Safe, Mobile, and Connected: Addressing Mobility Needs for AAPI Older Adults

The Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community is projected to constitute 11 percent of people 65 years and older in the United States by 2050. AAPI older adults face a variety of challenges—including language and cultural barriers, anti-Asian hate, accessibility, and traffic safety—that might limit mobility and thus quality of life. The latest Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI) research, Understanding Mobility-Related Challenges for AAPI Older Adults: A Preliminary Study in Southern California, conducted an extensive literature review and a multi-language survey in Southern California to better understand mobility-related challenges for this population. 

To improve transportation for all communities, it is important also to understand the wide-ranging challenges that different groups face. The study found that:

• Crime, such as the threat of violence or harm, was the most common concern of the survey participants, with 53% citing it as a concern.

• Many survey participants indicated they avoided walking as a mode of transportation because of concerns about pedestrian safety, their own physical capabilities, and the danger of potential criminal activity.

• Other challenges included traffic safety, language barriers, and general access to different transportation modes. Each of these barriers influenced individual choices to avoid specific modes.

• Many AAPI seniors in Southern California are unaware of low-cost transportation options, such as Medi-Cal services, Paratransit, and ACCESS.

“This research underscores the profound impact of increased mobility, social connections, and access to community services on the quality of life among older adults, effectively mitigating social isolation and loneliness. Public transportation plays a crucial role in addressing these issues, facilitating community engagement and mobility,” explain the study’s authors.

To address language barriers that discourage ridership, transportation agencies should prioritize providing signage, schedules, and route information in multiple languages. Low-cost transportation programs should also offer multilingual websites, registration forms, and phone reservations to ensure older adults can access services independently, without relying on others for help. To combat anti-Asian hate, educational campaigns should raise awareness about its impact on AAPI communities, highlighting the rise in discriminatory incidents and encouraging community action against such behavior. The results of this research offer government agencies and organizations recommendations for policy and program changes to benefit AAPI older adults, other populations with unique mobility challenges, and all communities.

ABOUT THE MINETA TRANSPORTATION INSTITUTE

At the Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI) at San Jose State University (SJSU) our mission is to increase mobility for all by improving the safety, efficiency, accessibility, and convenience of our nations’ transportation system. Through research, education, workforce development and technology transfer, we help create a connected world. Founded in 1991, MTI is a university transportation center funded by the US Department of Transportation, the California Department of Transportation, and public and private grants, including those made available by the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017 (SB1). MTI is affiliated with SJSU’s Lucas College and Graduate School of Business.

ABOUT THE PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Dr. Yongping Zhang, PhD, PE is an Associate Professor from the Civil Engineering Department at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona).

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