Age-Friendly Oakland 2.0
Aging Well in Oakland: A 5-Year Strategic Action Plan (2025-2030) Listening Sessions
Transportation-Related Themes
I. Inadequate or Unreliable Paratransit/Senior Transportation Services
Participants repeatedly described transportation systems as unreliable, inflexible, inaccessible, or insufficiently tailored to older adults’ needs.
Key Issues
o Long wait times and poor customer service with paratransit o Transportation not wheelchair accessible
o Lack of free or affordable transportation
o Limited transportation to medical appointments, shopping, and worship
o Need for dedicated senior shuttles
Sources
Christ the King
o “Paratransit (but not very reliable, not available more than 1 person on wheelchair)”
o “Paratransit not flexible”
o “Paratransit is not person/client-centered – wait time too long, stand outside a long time, multiple wheelchairs not possible, staff not cooperative/friendly”
East Oakland Senior Center
o “Transportation can be a barrier if they have to pay; need free transportation”
o “Senior center should have its own shuttle to serve its members” o “Have a center-run shuttle free of charge”
Family Bridges/Hong Fook
o Adult day program “provides transportation to center” o “Transportation to temple, shopping”
o “Transportation for emergencies (non-medical)”
o “Transportation to shops, places of worship/temple”
Vietnamese Community Development, Inc.
o “More taxi scrips to go to the center”
o “More transportation/taxi services (15+ people raised hand)” o “City’s senior centers hard to get to. Need transportation. ” o “Transportation” identified as a major challenge accessing services
o Transportation identified as a “MAJOR THEME”
West Oakland Senior Center
o “Improved transportation routes to essential services (doctors, senior centers, hospitals, etc.)”
II. Transportation as a Barrier to Accessing Health Care and Essential Services
Transportation barriers directly affected seniors’ ability to access medical care, programs, shopping, and social supports.
Key Issues
o Difficulty getting to health care providers
o Inability to access senior centers or services
o Transportation costs as a barrier
o Need for emergency rides and medical transportation
Sources
Downtown Oakland Senior Center
o “Transportation to health care” identified as a future service need Lavender Seniors Listening Session
o “Emergency ride when needed”
o “Ride to/from treatment in a pinch”
o “Driving at night is challenging”
Vietnamese Community Development, Inc.
o “City’s senior centers hard to get to. Need transportation. ” Christ the King
o “Kaiser rides to appointments” discussed as an important service used
III. Built Environment and Pedestrian Safety Limiting Mobility
Many participants described sidewalks, crossings, garbage, construction, and unsafe streets as barriers to mobility and access, particularly for wheelchair users and pedestrians.
Key Issues
o Unsafe or inaccessible sidewalks
o Garbage and dumping obstructing mobility devices
o Dangerous intersections and traffic
o Lack of pedestrian infrastructure
o Fear of injury or crime while traveling
Sources
Christ the King
o “Walkways not accessible for pedestrians/wheelchair users due to garbage and dumping”
o “Pedestrian, wheelchair user safety an issue”
o Requests for “Traffic calming”
East Oakland Senior Center
o “Sidewalks, ramps not accessible – due to garbage, ADA accessibility issues”
o “Keep sidewalks clear, handicap ramps clear – remove
garbage/debris”
Unity Council/Fruitvale Senior Center
o “Bus stop not close to home; walking to a bus stop farther from home is a challenge”
o “Hazards/garbage in the way → not accessible for electric wheelchair users”
o “Street vendors blocking sidewalks”
o “Pedestrians, wheelchair users cannot pass safely in construction areas”
o “Uneven train tracks, hard to walk over”
o “Drivers running red lights” and “Cars running too fast” o “Put pedestrian crossing light signal” and “traffic calming” strategies proposed
IV. Transportation Linked to Social Participation and Community Connection
Transportation was not only about medical access; it was deeply tied to socialization, participation, worship, recreation, and preventing isolation.
Key Issues
o Transportation needed for participation in community life o Group trips and mobility support foster social engagement o Transportation tied to aging in place and mental well-being
Sources
East Oakland Senior Center
o “Group trips (local and outside the area)” praised as important programming
Family Bridges/Hong Fook
o Transportation needed for “temple, shopping”
Unity Council/Fruitvale Senior Center
o Public transportation described as enabling access to “amenities and services”
o Transportation identified as important for motivating participation in activities
o “Organize group trips – shopping, movies, lunch, etc. ” West Oakland Senior Center
o Group trips for “shopping, entertainment” were among the most valued services used
V. Structural and Equity Dimensions of Transportation Access
Transportation inequities intersected with disability, language access, affordability, and neighborhood disinvestment.
Key Issues
o Transportation burden falls disproportionately on vulnerable seniors
o Language barriers compound navigation difficulties
o Transportation systems not culturally or disability responsive o Geographic inequities in service access
Sources
Vietnamese Community Development Inc.
o Transportation needs strongly linked with language and culturally responsive services
o “City’s senior centers hard to get to” suggests geographic inequity Christ the King
o Transportation barriers particularly affected wheelchair users Unity Council/Fruitvale Senior Center
o Concerns about transit route changes without community input o Calls for “Fully subsidized BART rides”
Lavender Seniors
o Night driving difficulties and emergency transportation needs point to age-related mobility vulnerabilities