BIKE: NYTimes.com Article: The Path to a Healthier America

[Joel Sumner]

My grandparents lived in downtown Boston (2 blocks from Fenway Park) for 
15 years, walking and taking the subway wherever they went.   It wasn't 
until they started going senile (age 93 for both of them) that they had 
to move to an assisted living center.  This sounds like a great angle.

dick ryan wrote:

> Good idea - I'm also a member of AARP, but unfortunately I qualify - 
> Older people also need to prepare for when they can no longer drive.
> Maybe AARP could help to cosponsor some "life without a car" workshops 
> which would encourage older people to organize their life around 
> walking and how to recognize physical environments where they could 
> live happily without a car. It has always mystified me why so many 
> nursing homes are located on the outskirts of towns or in the suburbs 
> of cities. I once had the pleasure of once meeting an 86 year old lady 
> in Guthrie Oklahoma, who when she could not find adequate downtown 
> housing, bought a two story building across the street from the 
> downtown post office and developed three apartments on the second 
> floor: one for herself, one for her best friend and one to rent out!
>
> There already exists a vehicle for safe walking with whom  AARP could 
> hook up -  that is the Pedestrian Safety Workshops conducted by 
> TransTexas Alliance with funding through TXDOT.  see
>
> http://www.transtexas.org/projects.html
>
> Happy Walking
> Dick Ryan
>
> On Wednesday, March 24, 2004, at 09:03 AM, CHRISTINE WILLIS wrote:
>
>> I'm assuming you mean AARP, which I'm a member of ... but I'm not 
>> really that old :o).  In reading their newsletters, I would think 
>> they would be willing to put some lobbying effort into bicycle and 
>> pedestrian issues.  They don't specifically discuss these issues but 
>> they are very focused on health and safety.  Since a lot of older 
>> people cannot or do not drive and many older people have been 
>> involved in car/pedestrian accidents, safer pedestrian facilities are 
>> definitely needed.  I think the lobbying arm of AARP would be open to 
>> this.  Any ideas on how best to approach them?
>
>
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