Transit-Oriented Development for Aging Adults: An Evaluation of Recent Trends, Best Practices, and Future Prospects

Fulfilling daily needs associated with successful aging portends many challenges. In particular, as their driving skills deteriorate, many aging adults will need to find alternative means of travel that will allow them to conduct basic out-of-home activities. One approach to addressing this problem is to create places that allow one to effectively reach a variety of activities without a car. Transit-oriented development (TOD) ostensibly provides this type of place. TOD is commonly defined as compact, walkable development immediately surrounding a major transit station. In this project, our key objective is to provide a nationwide examination of TOD from the perspective of how well it attracts and meets the needs of aging adults. Our research incorporates several intertwined tasks, including collection and analysis of data about the presence and growth of aging populations residing near transit stations, detailed cases studies of TODs that have successfully attracted aging adults, and regression models that predict the relative share of older adults living near a transit station. Further, to elucidate best practices with regard to TOD for the aging, we surveyed transit agencies and local governments about their efforts in this regard. Finally, calculated accessibility indices for TODs to determine how well they are providing high levels of non-auto access to the types of activities of import to older populations. This work will inform planning and policy initiatives aimed at creating places where older groups can transition away from driving without losing access to important out-of-home activities.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Completed
• Funding: $278200
• Sponsor Organizations:

  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology

  University Transportation Centers Program
  Department of Transportation
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Managing Organizations:

  Department of Transportation

  Office of the Secretary
  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Project Managers:

  Tucker-Thomas, Dawn

• Performing Organizations:

  Florida State University, Tallahassee

  217 Westcott Building
  Tallahassee, FL  United States  32306-
• Principal Investigators:

  Duncan, Michael

• Start Date: 20150501
• Expected Completion Date: 20161231
• Actual Completion Date: 20170630
• USDOT Program: University Transportation Centers Program
• Subprogram: Research

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aged; Best practices; Communities; Financing; Rural areas; Transit oriented development; Transportation planning
• Subject Areas: Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01604535
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Center for Accessibility and Safety for an Aging Population
• Files: UTC, RIP
• Created Date: Jul 1 2016 12:24PM