Senior Walkability in NJ: Making Improvements One Step at a Time

Communities across the nation are recognizing the pressing need to provide safe walking opportunities for senior citizens. Compared to their predecessors, senior citizens today are living longer, more active lives; and, according to the US Census Bureau, the number of Americans over the age of 65 is expected to grow 39 percent by the year 2020, with the greatest increase expected in the 85 and older age cohort. One way for seniors to live healthier lives is to incorporate exercise into their regular routine, with walking frequently recommended as the best means to achieve that goal. Walking can also be a viable transportation mode that can enable seniors to remain independent, even if they opt to reduce the time they spend driving or eliminate it altogether, by choice or otherwise. Nevertheless, some 35 senior pedestrians on average are killed in vehicular crashes in New Jersey each year. In 2011 a total of 143 pedestrian crashes occurred that involved seniors aged 65 and over, 31 of them fatal.