Transport a problem for elderly

PROVO — Carol has plenty of places to go but few options for getting there. The elderly Provo woman has been behind the wheel of a car only a few times in the past 20 years, preferring to let her husband do the driving.

These days, that's not possible. Carol's husband recently took a fall and injured his hip. She's since been relying on the kindness of neighbors to take her to the grocery store, doctor's office and anywhere else she needs to go.

Carol sought assistance from the Utah Transit Authority's paratransit service and qualified for the transportation assistance, but she was so overwhelmed by the qualifying process that she's afraid to use it.

Carol's experience with UTA is one of a handful of first-name-only anecdotes included in a study of senior citizens' transportation needs in Utah County.

The Utah County Commission and the Mountainland Association of Governments each contributed $5,000 to fund the study, which was conducted by a pair of graduate students from Brigham Young University's master's of public administration program under the direction of United Way of Utah County.

The two grad students, Christine Boren and Jessica Nord, presented their findings to Utah County commissioners Tuesday and recommended that the county implement a supplemental transportation system to better meet seniors' needs.

"There aren't very many (transportation) options currently available for seniors," Boren said.

About 37,000 Utah County residents are age 60 or over, Boren said, and estimates show that figure more than tripling to 123,000 in the next 35 years.

Two surveys — one of Utah County seniors and another of senior citizens statewide — indicate that about 7 percent of the senior population is seeking some form of supplemental transportation service. That would equate to about 2,500 senior citizens in Utah County.

Boren said the study uncovered a gap in services currently available to Utah County seniors. UTA pubic transit and senior center transports are inexpensive but service a limited area, according to the study.

On the other side there are the pick-me-up medical transport services and taxi agencies, which provide access but are seen as too expensive. As for UTA's paratransit service, seniors see it as too restrictive, Boren said.

"We've experienced first-hand how frustrating it can be trying to qualify for that service," she said.