DC is doing a lot to be a more age-friendly place, but there are still many ways the city could do more. In particular, local policymakers and planners can focus on three areas to help DC’s older adults get around more easily: pedestrian safety, public transit, and alternative transit options. All of these, along with better mobility management options, will make it possible for seniors to have better choices and feel more comfortable in their communities as they age.
Category: CSG in the News
Why Growing Older in DC Doesn’t Have to Mean Moving Out
Of course, there is no place like home. But when you’re an elderly resident of the District, sometimes it seems that there is no place to go without significant barriers. Senior citizens make up 11% of Washington DC’s population. And living in a city that requires mobility to take advantage of brings more challenges with advanced age. To keep the capital amenable to the elderly while on the go, it seems necessary to focus on three things: pedestrian safety, public transit, and alternative transit options.
WAMU 88.5: Martin Di Caro on DC Age Friendly Cities report
The city has had a long backlog of sidewalks that need repair. “A poorly maintained sidewalk is a tremendous barrier to a senior who is fearful of tripping and falling,” says Cheryl Cort, policy director at the Coalition for Smarter Growth.
The ‘P3’ dilemma: States learn partnerships come with hazards
Many government officials see public-private partnerships as a convenient solution to their infrastructure woes. Enlisting investors and private sector know-how gets roads, bridges and other projects built long before government could do the work on its own.
Boosters Show Off Bus Rapid Transit Vehicle At MoCo Fair
Some county officials hope the large bus situated front and center at this year’s Montgomery County Agricultural Fair is a glimpse of the not-so-distant future.
Work remains to be done for bike, pedestrian projects
With the opening of the Silver Line last week, advocates for car-free commuting are calling attention to remaining bicycle and pedestrian safety challenges around the new stations.
Walking and biking in Tysons
The opening of the Silver Line has highlighted challenges for pedestrians and bicyclists in Tysons and to a lesser extent, in Reston.
Metro Silver Line, Phase I of Expanded Tysons Corner Center Expected to Help Local Economy
Residents of Northern Virginia are celebrating. Last week, they witnessed the opening of two important developments expected to transform the area: the first phase of Macerich’s expansion at Tysons Corner Center and the long-awaited Silver Line.
Why is Tysons walkability and bikeability so bad?
Virginia officials have known for years that Metro was coming to Tysons. Yet when the four stations opened, commuters found dreadful and dangerous walking and biking conditions. Why?
8 things to start your Monday, and the new Silver Line’s true test: Its first work week
“That transformation will be most prominent in Tysons where a traffic-choked, suburban office park with two large malls is planned to become a walkable, urban center with 100,000 residents and 200,000 jobs, but it will also be seen in Reston, Herndon and Loudoun,” said Executive Director Stewart Schwartz.