Departure time choice for recreational activities by elderly nonworkers

A discrete choice analysis was performed to study the temporal preferences of elderly persons for recreational trips. Departure time choice studies for recreational activities helped in gaining an understanding of flexible travel behavior. Elderly persons form the fastest-growing age groups, and results from the 1995 Nationwide Personal Transportation Survey indicate an increase in travel by elderly persons. This study was the first part in a study of the interaction of age, emerging transport technologies, and activity participation. Modeling departure time choice for elderly persons is critical in understanding the travel needs of an aging population to provide adequate services and enhance efficacy of transport systems and user mobility. The study makes possible an analysis of the impacts on congestion, air quality, and associated mitigation efforts. Results of this study confirm that travel patterns for elderly persons are different from those of the general population; they prefer the earlier part of the day for recreational trips. The implications of increased daytime travel may include the need for additional emergency or incident response units, particularly in rural areas. This study may be used to gauge how to best offer alternative means of transport such that they will be most effective in meeting the demands of nonworkers for nonwork trips.