Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Exploring public transport usage trends in an ageing population

  • Published:
Transportation Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

An ageing population remains one of the most significant challenges for Western society in the 21st century. Whilst public transport use has attractive sustainability features for older generations there is mixed evidence with regard to trends in travel and public transport use in ageing societies. This paper explores public transport trip rates amongst older age groups using travel survey evidence collected from a household travel survey in Melbourne, Australia for the period 1994 to 1999. A particular aim of the research was to establish trends in trip rates so as to explore the impact of the ageing Baby Boomer generation on travel by public transport. The results suggested that compared to those aged below 60, those aged over 60 years demonstrated 30% lower trip making overall and 16% lower public transport trip rates. Longitudinal trends in trip rates showed those aged over 60 had a very small decline in trip rates by public transport (−0.004 average daily trips per annum) but increasing rates for car trips. A further analysis showed a small but significant increase in longitudinal trip rates of public transport use amongst Baby Boomers (0.004 daily trips p.a., p < .05) while car usage for Baby Boomers was steady. The implication of these findings is that trends in the existing over 60s population are not necessarily going to flow through to behaviour patterns in the Baby Boomer generations. The Baby Boomer age group showed longitudinal trends in travel behaviour which contrasted with those of the existing over 60s generation notably with a trend towards increased public transport usage.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. This was the ‘Metlink Market Futures Research and Development Project’ which aimed to explore a range of factors influencing future public transport usage in Melbourne. Conducted by the Institute of Transport Studies, Monash University for Metlink.

  2. P-values cited are the statistical significance of the regression slopes.

  3. Note: Public transport service level did not significantly change from 1994 to 1999.

References

  • Alsnih, R., Hensher, D.A.: The mobility and accessibility expectations of seniors in an aging population. Transp. Res. Part A 37, 903–916 (2006)

    Google Scholar 

  • Banister, D., Bowling, A.: Quality of life for the elderly: the transport dimension. Transp. Policy 11, 105–115 (2004)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bower, B.: Social links may counter health risks. Sci. News 152(9), 135 (1997)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Browning, C., Sims, J.: Ageing without driving: keeping older people connected. In: Currie, G., Stanley, J., Stanley, J. (eds.) No Way to go: Transport and Social Disadvantage in Australian Communities, pp. 6.1–6.10. Monash University ePress, Victoria (2007)

    Google Scholar 

  • Burkhardt, J.E. (2003) Better transportation services for older persons. In: Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board (2003)

  • Case, R.: Increasing elderly mobility by 2025: using National Household Travel Survey to increase mobility of elderly nondrivers. In: Transportation Research Board 85th Annual Meeting, Washington DC. Paper #06-1220 (2006)

  • Currie, G.: Quantifying spatial gaps in public transport supply based on social needs. J. Transp. Geogr. (2006). doi:10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2008.12.002

  • Currie, G., Stanley, J., Stanley, J. (eds.): No Way to go: Transport and Social Disadvantage in Australian Communities. Monash University, Victoria (2007)

  • Department of Infrastructure: Maintaining mobility—the transition from driver to non-driver. Victorian Government, Melbourne (2007)

  • Department of Sustainability and Environment.: Victoria in Future 2004: population projections. Department of Sustainability and Environment (2004)

  • Dodson, J., Sipe, N.: Shocking the suburbs: urban location, housing debt and oil vulnerability in the Australian city. Research paper 8, Urban Research Program (2006)

  • Giuliano, G., Hu, H.-H., Lee, K.: Travel patterns of the elderly: the role of land use. University of Southern California, School of Policy, Planning and Development. Metrans Project 00-8 (2003)

  • Golob, T.F., Hensher, D.A.: The trip chaining activity of Sydney residents: a cross-section assessment by age group with a focus on seniors. J. Transp. Geogr. 15, 298–312 (2007)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harris, A., Tapsas, D.: Transport and mobility: challenges, innovations and improvements, Royal Automobile Club of Victoria (RACV) (2006)

  • Hess, D.B.: Access to public transit and its influence on ridership for older adults in two U.S. cities. J. Transp. Land Use 2(1), 3–27 (2009)

