Transportation Resources

When participants look at their communities, the following websites related to transportation have been recommended as resources:

1. Many communities have public systems of transportation already available, but maybe you're unaware of them. Check out the Kansas Senior Transit Directory which is housed at http://www.kutc.ku.edu/rtap/transit.html This map of the state will show what is available in each county. For a resource on developing transportation in your area, consider contacting your local Coordinated Transit District. A listing, showing which counties are included in each district and contact information, can be found at:
   http://kdot1.ksdot.org/public/kdot/burtransplan/othermds/CTDContact.pdf . You can also access the KDOT Public Transportation Contact List at http://kdot1.ksdot.org/public/kdot/burtransplan/othermds/kdotcontact.html
2. Keeping driving safely longer is a goal we can all get behind, and one way to do it, which can save you money as well, is to take the AARP 55 Alive Driver's Course. Thanks to a change a few years back to Kansas insurance laws, if you take this course, you are eligible for a reduction in your auto insurance. To find out when a course will be offered, you can go to the AARP 55 Alive web site at http://www.aarp.org/55alive and see where it will be offered. Contact your insurance agent to see what documentation you'll need to see your rates reduced.
3. Many communities still offer bus services to other places. The largest operator, Greyhound, has information listed on its homepage at http://www.greyhound.com with a link to local towns and schedules.
4. Volunteer networks offer transportation in some communities, and it's a worthy project to develop in others. Contact your local Area Agency on Aging (AAA) for suggestions on how to get a program started. You can check out the map at http://www.agingkansas.org/aaa/index.htm to find toll-free numbers for each of the AAA's, or call the Kansas Department on Aging's toll-free number at 1-800-432-3535
5. Why should concerns about older drivers interest anyone besides the elderly? Because in a very short time, the numbers of older drivers on our roads will more than double, the proportion of drivers who are senior citizens will also double, and our roads and our cars have not been designed to accommodate the functional capabilities of older drivers. Time is running out. Despite the formidable lengths of time required to create major transportation infrastructure improvements, our society is only beginning to recognize, let alone discuss, the mobility needs of the elderly. A paper on the issue, outlining the issues, and examining some solutions, is found at http://www.aoa.dhhs.gov/research/drivers.html
6. SAFE MOBILITY FOR OLDER PEOPLE NOTEBOOK: A Model Driver Screening and Evaluation Program (A Research Product of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: DOT HS 808 853 April 1999)
   
   This is a resource from National Department of Transportation. Although many of the ideas presented would require state-wide implementation, the section on local implementation of programs to assist with driver improvement and alternative transportation would be of value to local communities. A description of the document reads:
   " While identifying and assessing the ability of older people to remain safely mobile receives the largest share of attention in the Notebook, other goals are also defined. When it has been determined that an individual has one or more functional limitations that are likely to produce driving impairments, the Model Program supports remediation of the problem if possible, and the provision of mobility counseling to inform the individual about local alternative transportation options and how to access available services. More broadly, the Model Program also includes a public information and education component to help meet the assessment, remediation, and counseling goals by informing senior citizens and care givers about the link between functional decline and driving safety, and about resources that exist to help preserve or extend their mobility as they grow older." http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/olddrive/safe/index.htm
7. The Beverly Foundation (http://www.beverlyfoundation.org/programs.htm) conducted a nationwide search for innovative informal community transportation programs to assist the elderly. As results are made available, we will update this link to show how to access them.