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Life after driving: How California seniors are rethinking getting around

Published by Anne Johnson on

Southern California public radio affiliates The Daily Democrat The Mercury News and the East Bay Times quoted Lisa Schweitzer of the USC Price School on why older adults are often reluctant to give up their driving privileges.

“One of the things we know from prior generations is that cars are one of the last things people stop doing because they’re so useful,” said Lisa Schweitzer, an urban planning professor at the University of Southern California.

Schweitzer of USC pointed to a similar contract her university has with Uber to provide subsidized rides around campus.

“That’s something that cities can also do,” she said.

Schweitzer is also optimistic about the potential for circulating autonomous vehicle fleets to provide convenient service to non-drivers with the touch of a button on an app.

“That would be helpful,” said Schweitzer. “It would probably do a great deal to lessen the isolation that people who are car-dependent feel.”

“As a society, we need to realize that things cost money, and that taking care of people in a way that allows them to maintain their health longer is actually a savings,” she said.

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