Provide Older Adults with Transportation Options

When older adults stop driving, they need to keep their independence and prevent depression by planning and exploring other types of transportation.

Make a transportation plan

Research local travel options and choose those that meet the person’s needs.

Transportation options

They may include:

• Volunteer Programs. Some community programs have people who volunteer to drive older adults to places they need to go. Each program has different options and prices.
• Paratransit Services. These include mini-buses and small vans run by public transportation, aging organizations, and private agencies. These services may require reservations or scheduling of rides. The transportation is often curb-to-curb. This means that the person meets the vehicle at the curb or roadside and gets dropped off at a curb or roadside stop. Reduced prices may be available to older adults.
• Door-through-Door Services. Some agencies provide drivers or escorts who will help the person get from their home into a waiting vehicle. This service helps older adults who have disabilities.
• Public transportation. Buses, trains and subways, trolleys, and other mass transit options have established routes and times. They may offer lower prices for older adults and may serve people with disabilities.
• Taxi Services. In some cities, a person can hail a cab on the street or call ahead for one   These services often require downloading an app onto a cell phone and may only be available in larger cities. 
• Transportation Network Companies. A business which uses a digital network such as a cell phone to connect riders to drivers who provide prearranged rides for a fee.

Other transportation services

Depending on your needs, these services may also be helpful:

• Travel Training. Some public transportation departments and local programs for older adults provide free classes to help them use local public transit safely and independently.
• Mobility Managers. In some communities, these people explain the transportation options available. Your local aging program or public transit agency may be able to connect a person to a mobility manager.
• Transportation Voucher Programs. Area Agencies on Aging, Aging and Disability Resource Centers, and other social service organizations may offer financial help with transit fares, if a person has a low income.

An Area Agency on Aging (may also be called AAA) is a public or private non-profit program that a state chooses to help meet the needs of older persons in their area. The names of local Area Agencies on Aging may vary.

To find an Area Agency on Aging or other local aging services, visit the Eldercare Locator website.

Last Updated March 2023