Older adults bicycling more

Mark Johnson of the Liberty Tribune writes:

Taking to the trails and streets.

That’s what a rising number of older Northland adults appear to be doing by foot and by bike.

"We definitely are seeing more people biking and walking more once they’ve passed middle age and their kids have left home," said Brent Hugh, executive director of the Missouri Bicycle and Pedestrian Federation. "They tend to spend more time outdoors."

Larry Jones of Cycle City, 9765 N. Cedar, Kansas City, agreed.

"We have many riders who are 50-plus," he said.

Jones said weight loss, lower blood pressure and peace of mind that comes with just being able to get out and cruise for an hour or two are among the benefits that come with bike riding.

Coincidentally, this week the AARP released a new study that put a spotlight on the need to make communities safer for bicycling and walking for older Americans:

Two-thirds of transportation planners and engineers have yet to begin addressing older people in their street planning; yet by 2025, 64 million people will be over age 65 according to census projections and by 2030 a quarter of all U.S. drivers will be 65+. This is the alarm raised by "Planning Complete Streets for the Aging of America" a major new report on roadway safety and the aging of the American population from AARP’s Public Policy Institute. . . .

[I]n a poll of adults age 50+ also conducted for the report, two in five said their neighborhood sidewalks were inadequate (although, by 2030, 20% of those age 65+ will not be drivers). Nearly half said they could not cross main roads close to their home safely, preventing many from walking, bicycling or taking the bus. But safer, more accessible streets won’t happen until federal, state and local authorities and planners wake up to the need for roads that address the challenges of the coming age wave, the report charges. . . .

[W]hile a growing number of states and localities have Complete Streets policies, too few have been built. Furthermore, an outdated bias in engineering practices competes with current local desire for user-friendly "Complete Streets" design