    Google Scholar 

  • Hu, P.S., Jones, D.W., Reuscher, T., Schmoyer, R.S.J., Truett, L.F.: Projecting fatalities in crashes involving older drivers, 2000–2025. http://www-cta.ornl.gov/cta/Publications/Older_Drivers/index.html (2000). Accessed 28 Aug 2008

  • ICF Consulting (2006) Estimating the impacts of the aging population on transit ridership. In: National Cooperative Highway Research Program, Transportation Research Board

  • Kanaroglou, P.S., Páez, A., Scott, D.M., Newbold, K.B., Mercado, R.: Transport policy in aging societies: international comparison and implications for Canada. In: Transportation Research Board 85th Annual Meeting, Washington DC. Paper #06-0223 (2006)

  • Liddle, J., McKenna, K., Broome, K.: Older road users: from driving cessation to safe transportation. University of Queensland, Australian Transport Safety Bureau (2004)

  • Litman, T.: The future ain’t what it used to be: changing trends and their importance for transport planning. Victoria Transport Policy Institute, Victoria (2009)

  • Lynott, J.: Senior travel: understanding differences by the types of communities in which our aging population lives. In: Transportation Research Board 85th Annual Meeting, Washington DC. Paper #06-2956 (2006)

  • Marottoli, R.A., Mendes de Leon, C.F., Glass, T.A., Williams, C.S., Conney, L.M. Jr., Berkman, L.F., Tinetti, M.E.: Driving cessation and increased depressive symptoms: prospective evidence from the New Haven EPESE. J. Am. Geriatr. Soc. 45(2), 202–206 (1997)

    Google Scholar 

  • Mercado, R., Páez, A.: Determinants of distance traveled with a focus on the elderly: a multilevel analysis in the Hamilton CMA, Canada. J. Transp. Geogr. 17, 65–76 (2009)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Metz, D.: Transport policy for an ageing population. Transp. Rev. 23(4), 375–386 (2003)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morency, C., Chapleau, R.: Age and its relation with home location, household structure, and travel behavior: 15 years of observation. In: Transportation Research Board 87th Annual Meeting, Washington DC. Paper #08-1260 (2008)

  • Raitanen, T., Tormakangas, T., Mollenkopf, H., Marcellini, F.: Why do older drivers reduce driving? Findings from three European countries. Transp. Res. Part F 6, 81–95 (2003)

    Google Scholar 

  • Rees, C., Lyth, A.: Exploring the future of car use for an ageing society: preliminary results from a Sydney study. In: 27th Australasian Transport Research Forum, Adelaide (2004)

  • Rosenbloom, S.: Driving cessation among older people: when does it happen and what impact does it have? Transp. Res. Rec. 1779, 93–99 (2001a)

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosenbloom, S.: Sustainability and automobility among the elderly: an international assessment. Transportation 28, 375–408 (2001b)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rosenbloom, S., Morris, J.: Travel patterns of older australians in an international context: policy implications and options. Transp. Res. Rec. 1617, 189–193 (1998)

    Google Scholar 

  • Spinney, J.E.L., Scott, D.M., Newbold, K.B.: Transport mobility benefits and quality of life: a time-use perspective of elderly Canadians. Transp. Policy 16, 1–11 (2009)

    Google Scholar 

  • Su, F., Schmocker, J.-D., Bell, M.G.H.: Mode choice of older people before and after shopping: study with London data. In: Transportation Research Board 87th Annual Meeting, Washington DC. Paper #08-0986 (2008)

  • Victorian Activity Travel Survey (2001). User manual volume 1 user’s guide: a companion document to the VATS94–VATS99 databases. Transport Research Centre, Melbourne

  • Williams, A.F., Carsten, O.: Driver age and crash involvement. Am. J. Public Health 79(3), 326–327 (1989)

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgment

The authors would like to thank the sponsors of the research, Metlink and their partner the Victorian Department of Infrastructure (now the Department of Transport) for their support in undertaking the research. The authors would also like to thank the papers reviewers for excellent suggestions to improve the quality of the work.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Transport Studies, Department of Civil Engineering, Monash University, Building 60, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia

    Graham Currie & Alexa Delbosc

Authors
  1. Graham Currie
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Alexa Delbosc
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Graham Currie.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Currie, G., Delbosc, A. Exploring public transport usage trends in an ageing population. Transportation 37, 151–164 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11116-009-9224-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11116-009-9224-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation