Solano Mobility Study

P 8 p Solano Transportation Authority Ch1: Introduction challenges and solutions.This process served to better inform those within the community who may have been unaware of existing services and to establish a baseline to advance the discussion about mobility needs, real and perceived. Community input was a crucial component to this study effort. It identified and prioritized mobility challenges to guide the development of strategies to improve mobility for older adults and people with disabilities in the short and long-term.This supports the 2017 STA Board approved Comprehensive Transportation Plan Transit and Rideshare Element policies. Policy 14 (see Appendix B) addresses transportation needs of older adults and people with disabilities and the need to update related studies at least every six years.The final chapter of this study presents strategies to address mobility challenges in the short, medium and long-term. Study Setting and Focus This study is focused on older adults and people with disabilities who live in Solano County. Although this is a countywide study, it has been recognized throughout the process that each city within the county has its unique characteristics, mobility challenges, and opportunities. Solano County is one of nine San Francisco Bay Area counties and borders the Sacramento metropolitan area. Residents travel within the county and to both major metropolitan areas for services, employment, shopping, and other purposes. Six of the seven cities are located within the I-80/I-680 freeway corridor.The smallest city, Rio Vista, is located far beyond the interstate freeway spine along the county’s eastern border among small, more rural communities close to the Sacramento River. By 2050, 1 people age 65 and older are expected to comprise 20% of the total U.S. population. In Solano County, adults age 65 and older are projected to exceed 20% of the population before 2030. 2 This will be nearly double the percentage of older adults countywide from just a few years ago. One Solano city, Rio Vista, already has one-third of its population over 65 years. Five percent (5%) of those 65 and older don’t have a vehicle and 24% live below 200% of poverty level. 3 Currently 11% of Solano’s general population lives with a disability. Disabilities increase with age and approximately one-third of older adults live with a disability. Travis Air Force Base and the David Grant Medical Center are located in Solano County. Solano has the highest percentage of veterans (7.5%) of all ages of all Bay Area counties. Of those 65 and older, 25.8% are veterans. 3 Transportation helps maintain and improve quality of life. Solano older adults and people with disabilities need mobility and access to community resources such as retail, medical, services, employment, recreation, spiritual and to spend time with family and friends. 1 census.gov October 2019 revised 2 MTC Plan Bay Area 2040 Projections 3 American Community Survey/ MTC Coordinated Plan 2018