Baton Rouge's Older Adults Want Safe, Accessible Alternatives to Driving

Older residents of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, like to leave their cars behind in favor of a stroll or bike ride, and they have clear ideas for making improvements to facilitate these activities, according to a June 2025 AARP Research survey.

While a majority of adults age 50-plus drive their own car as their primary means of transportation (88% sometimes or all the time), two in three walk or bike consistently, with 63% walking and 34% biking sometimes or all the time.

There is strong support for making the city more walkable, according to the online survey of 243 adults age 50-plus living in Baton Rouge. Sidewalk maintenance, improved lighting, and clearly marked crosswalks are all improvements supported by residents. At 93%, support is nearly universal among those who currently walk and bike. But even among non-walkers and bikers, support is high, with 86% of all residents age 50-plus saying these improvements are somewhat or very important.

Exercise, errands and safety

Exercise is the top reason residents choose to walk or bike, with 71% citing it as their motivation. Still, half say they opt out of driving to reach shopping destinations, and 38% do so when running errands.

Visiting friends (41%) is another popular reason for taking a walk or riding a bike.

Three in four (76%) frequent walkers and bikers feel safe doing so. Just 8% say they never feel safe. While some concerns are raised about crime, bigger concerns are related to infrastructure.

Most agree that Baton Rouge needs to be made a more walkable city, with 78% of all residents saying the city should invest in improvements. Unsurprisingly, there is even greater support (87%) among those who currently depend on non-driving options.

Fixing sidewalks, lighting and crosswalks

Residents report neglected sidewalks that are broken or noncontinuous. While some neighborhoods report having access to better pathways than others, residents say fixing broken paths throughout would go a long way to supporting those who traverse the city without a car.

Crosswalk visibility and lighting were also commonly cited concerns.

“Crosswalks are not well marked, and the lighting is non-existent. I would never walk at night in Baton Rouge,” one respondent reported.

The research supports improving pedestrian infrastructure, especially for those walking or biking at night, as something that would benefit older residents and contribute to a safer, more accessible Baton Rouge for people of all ages and abilities.

Methodology

AARP Research and AARP Louisiana conducted the online survey of 243 Baton Rouge adults ages 50 and older between June 16 and June 29, 2025. The data are representative of the Baton Rouge population on age and gender; however, due to the small base size, the data are not weighted by the AARP membership, race, ethnicity or income of Baton Rouge residents ages 50 and older.

For more information, please contact Joanne Binette at jbinette@aarp.org. For media inquiries, contact External Relations at media@aarp.org.