Effectiveness of transit strategies targeting elderly people : survey results and preliminary data analysis.

Details

• Creators:
  Mohammadian, Kouros ; Takuriah, Piushimita (Vonu) ; Rashidi,Taha H.
• Corporate Creators:
  University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering ; Illinois Center for Transportation
• Corporate Contributors:
  Illinois. Department of Transportation. Bureau of Materials and Physical Research
• Subject/TRT Terms:
  • Aged
  • Aged drivers
  • Public transit
  • Local transportation
  • Older people
  • Local transit
  • Older automobile drivers
• Publication/ Report Number:
  FHWA-ICT-09-033 ; ICT-09-033, UILU-ENG-2009-2004
• Resource Type:
  Tech Report
• Geographical Coverage:
  Illinois
• Edition:
  Final report
• Corporate Publisher:
  Illinois Center for Transportation
• Abstract:
  The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has shown that America’s senior population has been growing ; and will almost double by 2030. This trend continues to challenge researchers who are looking to increase seniors’ ; awareness or favorable views toward public transportation and researchers who are developing innovative public ; transportation alternatives for seniors. These alternatives will try to wean seniors from their reliance on cars, while not ; compromising other transit riders’ safety and comfort. The research team at the University of Illinois at Chicago ; undertook this study as a first step toward meeting this challenge. To collect information on seniors’ travel attributes ; and their opinions about Northeastern Illinois’ public transportation system and potential service alternatives, the ; research team developed a comprehensive survey, covering four common trip purposes (doctor visits, shopping trips, ; social or recreational travel, and work trips) and various travel modes. These modes included combinations of nonmotorized ; travel, auto use, and three commonly used public transportation modes (Metra, Pace, and the Chicago ; Transit Authority). The research team tested this survey on a small sample of respondents; modified it to maximize ; the number of accurate, unbiased responses; and sent it to 2,000 seniors who have resided in one of metropolitan ; Chicago’s six counties. Two hundred eighty seniors sent back complete and useful surveys that provided data for this ; study. Most of these seniors were unfamiliar with Northeastern Illinois’ public transportation system and did not view it ; as a driving alternative, partly because they view it as more hazardous than driving their own cars and less ; convenient than getting a ride from friends or family members. To help change these perceptions, the research team ; suggests that Northeastern Illinois’ public transit operators provide printed timetables and maps on their trains, buses, ; or stations; increase vehicle frequencies; provide real-time arrival information at stations and on cell phones; order ; more low floor and kneeling buses, clean their stations and vehicles better, and provide shuttle services specifically ; designed for seniors.
  More +
• Format:
  PDF
• Download URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/5661/dot_5661_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 959.64 KB]
• Collection(s):
  US Transportation Collection
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha256:8b0d4a2b909083f47b5e302d6df65528d9dadc6f5f92e1cdddd7e4ef074ed42c