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Helping Senior Citizens Get Around
By Caren Halbfinger, The Journal News
June 21, 2005
There are plenty of things that can be done to make Westchester's roads safer for senior citizen drivers, and to help them drive longer and more safely. At the same time, because most people outlive their ability to drive by eight to 10 years, experts say, bus systems must do more to entice senior citizens to climb on board.
Those were several of the points made by panelists yesterday at a county-sponsored mobility conference at the Westchester County Center. About 140 people attended.
Jonathan Rubell, who coordinates mobility services at The Kennedy Center, a social service agency in Bridgeport, Conn., said bus systems must overcome the negative impressions of public transit often held by social service employees so they would recommend buses to their clients.
"Show them how comfortable buses can be,'' he said, adding that taking them for a bus ride would help.
More senior citizens will be interested in riding buses when improvements are made to the reliability of schedules, boarding assistance, information and driver courtesy, said Jon Burkhardt, a senior study director with WESTAT, a research organization in Rockville, Md.
"The whole idea of improving mobility for seniors and their home health-care providers is of critical importance to the county, and we really have to look at some new and innovative ways of doing that,'' said county Transportation Commissioner Larry Salley.
For those who still drive, the federal government has approved new guidelines for making road signs larger, brighter and more plentiful, and oversized rearview mirrors can be purchased to help improve vision. Still, older drivers should have their driving skills periodically tested, according to Robert Sinclair, a spokesman for the Automobile Club of New York, which offers an interactive CD-ROM to test skills, among other resources.
The county's Older Driver Family Assistance Program also provides driver-safety programs, retraining after illnesses, and transportation alternatives for seniors who no longer can drive safely, said Marilyn Krantz, a senior psychiatric social worker at the Mount Vernon Community Service Center.
Yet, even after hearing those options, Barbara Mohalley, a senior citizen from the north end of New Rochelle, wasn't optimistic about what life would be like if she had to give up driving someday.
"Ultimately, we won't be able to get to our retirement activities,'' said Mohalley, who coordinates educational programs for fellow seniors through the Learning In Retirement program at Iona College. "Already, some people have had to drop out. The buses may come on time, but we need transportation to the bus routes. What good is having good bus routes if we can't get to them? Down the road, I can see a lot of problems.''
Keeping seniors moving Westchester Transportation Commissioner Larry Salley said the county would explore these possible options to improve senior citizens' mobility:
. A taxi-voucher subsidy shared by the county and municipalities for seniors who do not live close to a bus stop.
. An enhanced computerized ride-share program for seniors through NuRides.
. Persuade municipalities to encourage new developments or redevelopments to be more transit-, pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly in their designs.
. Work with volunteer community groups to provide additional transportation services.
. Promote the AAA senior driver program, at www.seniordrivers.org.
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