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The latest on the Key Bridge collapse, New York puts forth legislation to get clean energy projects on the grid and Wisconsin and other states join a federal summer food program to help feed kids across the country.

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Republicans float conspiracy theories on the collapse of Baltimore's Key Bridge, South Carolina's congressional elections will use a map ruled unconstitutional, and the Senate schedules an impeachment trial for Homeland Secretary Mayorkas.

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Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Transportation Report: Retired and Housebound in Indiana

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Wednesday, June 15, 2011   

INDIANAPOLIS - In just a few years, a new report predicts, almost 80 percent of Indianapolis residents age 65 and older will live in neighborhoods with poor transportation options other than driving - the seventh-worst rate in the nation when comparing metropolitan areas,

The problem will be persistent statewide, according to the report issued by Transportation for America.

Transit options besides cars and trucks have been neglected for too long, says Irene Wegner, AARP Indiana's associate state director of community outreach, and seniors aren't the only ones at a disadvantage...

"Whether you walk, whether you're a pedestrian or a bicyclist; you have a disability or you're a mother with a toddler in a baby carriage, you can get across the street. You can access where you need to go."

Seniors are the age group least likely to drive, the report notes, whether because of physical or financial limitations. It recommends more investments in public transportation, as well as street design that allows for safe use for everyone, not just those in vehicles.

On any given day, says Cristina Martin Firvida, government affairs director for financial security and consumer affairs at AARP's national office, half of seniors who do not drive are stuck at home. Being housebound means missed doctor appointments, poor nutrition because of difficulty shopping, and limited interaction with relatives and friends, she says.

"For them, transportation alternatives are a must, so they can get out the door and maintain the quality of life that they need and expect as they age."

A campaign kicked off in Indiana this week calling for dedicated funding for transit - and for regional cooperation to design transit systems. Wegner encourages Hoosiers to sign the online petition to show support.

"Transit can be in many forms. It can be fast, it can be buses, it can be all sorts of things, and it needs to be included in the picture."

The Central Indiana Regional Transportation Authority is promoting the petition.

The full report, "Aging in Place, Stuck without Options," is online at t4america.org.


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