are needed.

More than 30,000 Americans are killed on our nation’s roadways each year and far more are injured. Older road users, because of their increased frailty, are overrepresented in both vehicle and pedestrian crash fatalities.

Complete Streets are those designed and operated for safe, comfortable and convenient travel by pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and transit riders of all ages and abilities. The focus of complete streets initiatives has been on changing transportation agency policies and procedures so that these multimodal accommodations become routine at the project-development stage. Well-designed roads help to extend many older adults’ safe driving years and at the same time they make it possible to travel by foot, bicycle or public transit safely in the community. 

AARP is your go-to resource to understand the travel of persons age 50+. The AARP Public Policy Institute has done extensive analysis of the National Household Travel Survey data series to understand the travel patterns of persons age 50 and older, as well as other population groups.