Aging Advocates Aim To Expand Public Transit Across New Hampshire

By Annmarie Timmins, New Hampshire Bulletin

The shortage of safe, reliable transportation for older Granite Staters and the direct care workers who support them at home has been a concern for healthy aging advocates. The New Hampshire Commission on Aging hopes to improve options with nearly $400,000 in federal money.

The commission has asked the Executive Council and Joint Legislative Fiscal Committee to approve using the money to do a statewide assessment of transportation gaps and needs to guide future transportation investments. In its request, the commission said it will focus on the needs of not only older adults but also veterans and people with disabilities.

“Even before New Hampshire began to experience the impacts of the COVID pandemic, ‘having transportation options’ was repeatedly reported as a top concern by older adults in surveys about aging in their community,” the commission wrote.

Insufficient transportation options makes it harder for people who rely on public transit to get to medical appointments, grocery stores, and jobs, and increases risks of isolation. The state has included expanding those options in its state plan for healthy aging.

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