The FSU Center for Accessibility and Safety for an Aging Population (ASAP) declared the week of September 14-19, 2015, to be the Transportation Week, and held a number of events celebrating Transportation for a Lifetime and showcasing the center's research efforts.

On Monday, visitors were invited to an opening ceremony featuring displays of center research and a banner hanging.

On Tuesday, Melanie Weaver Carr from the Florida Department of Transportation's Office of Policy Planning spoke about the Future of Transportation in Florida and led a round-table discussion on Florida's long-range transportation plan. The lecture was co-sponsored by Florida State University's Pepper Institute on Aging, and held at the Broad Auditorium in the Pepper Center Building on the FSU campus.

On Wednesday, local dignitaries including Leon County Commission chair Mary Ann Lindley attended a director's reception at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering to talk about their initiatives in the transportation sector and learn about center activities in an informal setting

Thursday featured two events, a CarFit training class and a lecture by noted experimental psychologist and ASAP Advisory Board member Karlene Ball. CarFit is an educational program that offers older adults the opportunity to participate in a series of vehicle safety and comfort checks, improving safety and mobility.

Over 30 university students, primarily from FAMU's Division of Occupational Therapy, as well as community volunteers, attended Thursday's CarFit training, held on the campus of center partner Florida A&M University.

Dr. Ball's lecture, co-sponsored by the Institute for Successful Longevity at FSU, focused on her cutting-edge research evaluating the effectiveness of various visual and cognitive interventions on reducing the risk for motor vehicle collisions in older adults. Dr. Ball is an experimental psychologist and director of the Edward R. Roybal Center for Research at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

On Friday, the ASAP Center held its Second Annual Transportation Day at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering. More than 140 community members, researchers, and K-12 students enjoyed presentations and demonstrations on the theme of Transportation for a Lifetime.

Seniors were invited to join researchers and officials from state and local agencies at an afternoon Aging and Mobility symposium.

Interim Dean Bruce Locke kicked off the symposium with a welcome and a special challenge to the K-12 students to prepare to solve the transportation problems of the 21st century.

John Sobanjo, Center Director and FSU Professor of Civil Engineering, reviewed the Center's mission and research activities, and Lisa Spainhour, Education and Outreach Chair, presented Research Fellow Awards to four ASAP doctoral candidates.

ASAP was pleased to welcome Darryl Dockstader, manager of FDOT's Research Center, as keynote speaker. Dr. Dockstader spoke about the role of FDOT's research program in facilitating transportation innovation in Florida.

After the opening session, the lecture series continued with brief presentations by ASAP affiliates and supporters, focusing on mobility and safety needs of elder transportation system users.

Presentations included:

• Guide to Assessing and Counseling Older Drivers | Alice Pomidor, MD, FSU Geriatrics
• Aging-focused Accessibility Assessment of Multi-modal Facilities in Florida | Eren Ozguven, PhD, FAMU- FSU Civil Engineering
• Older Adult Transportation in Rural and Small Communities in the US | James Wood, MRCP, FSU Urban and Regional Planning
• Interventions to Reduce Crash Risk in Older Drivers | Karlene Ball, PhD, UAB Psychology
• Transportation Options that Contribute to a Better Quality of Life | Trenda McPherson, FDOT Safety Office
• Maximizing Person-Environment Fit to Reduce the Crash Risk of Vulnerable Road Users | Walter Boot, PhD, FSU Psychology

• Sociological Implications of Older Adult's Transportation Patterns: An Examination Using the National Health and Aging Trends Study | Anne Barrett, PhD, FSU Sociology
• Preliminary Analysis of Elderly Crashes at Crash Clusters in Florida | Michelle Angel, UNF Civil Engineering

Students from FAMU and FSU, including members of the American Society of Civil Engineers and ASAP research assistants, served as volunteers during the Transportation Day event.

Concurrent activities for senior adults included a CarFit safety event, led by Fran Carlin Rogers, CarFit instructor from Orlando, and Dr. Debora Oliveira, ASAP affiliate and Interim Dean of the School of Allied Health Sciences at FAMU; demonstration of the ASAP driving simulator; and booths by the Safe Mobility for Life Coalition, HomeFit, and StarMetro transit, among others.

More than 20 drivers were "fit" in their vehicles, and volunteers from the Thursday training session completed their certification as CarFit Technicians.