Seniors share their stories about transportation challenges

Residents in both the Lincoln Heights and West Boulevard communities recently gathered in partnership with Sustain Charlotte to discuss mobility challenges that seniors face in their respective neighborhoods. This is part of a broader effort to empower seniors to overcome mobility challenges preventing them from traveling to their desired daily destinations.

Photo credit: Michael Zytkow

Residents discussed a wide range of issues and proposed solutions that would not only improve the quality of life for seniors, but others in the community as well. Common themes included the need for more safe and walkable sidewalks and crosswalks, as well as affordable and accessible transportation options.

At the West Boulevard gathering, residents shared personal accounts of how the community has been affected by pedestrian and cyclist collisions with cars. The West Boulevard community has a history of engagement in this area and has shown how effective communities can be in advocating for meaningful changes.

Sustain Charlotte will host additional community gatherings with partner neighborhoods in order to identify and reach additional seniors who don’t get out of their home enough due to mobility challenges. We will then conduct a survey to better understand the specific challenges each community faces.

Each community will be provided with the survey data that can be used by the neighborhood residents as a tool, whether to advocate for better infrastructure, apply for various programs, or build up a network of residents to support senior mobility.

The Senior Mobility Project is funded by Southminster.

Photo by Michael Zytkow

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