Transportation Access to Senior Centers
To better understand how accessible senior centers are by driving and using public transit, I used two different methodologies that are detailed below.
Driving Access to Senior Centers
With the help of my professor who constructed 15, 25, and 35-minute isochrones around each senior center, I approximated the number of older adults who do not live within reasonable driving distance of a senior center. Isochrones are polygons that measure the distance you can travel from an origin (in this case, each senior center) within a given time frame using the existing road network.
15-Minute Isochrones
25-Minute Isochrones
38% of older adults were found to not live within a 15-minute drive of senior centers. 10% of older adults did not live within a 25-minute drive.
Senior centers are geographically well-distributed and most older adults live within a 15 to 25 minute drive of one. However, this analysis helped display potential coverage gaps around Hendersonville, Waynesville, the Highlands, Fuquay-Varina, and Emerald Isle.
Census Block Groups with High Older Adult Populations who are Not Within 25-Minute Drive of a Senior Center
Transit Access to Senior Centers
To measure how accessible senior centers are by using public transit, I conducted a thorough review of senior center websites, transit agency websites, and information from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. For each senior center, I recorded whether different types of transit could be used to travel to the center. If a transit service was available, I collected information on the service’s characteristics, such as operating hours and fares.
This analysis considered four types of transit:
Senior Center Transportation Services: Defined as transportation services provided or contracted by senior centers that are specifically for trips to and from the center. Many senior centers have vans that will pick up and drop off participants who do not have a reliable alternative.
Fixed-Route Transit: Defined as a transit service that follows a fixed route and/or set of stops. This encompasses traditional bus, shuttle, and light rail systems. I distinguished between fixed-route services that stop directly at the senior center and ones that stop within a walking distance away from the center. Because many older adults struggle with mobility issues, ensuring direct access to the center is important.
On-Demand Microtransit (ODM): Defined as a transit service in which riders can travel on the same day they booked the ride. This functions similarly to many rideshare systems but is a public service and often involves sharing a van with other riders. Many municipalities in North Carolina have piloted and launched ODM programs to replace failing bus routes, connect residents of outlying areas to a fixed-route bus system, and/or provide service in lower-density areas that are not suitable for fixed-route transit. Travel is typically restricted within certain zones or boundaries.
Demand Response Paratransit: Defined as a transit service in which riders schedule rides in advance. Virtually all North Carolina counties offer some type of demand response service that caters to older adults who have no reliable transportation alternative. Rides typically must be booked a minimum of one to two working days in advance, limiting flexibility and spontaneity in travel.
148 senior centers were considered in this analysis. Most senior centers were serviced by demand response paratransit, while the other forms of transit were less common.
I also scored each senior center based on what transit services can be used to reach it. The scoring methodology favored transportation options that allow for more flexibility, spontaneity, and reliability in travel. The following decision tree demonstrates how an older adult might choose a transit option. While this model makes strong assumptions about travel preferences and assumes that seniors have complete knowledge of local transportation options, it is useful in depicting the array of potential factors that affect travel to senior centers.
Based on this, I decided to add larger weights to more flexible options like senior center transportation services and on-demand microtransit. I also added bonus points for fixed-route services with more frequent stops. The transit access scoring distribution for all 148 senior centers is depicted below.
60% of senior centers scored in the “poor” or “fair” range. Only 11% were rated as having “great” or “exceptional” transit access.