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as physical/visual abilities become impaired over time. This underscores, of course, the need <br />for public transportation in some form or another to bolster the mobility of the elderly. Those <br />in this age group that do have automobiles (44 %) also may represent a potential market <br />segment especially because driving comfort level generally decreases over time. <br /> <br />Are you employed outside your residence? <br /> <br />No 103 58% <br />Yes I < 1% <br />(blank) 75 42% <br /> <br />With the exception of one respondent, the answers to this question mirror the typical <br />employment profile of this age cohort--very low rates of employment. Later questions show <br />that this group of 179 in fact is largely over 70 years of age. The implication for transit <br />service is that fixed route scheduling is usually difficult to achieve unless the transportation <br />needs of the elderly can also be accommodated through regularly serviced routes. Many <br />forecasters and economists believe that with the aging of the "baby boomers" that the <br />percentage of working elderly will steadily rise in the years ahead. <br /> <br />If no, when did you last travel to a job or medical appointment? <br /> <br />Once this week 29 16% <br />Last week 20 1 <br />Last month 45 25 <br />Other 85 48 <br /> <br />Over half of those surveyed (52%) had a travel requirement within the last month. 27% <br />traveled within the preceding week. About one in four of those surveyed had a trip within the <br />past month. These numbers suggest that the travel requirements associated with this age <br />group, while important, are not particularly demanding with respect to the frequency of these <br />types of trips. This is not to say that this population segment does not have other <br />transportation needs, which indeed is borne out below. <br /> <br />If convenient public transportation (bus/Dial-a-ride) were available, would you use it to <br />travel to...? <br /> <br />Many site-specific responses were possible for this question that do not lend themselves to <br />tabular categorization. Most respondents selected more than one possible use with medical, <br />shopping and banking trips being represented on close to 90 % of the surveys. <br /> <br />Gannett Fleming <br />ENGINEERS AND PLANNERS <br /> <br />23 <br /> <br /> <br />