Informal ridesharing characteristics of the rural elderly in Union County, Tennessee

A number of findings were generated by the Union County survey. It was found that the rural elderly rely a great deal on private automobiles to meet their transportation needs, either as drivers or riders. It was also found that many of the rural elderly rely on combinations of transportation modes to meet their needs rather than relying exclusively on one mode. Informal ridesharing activities (riding with friends, neighbors, and relatives for trips other than going to work) among the rural elderly are strongly associated with family relationships, and somewhat less strongly with friendship relationships. Many family members feel an obligation to provide rides at no cost to older family members who are no longer able to drive themselves. Riding with friends, neighbors, and relatives was used by the elderly mostly to go grocery shopping and to make social trips. Some of the elderly said they had problems in adjusting to drivers' schedules, and some said they had problems in contacting drivers when they needed rides. A few of the rural elderly interviewed had problems in being able to pay for the rides they received, though most were not asked to pay for their rides by the drivers.

Informal ridesharing may play an important role as a paratransit mode in providing for the transportation needs of the rural elderly and other transportation of disadvantaged persons. Planners may face problems in institutionalizing informal ridesharing, however. The strong family relationships that exist in informal ridesharing and other legal and institutional barriers will have to be addressed if informal ridesharing is to become a viable paratransit mode available in meeting the transportation needs of people.