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Transportation » Community Planning

Why It's Important

Some system planners have tried to reduce crash risk by adapting driving environments to accommodate age-related changes in physical function. Infrastructure such as highways, signs, and signals allow drivers to move through the community in a safe and accessible manner. Increasing the size and reflectivity of road signs can make driving safer for older adults. These changes to the roadway help people more quickly recognize and respond to visual cues.

See Data By: Richmond MSA | Virginia | National

How Richmond Is Doing

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How Virginia Is Doing

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How the U.S. Is Doing

According to a 2009 report from AARP entitled, Planning Complete Streets for an Aging America:

  • Two-thirds of planners and engineers report that they have not yet begun considering the needs of older road users in their multi-modal planning.
  • More than 80 states and localities have adopted Complete Streets policies, but less than one-third of these explicitly address the needs of older road users.
  • Forty percent of adults age 50 and older report inadequate sidewalks in their neighborhoods. More sobering, nearly 50 percent report they cannot cross main roads close to their home safely.
  • The report suggests revisions to five intersection treatments in the Federal Highway Design Handbook for Older Drivers and Pedestrians to better balance the needs of both older drivers and pedestrians. 
  • Less than 1/3 of the 80 Complete Streets policies explicitly address the needs of older road users.
  • Forty-seven percent of Americans over 50 say they cannot cross their main roads safely.
    (AARP PPI, PLANNING COMPLETE STREETS FOR AN AGING AMERICA, 2009)


Data & Information Sources

AARP Public Policy Institute, Planning Complete Streets for an Aging America, 2009

http://assets.aarp.org/rgcenter/il/2009_02_streets.pdf