John Hennessy III,
P.E.
AARP PUBLIC POLICY INSTITUTE
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) provides new but limited opportunities to promote or fund specialized transportation services for older people and adults with disabilities. This paper explains how states can use these largely untapped options to expand services for targeted low-income populations with mobility needs. It also presents two case studies illustrating how the Atlanta region and the state of Connecticut are making this work.
TRI-STATE TRANSPORTATION CAMPAIGN
TSTC’s analysis clearly shows that across the tri-state and in the U.S., pedestrians 60 and older are at higher risk of dying from a car collision than their younger neighbors.
Why is this? A larger proportion of older adults may choose not to drive or may be unable to drive than younger adults, leaving a great number of older adults reliant on walking and taking transit. Also, as AARP explains, “With advanced age, bone density declines, making serious injury or death more likely if one is hit by a car.[. . .] Falls among people 65 and older are an equally significant public health concern and cost more than $19 billion annually in total direct medical costs. Inadequate sidewalk maintenance increases older adults’ risk.”
Simple roadway improvements, such as clearly marked crosswalks, longer crossing signals and wider pedestrian islands can help older pedestrians cross the street. Well-maintained sidewalks also help older adults get around safely without a vehicle.
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Stamford’s most passionate cyclists are rallying here at the town’s middle school, making their request loud and clear: They want bike lanes throughout the city and they want them now.
“So many people looking down while they’re driving – in town and they’re going 30 or 40 mph. It’s downright frightening,” said Kevin O’Shea.
The rally is fighting to have bike lanes placed here on High Ridge Road, where people drive at least 40mph if not faster.
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NORTHEAST CORRIDOR INFRASTRUCTURE AND OPERATIONS COMMISSION
The NEC Region is home to more than 51 million people and four of the ten largest metropolitan areas in the country. The NEC connects interdependent markets that collectively are a national and global force. Its economy is the fifth largest in the world, ahead of France and just behind Germany. The NEC Region is an international center for education, healthcare, technology, media, and finance, all industries widely expected to fuel economic growth in the 21st century. Research in this report finds that the NEC contributes to the productivity and livability of the Region in ways that increase the nation’s global competitiveness.
Join us on April 25 for the RPA Assembly, the New York-New Jersey-Connecticut region’s premier regional affairs conference, with a morning keynote address to be delivered by U.S. Senator Chris Murphy. During the daylong conference, RPA will be presenting new research from the next regional plan and listening to your big ideas for the region. Panels discussions include: reforming public agencies; creating more livable streets; improving climate resiliency; addressing the affordable housing shortage; and more.
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Goodwin College used EPA Brownfields funding from several sources to address and clean up the contaminated Connecticut River sites. It is now a vibrant campus that also allows the entire community access to the Connecticut River.
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REGIONAL PLAN ASSOCIATION
America’s busiest rail line is in trouble. The New Haven Line is a 60-mile stretch of track that carries commuters between New York City and Connecticut, and long-distance travelers throughout the Northeast. The line suffered two major outages in 2013, including a collision that injured 76 people and an electrical outage that shut down service on the line for more than two weeks. Delays and service disruptions due to aging infrastructure and critical repair work occur regularly, slowing travel for the line’s 125,000 daily passengers.
The New York metropolitan region has thrived in recent years even as it has been buffeted by economic and environmental pressures. Yet three urgent challenges – climate change, declining economic opportunity and fiscal uncertainty in the public sector – threaten to derail the region’s continued progress. RPA’s 23rd annual Assembly, “A Resilient Region,” will examine these pressing problems and shed light on the best strategies to overcome them and ensure the region’s continued success.
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AMERICA 2050 & REGIONAL PLAN ASSOCIATION
The State of Connecticut is currently pursuing the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield (NHHS) Rail Project, a major investment that will result in faster, more frequent, and more reliable rail service. The rail project entails adding a second track, upgrading existing stations and rail infrastructure including drainage, signals and communications, and at-grade crossings. Four new stations, as well as new train equipment will also be part of later phases…When complete, the rail project will increase service frequency from 6 to 25 daily round-trips, increase speeds, and reduce travel times. The double tracking, track and signal system improvements will provide moderate reductions in travel times. However, the introduction of express trains will result in substantial travel time reductions for some origins and destinations. For example, express service from Hartford to New York City will reduce the current travel time from 2 hours and 30 minutes to 2 hours.
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