Identifying Transportation Solutions That Promote Healthy Aging for Texans
As the number of older adults in Texas steadily grows, transportation remains essential to that population segment. This report presents an overview of how mobility impacts healthy aging and also reviews policies and programs that address the transportation-related needs of older adults.
Prioritizing Transportation Needs in Rural Texas
TTI researchers designed and developed a framework to support regional transportation planning in the non-metropolitan counties of the TxDOT – San Antonio district. The process began with workshops in each county designed to gather local stakeholder input to identify the transportation needs of these areas. TTI researchers developed and moderated these workshops and provided data about demographic and socio-economic trends; traffic projections, crash statistics, pavement quality and future improvements for each county. As part of the workshop, local stakeholders used maps and discussions to identify their future transportation needs in each of three topical areas: mobility/connectivity; maintenance/safety; bicycle/pedestrian/transit. After the workshops the input data was compiled into a survey that allowed respondents to indicate their top three priorities in each of the areas. This information informs the rural transportation planning objectives of AARPO and is consistent with existing TxDOT rural planning guidelines. The results of the planning efforts support the development of the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) and the Unified Transportation Program (UTP). In 2022, researchers again support this planning effort with a similar methodology that was used to inform the development of the Rural Transportation Improvement Program.
Alamo Regional Rural Planning Organization ARRPO Planning Process Summary, 2016
Safety Perceptions of TNCs by Blind/Visually Impaired Community
Estimates by the American Foundation for the Blind (ACB) suggest that there are 10 million blind or visually impaired individuals in the United States (U.S.). Access to safe and reliable transportation can be a significant challenge with additional consequences for mobility, quality of life and access to housing and employment. Transportation Network Companies (TNCs) have emerged as a new mode of travel that has the potential to increase access to transportation for BVI individuals. However, the opportunities and challenges for TNC use by BVI individuals has not been widely studied.
The goal of this research was to use both qualitative and quantitative methods to identify how the BVI community perceives the safety of TNCs relative to other travel modes, and how the BVI community utilizes TNCs for safe mobility. TTI researchers designed and implement a web survey, which captured data from the BVI community. The research design was informed by a focused literature review, comments from a BVI expert panel, and a focus group with members of the BVI community.
The findings of the research can be found here