As I was reading the article titled "Growing Old in a Car-centric World" by Meghan Stromberg, I realized once again that our society is really dependent on cars. In order to get from place to place most Americans used their cars instead of public transportation. The reason for that is that cars are very convenient means of transportation because we can go anywhere as we like. Consequently, many people take driving for granted, and may not even have thought about the possibility of not being able to drive. However, many older people are not able to drive anymore for a myriad of reasons. Some of those reasons are: that "some have no access to a car, or they're prevented from driving because of a physical impairment, or they self-regulate--choosing not to drive out of concern for their own safety"[1]. Another reason is personal preference. In other words, some people just don't like driving, and choose not to.
The question then becomes how do older people that are not driving for whatever reason get around. Some people just do not go out much because they do not have the transportation means. Other people are dependent on family members and relatives for rides to the grocery store, doctor, pharmacy, etc. Older people living in rural areas are particularly very affected by not being able to drive because they are isolated. They do not even have the possible option of taking public transportation or walking to their destination because they live too far away. That is why cities have to provide different transportation options that cater to older people such as neighborhood shuttles. Moreover, as baby boomers are aging, cities will be even more pressed to expand their transportation options.
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Source:
[1] Meghan Stromberg, "Growing Old in a Car-centric World," American Planning Association, Vol. 73, No. 10, November 2007.
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