Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Transportation, Jason C. Charland, University Of Maine Center On Aging

Maine Center on Aging Research and Evaluation

Due to the size of the state of Maine and the fact that goods, services, and communities are separated by many miles of roads, transportation is often a particular challenge for Maine’s older citizens. Older adults drive themselves, rely on family or volunteers to drive them, use public transportation, and utilize transportation services offered by social service agencies, all of which present their own distinct challenges. In rural communities in Maine, transportation is a significant barrier. At the national level, 41 percent of rural residents have no available public transportation, and another 25 percent have inadequate public transportation. Many older …