Participle

“Transportation has been described as the ‘glue’ that holds together all the activities that we call life. Ready access to family, friends, social activities, health care, and goods and services are vital to full participation in daily life. Without such mobility, many older persons report a sense of loss and feelings of isolation from the world of their younger years.”

Research on the transportation of older person has traditionally focused on daily trip-making behavior: how often they travel, what mode of transport they use, and the purposes for they travel. But despite all the quantitative data regarding trip-making by older persons, little research has been conducted to determine the perceptions and preferences among this group about their transportation choices and trip-making activity. This information is important to gather because it can guide policy makers and program managers towards policies and programs likely to enhance the ongoing mobility of older persons.

— from the Executive Summary of the AARP Public Policy Institute focus group report in which Joseph Coughlin of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Center for Transportation Studies and Age Lab tells how drivers and non-drivers age 75 and older regard their transportation options and how they stay connected to their communities. (20 pages)
For more detail, click the link: http://assets.aarp.org/rgcenter/il/2001_05_transport.pdf