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Lost in the controversy surrounding HART and PSTA’s budget decisions was a decision by Manatee County that deserves more attention. From the Bradenton Herald:
Those 80 and over will be riding free on county buses after the Manatee County Commission today OK’d the arrangement.
County Commission Chairman Carol Whitmore proposed allowing free rides on all MCAT buses on grounds of public safety, and other commissioners went along with the plan.
Tampa Bay area transit authorities already do a good job of making transit affordable for seniors. Every transit authority provides discounted fares based on age or medical concerns. In some cases, seniors need to purchase a fare card to qualify for discounts. In others, showing proof of age with a photo ID is enough for a discounted fare. But, Manatee’s MCAT service appears to be the first system in the region to offer free rides for a specific age group.
Manatee’s decision also reminds us that mass transit is not just young adults riding the Metro or Don Draper taking the train to Grand Central. It is a necessity for a growing number of seniors and one that needs to be considered. This was the findings of a recent Transportation for America report, “Aging in Place, Stuck without Options.”
The report looked at the estimated population of those aged 65-79 in 2015 living in 241 metropolitan areas. It found that 15.5 million seniors will have poor access to transit, which means a lack of transit options within a ¼ - ½ mile radius. The authors write that seniors who cannot drive face isolation, which creates negative health effects. Seniors may also choose to drive against their doctor’s advice or walk in communities without pedestrian infrastructure, endangering themselves and the public.
By 2015, Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater will have about 60 percent of seniors facing poor transit access. That percentage is 20th among metropolitan areas with 1-3 million people. Sarasota-Bradenton will have 70 percent of their seniors lacking transit options and Lakeland-Winter Haven will have 78 percent.
Without the finances to expand services or create new routes, a wider range of discounts for seniors could encourage more transit usage. Flex and Plus services have been successful in providing services to seniors, but steps like deeper discounts for our oldest citizens would have a wide range of benefits to our communities. More communities should follow the lead of Manatee and consider how to provide better transit options for seniors.
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