Travel Behavior and Mobility of Transportation-Disadvantaged Populations: Evidence from the National Household Travel Survey
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Travel Behavior and Mobility of Transportation-Disadvantaged Populations: Evidence from the National Household Travel Survey Jeremy Mattson Small Urban & Rural Transit Center Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute North Dakota State University, Fargo December 2012 Acknowledgements This research was sponsored by the Federal Transit Administration, United States Department of Transportation, and conducted by the Small Urban & Rural Transit Center within the Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute at North Dakota State University. The author thanks Jana Lynott from the AARP Public Policy Institute and Steve Polzin from the Center for Urban Transportation Research for their comments on a previous version of the paper. Responsibility for any remaining errors belongs to the author. The guidance of Jill Hough, Director of the Small Urban & Rural Transit Center, and Jarrett Stoltzfus, FTA Project Manager for the project, is also acknowledged. Disclaimer The contents presented in this report are the sole responsibility of the Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute and the authors. North Dakota State University does not discriminate on the basis of age, color, disability, gender expression/identity, genetic information, marital status, national origin, public assistance status, sex, sexual orientation, status as a U.S. veteran, race or religion. Direct inquiries to the Vice President for Equity, Diversity and Global Outreach, 205 Old Main, (701) 231-7708. ABSTRACT Older adults, people with disabilities, individuals in low-income households, and those living in rural areas can face significant mobility challenges. This study examines travel behavior and mobility of these transportation-disadvantaged groups by analyzing data from the National Household Travel Survey (NHTS). NHTS data on driving, trip frequency, staying in the same place all day or week, miles driven per year, mode choice, use of public transportation, trip purpose, trip distance, and issues and concerns regarding transportation are highlighted. Differences are shown by age group, gender, household income, whether a person has a disability or condition affecting ability to travel, and whether the individual lives in a rural or urban area. Differences between 2001 and 2009 are documented to identify trends in travel behavior. A binary logit model is used to estimate whether an individual took a trip during the day or week. For those who have not taken a trip for more than a day, a negative binomial logit model is used to estimate the number of days since the last trip. For those who have not taken a trip in more than a week, a binary logit model is used to identify the characteristics of those who would like to get out more often. Lastly, cluster analysis was used to identify transportation disadvantaged groups. NHTS survey respondents were clustered into 12 groups based on household income, age, gender, household size, and if they had a medical condition affecting their ability to travel, and the travel behavior of each cluster was analyzed. TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................................1 1.1 Objectives ......................................................................................................................................1 1.2 Methods .........................................................................................................................................1 1.3 Organization ..................................................................................................................................2 2. AGING AND DISABILITIES ...............................................................................................................3 3. TRAVEL BEHAVIOR DATA ..............................................................................................................5 3.1 Driving ...........................................................................................................................................5 3.2 Trip Frequency ..............................................................................................................................6 3.3 Stayed in Same Place...................................................................................................................15 3.4 Vehicle Miles Driven ..................................................................................................................19 3.5 Mode Choice and Use of Public Transportation .........................................................................21 3.6 Summary of Age, Gender, and Disability Impacts on Mobility ..................................................26 3.7 Trip Purpose and Distance by Age Group ...................................................................................27 4. ISSUES AND CONCERNS .................................................................................................................29 5. REGRESSION ANALYSIS .................................................................................................................35 5.1 Stayed in Same Place...................................................................................................................35 5.2 Number of Days Since Last Trip .................................................................................................37 5.3 Desire to Get Out More Often .....................................................................................................38 6. CLUSTER ANALYSIS ........................................................................................................................41 7. CONCLUSIONS ...................................................................................................................................47 8. REFERENCES .....................................................................................................................................49 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 2.1 Having a Condition that Makes it Difficult to Travel, by Age Group .....................................3 Figure 3.1 Average Number of Trips per Day per Person, by Age and Gender ........................................8 Figure 3.2 Average Number of Trips per Day per Person, by Age and Medical Condition/Disability .................................................................................................................8 Figure 3.3 Average Number of Trips per Day per Person, by Age, Drivers vs. Non-Drivers.................10 Figure 3.4 Average Number of Trips per Day per Person, by Age, 2001 and 2009, Men ......................12 Figure 3.5 Average Number of Trips per Day per Person, by Age, 2001 and 2009, Women .................13 Figure 3.6 Average Number of Trips per Day per Person, by Age, 2001 and 2009, Drivers..................14 Figure 3.7 Average Number of Trips per Day per Person, by Age, 2001 and 2009, Non-Drivers .........14 Figure 3.8 Percentage Who Stayed in Same Place all Day, by Age and Gender ....................................16 Figure 3.9 Percentage Who Stayed in Same Place all Day, by Age and Presence of Medical Condition or Disability ...........................................................................................................17 Figure 3.10 Percentage Who Stayed in Same Place all Week, by Age and Gender ..................................17 Figure 3.11 Percentage Who Stayed in Same Place all Week, by Age and Presence of Medical Condition or Disability ...........................................................................................................18 Figure 3.12 Automobile Mode Shares by Age Group, 2001 and 2009 .....................................................24 Figure 3.13 Transit Mode Shares by Age Group, 2001 and 2009 .............................................................24 Figure 3.14 Percentage of Trips by Public Transportation, by Size of Metro Area ..................................25 Figure 4.1 Views on Transportation Issues, Urban vs. Rural ..................................................................30 Figure 4.2 Views on Transportation Issues, those with a Medical Condition/Disability vs. those Without ...................................................................................................................................31 Figure 4.3 Views on Transportation Issues, by Age Groups ...................................................................32 Figure 4.4 Views on Transportation Issues, by Income Groups ..............................................................33 LIST OF TABLES Table 2.1 Impact of Condition on Ability to Make Trips.........................................................................4 Table 3.1 Percentage who Drive, by Age, Geography, and Gender ........................................................5 Table 3.2 Percentage who Drive, by Age and Gender, 2001 and 2009....................................................6 Table 3.3 Average Number of Trips per Day per Person, by Groups, 2009 ............................................7 Table 3.4 Average Number of Trips per Day per Person for Drivers vs. Non-Drivers, by Age and Gender, 2009 .....................................................................................................................9 Table 3.5 Average Number of Trips per Day per Person, by Groups, 2001 ..........................................11 Table 3.6 Characteristics of those Making a Trip vs. those Not Making a Trip ....................................15