Measuring the transportation needs of seniors

Wasfi, Rania; Levinson, David; El-Geneidy, Ahmed

Abstracts

Transportation systems are built with the intention to serve communities by providing accessibility and mobility. Yet seniors residing in these communities face different challenges compared to regular commuters. Seniors have special needs in terms of desired destinations and challenges faced due to limitations in mobility and decline of accessibility levels where they reside. In this research paper we discuss major findings from a mail-out mail-in survey conducted in Hennepin County, Minnesota to measuring met and unmet urban transportation needs of seniors. Compared to previous research this study uses primary collected data rather than relying on travel surveys, which does not measure the unmet urban transportation needs of seniors. The findings from this survey is consistent in term of measuring the existing travel behavior of seniors, which raises our confidence in the information being collected related to the unmet transportation needs of seniors. Seniors are found to be generally independent and rely mainly on auto usage to reach desired destinations at higher rates compared to the rest of the population. The majority of seniors reported although they are currently independent they do know that such independency is not permanent and they have to learn more about alternatives available to them. This study helps transportation engineers and planners in better understanding the current and future challenges that they will face with an aging population.

seniors; accessibility; mobility; urban transportation

Os sistemas de transporte são construídos com a intenção de servir as comunidades, proporcionando acessibilidade e mobilidade. No entanto, os idosos que residem nessas comunidades enfrentam desafios diferentes em comparação com os passageiros regulares. Idosos têm necessidades especiais em termos de destinos desejados e desafios enfrentados devido a limitações em mobilidade e diminuição dos níveis de acessibilidade, onde eles residem. Na presente pesquisa discutimos as conclusões principais de uma pesquisa com questionários enviados por correio realizada em Hennepin County, Minnesota, para medir as necessidades atendidas e não atendidas de transporte urbano de idosos. Em comparação com a pesquisa anterior, este estudo utiliza dados primários coletados em vez de confiar em pesquisas com viajantes, que não medem as necessidades não atendidas de transporte urbano de idosos. Os resultados deste estudo é consistente em termos de medir o comportamento de viagem existente de idosos, o que aumenta nossa confiança na informação a ser recolhida relacionada com as necessidades não atendidas de transporte de idosos. Revelou-se que os idosos são independentes e se baseiam principalmente na utilização de automóvel para alcançar destinos desejados, em uma proporção mais elevada em comparação com o resto da população. A maioria dos idosos relatou que, embora sejam atualmente independentes, eles sabem que tal independência não é permanente e eles têm de aprender mais sobre as alternativas disponíveis a eles. Este estudo ajuda os engenheiros e planejadores de transporte para uma melhor compreensão dos desafios atuais e futuros que terão de enfrentar com uma população envelhecida.

idosos; acessibilidade; mobilidade; transporte urbano

Alsnih, R., and Hensher, D. (2003) The mobility and accessibility expectations of seniors in an aging population Transportation Research Part A: Polic and Practice, vol. 37, n. 10, pp. 903 -916.
Burkhardt, J. (2000) Limitations of mass transportation and individual vehicle systems for older persons. In K. Schaie and M. Pietrucha (Eds.), Mobility and transportation in the elderly. New York: Springer Publishing Company, pp. 97-123.
Burkhardt, J., McGavock, A., Nelson, C., and Mitchell, C. (2002) Improving public transit options for older persons (TCRP No. 82): Transportation Research Board of the National Academies.
Collia, D., Sharp, J., and Giesbrecht, L. (2003) The 2001 national household travel survey: A look into the travel patterns of older Americans Journal of Safety Research, vol. 34(4), 461 -470.
Dickerson, A., Molnar, L., Eby, D., Adler, G., Bédard, M., Berg-Weger, M., et al. (2007) Transportation and aging: A research agenda for advancing safe mobility. Gerontologist, vol. 47, pp. 578-590.
Golledge, R., Costanzo, C., and Marston, J. (1996) The mass transit needs of a non-driving disabled population (No. UCB-ITS-PRR-96-9) University of California-Santa Barbara: California PATH Research.
⁷
Handy, S., and Niemeier, D. (1997) Measuring accessibility: An exploration of issues and alternatives. Environment and Planning Part A, vol. 29, n. 7, pp. 1175-1194.
Hansen, W. (1959) How accessibility shape land use. Journal of the American Institute of Planners, vol. 25 n. 2, pp. 73-76.
Hildebrand, E. (2003) Dimensions in elderly travel behavior: A simplified activity-based model using lifestyle clusters. Transportation, vol. 30, pp. 285-306.
Horneman, L., Carter, R., Wei, S., and Ruys, H. (2002) Profiling the senior traveler: An Australian perspective. Journal of Travel Research, vol. 41, pp. 23-37.
Marmot, M., and Wilkinson, R. (2005) The social determinants of health: The solid facts (2nd ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Metz, D. (2000) Mobility of older people and their quality of life. Transport Policy, vol. 7, pp. 149-152.
Oregon Department of Transportation (1999) Oregon's mobility needs: General population survey and transportation provider survey (No. FHWA-OR-RD-99-19). Salem, OR.
Quadagno, J. (2004) Aging and the life course: An introduction to social gerontology (3rd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.
Rosenbloom, S., and Morris, J. (1998) Travel patterns of older Australians in an international context: Policy implications and options. Transportation Research Record, n. 1617.
Schmöcker, J., Quddus, A., Noland, R., and Bell, M. (2005) Estimating trip generation of elderly and disabled people: Analysis of London data transportation Research Record, n. 1924, pp. 9-18.
Schwanen, T., Dijst, M., and Dieleman, F. (2001) Leisure trips of senior citizens: Determinants of modal choice. Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie, vol. 92, n.3, pp. 347 -360.
Sellick, M., Discovery, C., and Nostalgia, C. (2004) Key travel motives within the senior market. Journal of Travel and Tourism Marketing, vol. 17, n.1, pp. 55-71.
Stamatiadis, N., Leinbach, T., and Watkins, J. (1996) Travel among rural elderly. Transportation Quarterly, vol. 50, n. 3, pp. 113-121.
Stern, H., Burkhardt, J., and Eberhard, J. (2003) Moving along the mobility continuum: Past, present and future. Generation, vol. 27, n. 2, pp. 8-13.
Sundeen, M. (2007) Yielding to transportation needs. State Legislatures, vol. 33, n. 8, pp. 19-21.
Sweeney, M. (2004) Travel patterns of older Americans with disabilities, (No. 2004-001-OAS): Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
Tacken, M. (1998) Mobility of the elderly in time and space in the Netherlands: An analysis of the Dutch national travel survey. Transportation, vol. 25, pp. 379-393.
United States Census Bureau (2000) US cenusus 2000, from http://www.census.gov/main/www/cen2000.html
Wachs, M. (1979) Transportation for the elderly. Berkeley, California: University of California Press.

