2006 State Report > Housing > Transportation
Housing: Transportation
As people grow older, they often become less willing or able to drive, making it necessary to depend on public transportation or rides from friends or family members. Seniors who live in rural areas and those who do not own vehicles are especially affected by transportation problems. Only one-half of Americans 65 or older have access to public transportation to meet their daily needs. Older Americans living in sparsely populated geographical areas are disproportionately affected by isolation because they have even fewer transportation options than seniors living in denser geographic areas.
Reliable transportation is crucial in order for the older population to obtain medical care, make shopping trips for necessities, and participate in social, family, and religious activities. Barriers to the mobility of seniors in South Carolina include:
- 37.7 percent of the 65-plus population lived in rural areas in 2003.
- There were 48,784 households with householders aged 65 and older that reported having no vehicle available in the year 2000. This accounts for 15.2 percent of all households with householders aged 65 and older.
- Only 33 of South Carolina's 46 counties have some type of public transportation system.
- According to Aging Americans: Stranded Without Options, a publication of the Surface Transportation Policy Project, 21 percent of people aged 65-plus in South Carolina were non-drivers in 2000.
As the population continues to age, it is crucial for states to take the mobility needs of older Americans into account when planning transportation projects.