Document Type

Report

Publication Date

Winter 2024

Abstract

The US Census Bureau reports that the number of seniors (65+ years old) in the US is predicted to increase from 16.5% in 2019 to 22% by 2050. However, seniors have reduced mobility as they age due to their declining health and the limited travel options available. Therefore, it is crucial to solve their transportation needs during pandemics like COVID-19 when they are most disadvantaged. This study involved an online national survey that collected 1507 responses from seniors in all the 50 US states to examine their travel behavior and challenges and their willingness to adopt Autonomous Vehicles before and after experiencing COVID-19. To assess the differences in travel behavior and willingness to use AVs, McNemar Chi-Square test was employed. The results from the study survey show that the safety and security, virus infection concern, comfort and convenience of senior respondents influenced their travel decisions as most of them still preferred using their private vehicles during COVID-19. It was found that the frequency of work-related, shopping, medical, leisure, and social/religious trips reduced significantly after seniors experienced COVID-19 whilst the frequency of the usage of all travel modes decreased significantly except for paratransit and motorcycle. The availability, reliability and flexibility of public transit were the most concerns for seniors about using transit. No significant change was observed in seniors’ willingness to use after experiencing COVID-19. The practical insights presented here in this report can help in lessening senior mobility challenges and provide transportation authorities and car manufacturers with valuable insight about the future direction of autonomous vehicles in terms of technological planning.

Comments

Tran-SET Project MLSU22

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