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Title:

Older Adults and Transportation Preferences: Results from a Community Survey and Interviews

Accession Number:

01657993

Record Type:

Component

Abstract:

The recent proliferation of alternatives to driving has presented many older adults with a complex menu of transportation options. Many older adults face challenges that can hinder their ability to drive, making these alternatives an attractive means of maintaining independent mobility. However, little study has been devoted to how older adults perceive and use these alternatives, or to what degree these alternatives can be adapted to better serve older riders. Using a community survey and interviews with older adults in Tallahassee, Florida, this paper explores the perceptions and preferences of older adults regarding several modes of transportation other than the automobile. Findings indicate that older adults in Tallahassee prefer to drive themselves if possible, and generally value the personalized services of demand-response transportation more than fixed-route transit or taxicabs. Many non-drivers appreciate the flexibility of demand-response transportation, and appreciate the safe and personalized service offered by that mode, but harbor reservations about the operators’ commitment to customer service and the unique needs of older riders. The findings further indicate that older adults’ transportation habits are shaped by external forces as well as individual impressions. This suggests that agencies seeking to adapt their services to better serve older adults must be mindful of both macro-level issues (such as the aging process and physical frailty) as well as the micro-level opinions and desires (such as each client’s need to maintain dignity and independence) that draw older adults to one mode over another.

Supplemental Notes:

This paper was sponsored by TRB committee AP060 Standing Committee on Paratransit.

Report/Paper Numbers:

18-00653

Language:

English

Authors:

Wood, James P
Brown, Jeffrey R
Marques, Melanie

Pagination:

16p

Publication Date:

2018

Conference:

Transportation Research Board 97th Annual Meeting

Location: Washington DC, United States
Date: 2018-1-7 to 2018-1-11
Sponsors: Transportation Research Board

Media Type:

Digital/other

Features:

Figures; References; Tables

Geographic Terms:

Tallahassee (Florida)

Subject Areas:

Highways; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation

Source Data:

Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting 2018 Paper #18-00653

Files:

TRIS, TRB, ATRI

Created Date:

Jan 8 2018 10:10AM