Publication Dates

Publication in this collection
03 Oct 2014
Date of issue
June 2012

History

Received
14 June 2011
Accepted
30 Jan 2012
Reviewed
22 Nov 2011

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

[1] Alsnih, R., and Hensher, D. (2003) The mobility and accessibility expectations of seniors in an aging population Transportation Research Part A: Polic and Practice, vol. 37, n. 10, pp. 903 -916.

[2] Burkhardt, J. (2000) Limitations of mass transportation and individual vehicle systems for older persons. In K. Schaie and M. Pietrucha (Eds.), Mobility and transportation in the elderly. New York: Springer Publishing Company, pp. 97-123.

[3] Burkhardt, J., McGavock, A., Nelson, C., and Mitchell, C. (2002) Improving public transit options for older persons (TCRP No. 82): Transportation Research Board of the National Academies.

[4] Collia, D., Sharp, J., and Giesbrecht, L. (2003) The 2001 national household travel survey: A look into the travel patterns of older Americans Journal of Safety Research, vol. 34(4), 461 -470.

[5] Dickerson, A., Molnar, L., Eby, D., Adler, G., Bédard, M., Berg-Weger, M., et al. (2007) Transportation and aging: A research agenda for advancing safe mobility. Gerontologist, vol. 47, pp. 578-590.

[6] Golledge, R., Costanzo, C., and Marston, J. (1996) The mass transit needs of a non-driving disabled population (No. UCB-ITS-PRR-96-9) University of California-Santa Barbara: California PATH Research.

[7] ⁷
Handy, S., and Niemeier, D. (1997) Measuring accessibility: An exploration of issues and alternatives. Environment and Planning Part A, vol. 29, n. 7, pp. 1175-1194.

[8] Hansen, W. (1959) How accessibility shape land use. Journal of the American Institute of Planners, vol. 25 n. 2, pp. 73-76.

[9] Hildebrand, E. (2003) Dimensions in elderly travel behavior: A simplified activity-based model using lifestyle clusters. Transportation, vol. 30, pp. 285-306.

[10] Horneman, L., Carter, R., Wei, S., and Ruys, H. (2002) Profiling the senior traveler: An Australian perspective. Journal of Travel Research, vol. 41, pp. 23-37.

[11] Marmot, M., and Wilkinson, R. (2005) The social determinants of health: The solid facts (2nd ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

[12] Metz, D. (2000) Mobility of older people and their quality of life. Transport Policy, vol. 7, pp. 149-152.

[13] Oregon Department of Transportation (1999) Oregon's mobility needs: General population survey and transportation provider survey (No. FHWA-OR-RD-99-19). Salem, OR.

[14] Quadagno, J. (2004) Aging and the life course: An introduction to social gerontology (3rd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.

[15] Rosenbloom, S., and Morris, J. (1998) Travel patterns of older Australians in an international context: Policy implications and options. Transportation Research Record, n. 1617.

[16] Schmöcker, J., Quddus, A., Noland, R., and Bell, M. (2005) Estimating trip generation of elderly and disabled people: Analysis of London data transportation Research Record, n. 1924, pp. 9-18.

[17] Schwanen, T., Dijst, M., and Dieleman, F. (2001) Leisure trips of senior citizens: Determinants of modal choice. Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie, vol. 92, n.3, pp. 347 -360.

[18] Sellick, M., Discovery, C., and Nostalgia, C. (2004) Key travel motives within the senior market. Journal of Travel and Tourism Marketing, vol. 17, n.1, pp. 55-71.

[19] Stamatiadis, N., Leinbach, T., and Watkins, J. (1996) Travel among rural elderly. Transportation Quarterly, vol. 50, n. 3, pp. 113-121.

[20] Stern, H., Burkhardt, J., and Eberhard, J. (2003) Moving along the mobility continuum: Past, present and future. Generation, vol. 27, n. 2, pp. 8-13.

[21] Sundeen, M. (2007) Yielding to transportation needs. State Legislatures, vol. 33, n. 8, pp. 19-21.

[22] Sweeney, M. (2004) Travel patterns of older Americans with disabilities, (No. 2004-001-OAS): Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

[23] Tacken, M. (1998) Mobility of the elderly in time and space in the Netherlands: An analysis of the Dutch national travel survey. Transportation, vol. 25, pp. 379-393.

[24] United States Census Bureau (2000) US cenusus 2000, from http://www.census.gov/main/www/cen2000.html

[25] Wachs, M. (1979) Transportation for the elderly. Berkeley, California: University of California Press.

Brasil

Brasil

Measuring the transportation needs of seniors

Mensuração das necessidades de transporte de idosos

Abstracts

Publication Dates

History