Transportation & Infrastructure - University of Nevada, Reno
Transportation & Infrastructure - University of Nevada, Reno
Transportation & Infrastructure - University of Nevada, Reno
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TRANSPORTATION & INFRASTRUCTURE<br />
Highlights<br />
Mobility and transportation safety are crucial to<br />
the health and welfare <strong>of</strong> <strong>Nevada</strong>’s residents and<br />
are <strong>of</strong> utmost concern to the <strong>Nevada</strong> Department<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>Transportation</strong> (NDOT) and the Department<br />
<strong>of</strong> Public Safety (DPS). NDOT addresses mobility<br />
needs through various forms <strong>of</strong> public transportation,<br />
administration <strong>of</strong> the government’s Federal Transit<br />
Administration grants, and monitoring rural<br />
transit providers to ensure compliance with federal<br />
guidelines. In <strong>Nevada</strong>’s Strategic Highway Safety<br />
Plan for fiscal year 2012, the DPS also addressed<br />
transportation safety through the identification <strong>of</strong><br />
five areas the DPS deemed crucial to the reduction <strong>of</strong><br />
traffic accidents and fatalities: seat belt use, impaired<br />
driving, lane departures, intersection crashes and<br />
pedestrian safety (<strong>Nevada</strong> Department <strong>of</strong> Public<br />
Safety, 2011, p. 5).<br />
The following sections highlight transportation<br />
and infrastructure issues and resources particularly<br />
relevant to <strong>Nevada</strong>’s older adults.<br />
<strong>Transportation</strong> Safety<br />
• Age-related changes in vision, hearing,<br />
cognition and response time can compromise an<br />
individual’s ability to drive safely, resulting in the<br />
potential for decreased mobility and increased<br />
concerns about transportation safety.<br />
Older Adult Ridership<br />
• From 2009 to 2001, total public-transportation<br />
ridership, including seniors, increased by almost<br />
14%.<br />
• In 2009 and 2011, Douglas County reported the<br />
highest level <strong>of</strong> ridership, while Storey County<br />
reported no use <strong>of</strong> public transportation. (Note:<br />
Ridership data did not provide a rationale for<br />
zero reported use <strong>of</strong> transportation within Storey<br />
County.)<br />
• From 2009 to 2011, ridership increased<br />
significantly in Washoe, Douglas and Lander<br />
counties and Carson City.<br />
<strong>Nevada</strong>’s <strong>Transportation</strong> <strong>Infrastructure</strong><br />
• In 2011, NDOT began the second phase <strong>of</strong> the<br />
multi-agency study Connecting <strong>Nevada</strong>. Goals<br />
<strong>of</strong> this study included redefining <strong>Nevada</strong>’s<br />
transportation planning process through<br />
collaboration with federal, state, regional and<br />
local agencies and stakeholders, and improving<br />
<strong>Nevada</strong>’s transportation network for future<br />
generations. The study was expected to be<br />
completed in the first quarter <strong>of</strong> 2013 followed by<br />
data analysis and planning. To date, the project<br />
has connected with more than 150 stakeholders<br />
across the state.<br />
<strong>Transportation</strong> Access for Older Adults<br />
• <strong>Nevada</strong> has four transportation agencies that<br />
work to increase mobility for seniors:<br />
— Regional <strong>Transportation</strong> Commission <strong>of</strong><br />
Washoe County<br />
— Regional <strong>Transportation</strong> Commission for<br />
Southern <strong>Nevada</strong><br />
— Carson Area Metropolitan Planning<br />
Organization<br />
— Tahoe Metropolitan Planning Organization<br />
• Annual federal funding <strong>of</strong> approximately $8<br />
million allows <strong>Nevada</strong>’s public-transportation<br />
system to provide more than 1 million rides per<br />
year to seniors, people with disabilities, and the<br />
public.<br />
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