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New Insights into Senior Travel Behavior: The Canadian Experience

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  • DARREN M. SCOTT
  • KENNETH BRUCE NEWBOLD
  • JAMIE E.L. SPINNEY
  • RUBEN MERCADO
  • ANTONIO PÁEZ
  • PAVLOS S. KANAROGLOU

Abstract

Societies in many developed nations around the world are aging. Over the past decade, a growing body of research has emerged internationally in an effort to anticipate and prepare for the transport challenges posed by this unprecedented demographic change. This paper contributes to this line of research by offering new insights into senior travel behavior focusing on the recent Canadian experience. Using weekday data from the 1992 and 2005 General Social Surveys on time use, changes in the number of trips, the duration of trips, trip mode, and trip timing are evaluated for urban seniors. In contrast to the experiences of many other developed nations, analysis of the first three indicators of behavioral change refutes the notion that “automobility” has increased in Canada over the 13‐year period. While this finding is encouraging, it is tempered by the fact that Canadian seniors who choose to travel by car are doing so increasingly during the morning and evening peak periods. The results from a peak versus non‐peak departure‐time model that pools data from both years offer important insights into factors driving this change. For instance, the results suggest that the propensity to start a trip during rush hour has increased over time for non‐work trip purposes.

Suggested Citation

  • Darren M. Scott & Kenneth Bruce Newbold & Jamie E.L. Spinney & Ruben Mercado & Antonio Páez & Pavlos S. Kanaroglou, 2009. "New Insights into Senior Travel Behavior: The Canadian Experience," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 40(1), pages 140-168, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:growch:v:40:y:2009:i:1:p:140-168
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-2257.2008.00464.x
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    3. Khandker M. Nurul Habib & Vivian Hui, 2017. "An activity-based approach of investigating travel behaviour of older people," Transportation, Springer, vol. 44(3), pages 555-573, May.
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    6. Mercado, Ruben & Páez, Antonio & Newbold, K. Bruce, 2010. "Transport policy and the provision of mobility options in an aging society: a case study of Ontario, Canada," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 18(5), pages 649-661.
    7. Ravensbergen, Léa & Newbold, K Bruce & Ganann, Rebecca & Sinding, Christina, 2021. "‘Mobility work’: Older adults' experiences using public transportation," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 97(C).
    8. Borges Tiago, Maria Teresa Pinheiro Melo & Couto, João Pedro de Almeida & Tiago, Flávio Gomes Borges & Dias Faria, Sandra Micaela Costa, 2016. "Baby boomers turning grey: European profiles," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 13-22.
    9. Susanne Nordbakke & Tim Schwanen, 2015. "Transport, unmet activity needs and wellbeing in later life: exploring the links," Transportation, Springer, vol. 42(6), pages 1129-1151, November.
    10. Hansen, Stine & Newbold, K. Bruce & Scott, Darren M. & Vrkljan, Brenda & Grenier, Amanda, 2020. "To drive or not to drive: Driving cessation amongst older adults in rural and small towns in Canada," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 86(C).
    11. Michael Iacono & David Levinson, 2015. "Cohort Effects and Their Influence on Car Ownership," Working Papers 000138, University of Minnesota: Nexus Research Group.
    12. Farber, Steven & Páez, Antonio, 2011. "Running to stay in place: the time-use implications of automobile oriented land-use and travel," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 19(4), pages 782-793.
    13. Spinney, Jamie E.L. & Newbold, K. Bruce & Scott, Darren M. & Vrkljan, Brenda & Grenier, Amanda, 2020. "The impact of driving status on out-of-home and social activity engagement among older Canadians," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).
    14. Nordbakke, Susanne, 2013. "Capabilities for mobility among urban older women: barriers, strategies and options," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 26(C), pages 166-174.
    15. Moniruzzaman, Md. & Páez, Antonio & Nurul Habib, Khandker M. & Morency, Catherine, 2013. "Mode use and trip length of seniors in Montreal," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 30(C), pages 89-99.
    16. Winters, Meghan & Voss, Christine & Ashe, Maureen C. & Gutteridge, Kaitlyn & McKay, Heather & Sims-Gould, Joanie, 2015. "Where do they go and how do they get there? Older adults' travel behaviour in a highly walkable environment," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 133(C), pages 304-312.
    17. Pettersson, Pierre & Schmöcker, Jan-Dirk, 2010. "Active ageing in developing countries? – trip generation and tour complexity of older people in Metro Manila," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 18(5), pages 613-623.
    18. Hitomi Nakanishi & John Black, 2015. "Social Sustainability Issues and Older Adults’ Dependence on Automobiles in Low-Density Environments," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(6), pages 1-21, June.
    19. Md Moniruzzaman & Antonio Páez & Darren Scott & Catherine Morency, 2015. "Trip Generation of Seniors and the Geography of Walking in Montreal," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 47(4), pages 957-976, April.
    20. Morency, Catherine & Paez, Antonio & Roorda, Matthew J. & Mercado, Ruben & Farber, Steven, 2011. "Distance traveled in three Canadian cities: Spatial analysis from the perspective of vulnerable population segments," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 19(1), pages 39-50.
    21. Boschmann, E. Eric & Brady, Sylvia A., 2013. "Travel behaviors, sustainable mobility, and transit-oriented developments: a travel counts analysis of older adults in the Denver, Colorado metropolitan area," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 33(C), pages 1-11.
    22. Su, Rongxiang & Xiao, Jingyi & McBride, Elizabeth C. & Goulias, Konstadinos G., 2021. "Understanding senior's daily mobility patterns in California using human mobility motifs," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    23. Li, Shengxiao (Alex) & Duan, Hongyu (Anna) & Smith, Tony E. & Hu, Haoyu, 2021. "Time-varying accessibility to senior centers by public transit in Philadelphia," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 151(C), pages 245-258.
    24. Dalumpines, Ron & Scott, Darren M., 2017. "Determinants of route choice behavior: A comparison of shop versus work trips using the Potential Path Area - Gateway (PPAG) algorithm and Path-Size Logit," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 59-68.
    25. Biranchi Adhikari & Ajay Kumar Behera & Rabindra Narayan Mahapatra & Harish Chandra Das, 2022. "Retracted: An empirical model for Indian senior citizens in traffic management," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 53(1), pages 35-56, March.

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