Seniors on the Move: Senior Mobility Lending Library Roadmap

Public transit

South Bay

Pilot or new project, program, or initiative (testing or implementing a new idea)

There are nearly 770,000 registered cars in the South Bay - each weighing an average of 4,000 pounds and carrying fewer than 2 people. Yet, 70% of trips in the South Bay are 3 miles or less, making cars an inefficient mode of transport. At the same time, the South Bay’s aging population faces increasing mobility challenges and social isolation. For seniors living on fixed incomes, the high costs of car ownership add further strain. Seniors on the Move: Senior Mobility Lending Library Roadmap envisions micromobility, including neighborhood electric vehicles (NEVs), electric tricycles, and e-bikes, as a low-cost andaccessible solution for errands, medical trips, and other activities that will promote mobility independence and reduce social isolation. This project will create a plan to implement micromobility lending libraries in senior residence facilities across LA County while familiarizing seniors with micromobility.

This project takes a two-pronged approach: first, it introduces the senior community to low-speed vehicles through a targeted marketing and outreach campaign. Senior housing facilities and organizations that serve the senior population will be engaged through education and safety demonstrations in partnership with licensed safety educators and local vendors. Interactive events at low-income, senior residential communities will serve as focused opportunities to gather feedback and engage residents with micromobility through safety discussions, test rides, and surveys. Data collected will inform the development of the implementation roadmap. The SBCCOG will also produce marketing materials such as videos and flyers to promote micromobility usage to seniors. Second, the SBCCOG will develop a scalable roadmap to establish vehicle lending libraries that allow seniors to “check out” a vehicle for their mobility needs. With input from partner organizations, including low-income senior housing facilities, gathered through focus groups, the roadmap will address key considerations such as site selection, fleet selection, charging infrastructure installation, administrative logistics, cost estimates, liability insurance, and more to position the SBCCOG and its partners for successful implementation of senior mobility lending libraries across the subregion.

In the short term, this project will lay the groundwork for senior-focused mobility lending libraries in the South Bay. The implementation roadmap will guide senior housing facilities through key decisions and steps to establish successful lending libraries. Simultaneously, we hope to engage with seniors and housing facilities, helping them become micromobility champions by recognizing the utility of these vehicles for their needs as well as mitigating any user anxieties. In the long term, the roadmap will serve as a toolkit for over 300 senior living facilities across LA County, potentially benefiting more than 10,000 seniors. These lending libraries will encourage mobility independence among seniors, allowing for active lifestyles and lessening travel cost burdens. Micromobility adoption will also reduce carbon emissions and congestion by replacing large, full-sized cars on the road.