Yielding to transportation needs: as baby boomers get older, states need to be ready to meet the demands they'll make on special transportation programs.

• Author: Sundeen, Matt

Getting around is central to life in America. On a daily basis, we travel to work, school, medical appointments, the grocery store, movie theaters, sporting events, piano lessons and church. For many people, mobility is only as difficult as finding the keys to the car. But for a significant number of Americans without access to a car because of old age, disability or poverty, getting around can be an ordeal. Although some can use the subway, bus or rail, they aren't avaliable for everyone, including rural populations and people hampered by a physical impairment.

As baby boomers age, more Americans will begin to look for alternatives to cars and public transportation. States will face fiscal and logistical challenges to finding ways to keep a significantly older population mobile.

THE GROWING NEED

To understand the potential crisis, it is important to understand the demographics. In 2000, the U.S. Census Bureau counted 35 million people age 65 and older, up 3 million from a decade before. By 2025, that number is expected increase by 80 percent--to 62 million. Common age-related impairments--such as frailty, loss of vision and slower response times--can make it difficult to walk or drive. An AARP survey found that 25 percent of people age 75 and older had not driven in at least a month, and a U.S. Department of Transportation survey found that 50 percent of non-drivers stay at home on any given day because they lack transportation.

Poverty and physical disability also can limit mobility. For those living at or below the poverty line, the costs to purchase, insure and maintain a car are often prohibitive. Nearly 37 million people in the United States live in poverty, and it's estimated that 90 percent of people on public assistance do not own a car. And approximately 30 percent of Americans with disabilities--nearly 6.3 million people--have difficulty using transportation.

Fortunately, many federal, state and local public and private programs provide special transit services for disadvantaged communities. A 2003 U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) report identified 62 federal programs that fund transportation services for those needing them. Hundreds of other programs are available through state and local government agencies, nonprofit organizations and private companies.

States dedicate lots of money to special transportation needs. Most contribute matching funds for federally sponsored transportation initiatives. Prominent examples...