Travel Behaviour of Seniors in an Aging Population: An Exploratory Study of Trip Chains and Modal Preferences in the Greater Metropolitan Area of Sydney

Abstract

Three concurrent demographic shifts, the aging of the population, and increase in incomes and an increase in health of senior citizens, are likely to cause significant changes to travel demand structures. An increasing proportion of the population will have both relatively high levels of free time which afford the opportunity to undertake a range of activities and the financial and physical capability to carry out these activities. Hence, it is essential to understand how demand for private and public transport may evolve with respect to these fundamental demographic changes. This paper utilises travel demand data to examine this issue, highlighting the likelihood that, as the population continues to age, traffic demand is likely to increase across times of day, impacting the population as a whole through increases in the scope and scale of traffic congestion. A healthy, relatively older and relatively wealthy population is shown to be likely to continue its reliance on the private vehicle, contrary to a traditional belief that, as people age, their demand for travel wanes, along with their personal use of automobiles relative to the use of public transport.