Travel among non-urban elderly

Changes due to aging strongly affect the travel patterns and behavior of individuals. Inherent difficulties in providing formal transportation in non-urban areas may also reduce the ability of residents to meet their trip needs. An examination of travel patterns of elderly in non-urban Kentucky communities indicate that automobiles are the preferred mode of travel for the elderly, either as drivers or passengers. The elderly, especially females, depend upon friends and relatives to provide necessary transportation and use of public transportation is almost non-existent. Social trips comprise a large portion of their trips. Because of the overwhelming reliance on the automobile and substantial costs of a formal public transportation system, efforts should be geared towards structuring an informal volunteer-based system to providing transportation alternatives for non-urban elderly.