San Diego is home to one of the fastest growing older-adult populations in California. By 2030, one in four San Diegans will be 60 or older, and currently, nearly 22% of San Diego County seniors live alone.
Together with the growing prevalence of mobility issues and shrinking transportation access that often come with aging, this creates a troubling pathway to isolation for many seniors. Even basic activities — like medical appointments, grocery shopping and social visits — become difficult or impossible. The loss of mobility often means the loss of independence.
At the San Diego Seniors Community Foundation, we have been studying how emerging mobility solutions could better support older adults through partnerships with transportation leaders and researchers. The question is not whether the technology is impressive. It is whether we are intentional about connecting it to the places that matter most in seniors’ daily lives: senior centers, medical offices, grocery stores and neighborhood gathering spaces.
Welcoming companies like Waymo is one way to move in that direction and toward a future where older adults can remain active, connected and safe.
Consider a senior who has given up driving but still volunteers weekly. Or a widow who relies on specialists across the county. Or someone living alone who hasn’t seen a friend simply because they can’t arrange a ride. For these individuals, autonomous vehicles are not a novelty but a way back to daily life.
The arrival of Waymo’s autonomous driving service in San Diego represents more than a technological milestone. It’s a new opportunity to address one of the most persistent barriers facing older adults: transportation.
Waymo’s expansion should prompt a broader conversation about how innovation can help ensure no San Diegan ages alone. Independence should not end when driving does. Longevity requires infrastructure that keeps people connected, not just alive.
Our organization’s founder, Bob Kelly, captures it well: “Transportation is the lifeline of independence for older adults. Self-driving technology like Waymo isn’t just about innovation, it’s about inclusion.”
When seniors stop driving, they don’t just lose a means of getting around; they lose the autonomy to participate fully in the community. Restoring that autonomy should be a priority.
Waymo can help remove those barriers, offering mobility to those who need it most and strengthening support for caregivers who shoulder enormous responsibility when seniors can no longer drive. Self-driving vehicles help provide consistency and predictability. They don’t cancel, they don’t require complicated planning, and they eliminate the discomfort many older adults feel when asking others for help. Most importantly, they return a sense of dignity and control.
San Diego has always been a place that embraces innovation — in science, health, technology and sustainability. We should bring that same energy to addressing the needs of our aging population. As Kelly also notes, “San Diego is a city built on innovation. We should harness that same spirit to make sure our seniors aren’t left behind.”
Take the holiday season as an example. Through our No Senior Alone initiative, the San Diego Seniors Community Foundation partners with more than 40 senior centers, VFW posts, and community hubs to combat isolation when it is most visible. Waymo is part of that effort.
More than 130,000 older adults across San Diego County are at risk of isolation during the holidays, but the problem does not end when the decorations come down. Isolation is a year-round challenge, and addressing it requires year-round solutions.
As San Diego looks to the future of mobility, we must decide who that future is built for. If we want a city where people can live longer, healthier and more connected lives, older adults cannot be an afterthought. Autonomous vehicles are not just about technology or efficiency. For seniors, they are about freedom, access to health care, community, friendships and daily life.
For the tens of thousands of San Diego seniors living alone or at risk of isolation, Waymo’s arrival is more than news. It is a chance to restore independence. Independence should not end when driving does, and no San Diegan should age alone.
Paul Downey is chief advocacy officer for the San Diego Seniors Community Foundation.
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