Citation

Hartgen DT, Howe SM, Pasko M. Transp. Res. Rec. 1977; 637: 22-27.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1977, Transportation Research Board, National Research Council, National Academy of Sciences USA, Publisher SAGE Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This paper summarizes a recent survey of 165 randomly selected elderly and handicapped persons in the Albany, New York Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area. The respondents were administered a 6-min questionnaire on nonwork travel habits, perceived barriers to travel, and intended travel if barriers were removed. Four disaggregate models were constructed relating total travel and modal choice to system, demographic, mode availability, and physical handicap factors. The results show that, contrary to present thinking, the elderly and handicapped vary widely in mobility problems and travel patterns and there is no homogeneity within each group. Travel mobility is primarily a function of physical disability, availability of an automobile, and the individual's ability to use it; specific bus-service improvments will not materially affect transit demand, but will ease the travel burden; and improvements concentrating on service availability and direct pickup appear to be the most promising.