Research Reports |
Title: | North Dakota Transportation Survey: Aging and Mobility |
Authors: | Jeremy Mattson |
Publication Date: | Dec 2009 |
Report #: | DP-221 |
TRID #: | 01456648 |
Keywords: | aged, demographics, mobility, persons with disabilities, statistical analysis, surveys, travel behavior |
Type: | Research Report – Department Publications |
Mobility is fundamentally important for people to live full and satisfying lives. As people age, however, their mobility may decline. To investigate issues of aging and mobility and other concerns of older adults, the AARP conducted a survey of its North Dakota members. This study analyzes the results from the transportation section of the AARP survey. Specific objectives are to determine how informed and satisfied older adults are with their transportation options, how often they make different types of trips, if they desire more trips, if lack of transportation limits the trips they make, what improvements they would like to see made for them to stay in their neighborhood as they age, and what problems they encounter with using public transportation. The survey shows that most AARP members in North Dakota continue to drive, and they are more satisfied than dissatisfied with their transportation options. Although many still drive, transit is found to be very valuable for certain segments of the population and for certain trips, and an analysis of the data using logit modeling shows that for all types of trips, transportation is more likely to be a limiting factor as age increases. Also significant is the impact that disabilities have on the ability to make trips.
Mattson, Jeremy. North Dakota Transportation Survey: Aging and Mobility, DP-221. North Dakota State University, Fargo: Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute, 2009.