AGING TRANSPORTATION SERVICES: ENRICHING LIVES

Since the early 1960s, transportation services for the elderly have evolved into a thriving network. Today, however, the demands being made by the growing population of older Americans are straining the capacities of the public and human services transportation networks. The federal government has responded with a three-pronged approach to help satisfy these transportation needs: 1) Federal legislation directly provides funding for capital and operating costs through the Urban Mass Transit Act of 1964 and the Older Americans Act of 1965; 2) Other federal mechanism were put in place to reimburse individuals and agencies for costs associated with transportation services for the elderly; and 3) The Urban Mass Transit Act of 1964 (now called the Federal Transit Act) required public transit systems to provide reduced fares to the elderly for transportation services.