The Pima County 2021 Community Health Needs Assessment conducted by Tucson Medical Center, Banner University Medicine, and the Pima County Health Department found that a major barrier in access to health care was transportation to and from appointments. 24 Specifically, the Community Health Needs Assessment found that transportation to and from medical appointments was of particular concern for older adults and people with disabilities, who often have trouble driving independently.
Though Tucson’s urban core and tribal lands receive relatively high transportation scores from independent audits, other areas continue to struggle with access. Outlying rural areas such as Tanque Verde and Vail have some of the lowest transportation scores in the county, along with Tucson’s southeast side. 25 During our listening sessions and focus groups, areas outside of the urban core of Tucson stood out as areas of particular need for increased access to easy-to-use public transit, including Green Valley, Ajo, and Amado.
Transporation Availability by Age Group
100% 80%
0% 20% 40% 60%
50-59
60-69
70-79
80-89
90+
Readily Available
Not Readily Available
Do not leave house/ No transporation
PCOA’s Neighbors Care Alliance, which is a network of neighborhood volunteer programs partially funded by the Regional Transportation Authority, works with neighborhood organizations and smaller local non-profit organizations to address access to transportation across Pima County. Several of our Neighbors Care Alliance programs help with door-to-door transportation, socialization, and meal delivery for people who cannot access transportation by themselves. Additionally, with the leadership of PCOA, AARP Arizona, and the United Way of Tucson & Southern Arizona, the City of Tucson committed to the following goals to make transportation stronger for older adults in Pima County: 1. Incorporate a Complete Streets policy in transportation planning to enhance safe multi-modal transportation options throughout the city for residents of all ages. 2. Improve transit and ride share services for older adults. To achieve these goals, Mayor and Council committed to action steps such as adopting a Complete Streets policy, creating a pedestrian and bike safety action plan, prioritizing future infrastructure, working with older public transit riders to address barriers to services, and finding additional funding and modes of transportation for older adults where possible. Over the past several years, we have worked hard to address some of the transportation issues facing the older population of Pima County, but we know that there is much more to be done. In the coming years, we will do the following to continue to ensure that transportation is available for those who need it in Pima County: • Continue to increase and strengthen the Neighbors Care Alliance programs to enhance availability of door-to-door transportation service for medical appointments. • Continue to work with key stakeholders to share expertise surrounding the needs of older adults and transportation. These stakeholders include the City of Tucson, Pima Association of Governments, the Regional Transportation Authority, Pima County, and Arizona Department of Transportation.
24 (PIMA COUNTY: Community Health Needs Assessment, 2021) 25 (PIMA COUNTY: Community Health Needs Assessment, 2021)
A Report to the Community
22
Pima Council on Aging
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