Transportation and Retirement

Medical and economic advances are creating a new period in the normal life history retirement. A study of the mobility and transportation of a 1.3% sample of retired people in San Antonio is not encouraging. Automobile driving is satisfactory for the minority (about 15%) who have cars and can drive without restriction. Those least likely to drive are also least capable of using public transit members of ethnic minority-groups, the unwell and the very poor. Many retired people (40%) never use public transit; those who do, experience a number of problems with it. For reasons of health and economy, retired people tend to be unusually dependent upon and unusually handicapped for walking. The majority must use their feet as means of transportation to some destinations, but pedestrian facilities tend to be inconvenient and dangerous. The findings suggest that, unless transportation is significantly improved to support mobility during retirement, this phase in the life history will be, for most persons, one of loneliness and inactivity rather than self-fulfillment and social contribution.