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Walking to the bus: perceived versus actual walking distance to bus stops for older adults

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Abstract

The walking trip from an origin or destination to a bus stop or transit station can be a barrier to riding transit for older adults (over age 60) who may walk more slowly than others or experience declining physical mobility. This article examines the relationship between transit ridership and proximity to fixed-route transit stations using survey data for older adults in Buffalo and Erie County, New York. Demographic and socio-economic characteristics—including age, sex, race, income, possessing a driver’s license, frequency of leaving home, and personal mobility limitations—are tested but do not display, in bi-variate analysis, statistically significant differences for transit riders versus non-transit riders. However, features of the built environment—including distance (actual and perceived) between home and transit stop, transit service level, population density, number of street intersections, metropolitan location, and neighborhood crime (property and violent) rate—display statistically significant differences for transit riders versus non-transit riders. Both objective and perceived walking distances to access fixed-route transit show statistically significant differences between transit riders and non-transit riders. Average walking distance from home to transit for non-transit riders—who mostly live in suburbs—is three times greater than average walking distance between home and the nearest transit stop for transit riders—who mostly live in the central city. When asked how near a bus stop is to their homes, transit riders slightly overestimate the actual distance, while non-transit riders underestimate the distance.

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Notes

  1. Various transportation researchers have examined walking distance to access transit stops by analyzing self-reported data from passenger surveys (Hsiao et al. 1997; Levinson and Brown-West 1984; Neilson and Fowler 1972; Zhao et al. 2003). In general, the research suggests that transit demand decreases as walking distance to a transit stop increases and that the relationship is best described as an exponential function.

  2. Variation in predicted estimated and predicted actual walking distances for transit modes suggests that commuters are willing to walk farther to reach a rail line or to avoid a transfer and have a one-seat ride to a destination (O’Sullivan and Morrall 1996; Seneveriatne 1985). A study of commuters in Calgary reveals that bus riders walked about 700 ft (210 m) from work to reach a bus stop, and light rail riders walk about 870 ft (265 m) to reach a light rail station (Seneveriatne 1985).

  3. Wilson and Grayson (1980) conduct tests of walking speeds in indoor environments and conclude that older adults were not significantly slower than other walkers. Out of doors, however, older adults are more cautious at street crossings.

  4. Of the 900 questionnaires, 500 were sent to addresses throughout Erie County (which includes Buffalo), and 400 were sent to only addresses in Buffalo. The survey research methodology was approved by the Social and Behavioral Sciences Institutional Review Board at the University at Buffalo.

  5. ArcMap version 9.1 is used for mapping and geographic analysis (ESRI, Redlands, California). Other data is collected from established databases (such as demographic data from the U.S. Census, crime data from the police department, and bus stop locations from the transit agency) and analysis is conducted using the statistical software SAS version 9.0 (SAS Institute, Cary, North Carolina).

  6. This question was included in the survey because of a recent finding that more than 50% of older non-drivers—or 3.6 million Americans—stay home on any given day, in part, because they lack transportation access. Nationwide, non-drivers make on average 15% fewer trips to the doctor and 65% fewer trips for social and religious activities compared to older drivers (Bailey 2004).

  7. Of the respondents with known addresses, 26% are from surveys sent throughout Buffalo and 74% are from surveys sent throughout Erie County.

  8. Assumed walking speed is 2.5 ft (0.8 m) per second, or two-thirds the average walking speed for adults (see Table 1).

  9. Crime rates are computed at the zip code level, and reported as number of crimes per 1,000 population (Buffalo Police Department 2004; New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services 2004; U.S. Census 2000). Crime rates are calculated by Beverly McLean, School of Architecture and Planning, University at Buffalo.

  10. Research has shown that older adults who walk regularly—perhaps signaling greater familiarity with a walking environment—report more environmental barriers than older adults who walk less (Humpel et al. 2004). The difference of means for measured walking distance along the street network between transit riders and non-transit riders is statistically significant at the 0.90 level; the difference of means for straight-line or Euclidean distance is not statistically significant. However, a recent study (Hess and Almeida 2007) of the effect of proximity to public transit on property values in Buffalo determined that residents place greater value on proximity to transit stops (measured by straight line distance) than on walking distance to access public transit stops (measured along a street network).

  11. This outcome contradicts an earlier finding that those with a choice about whether or not to ride public transit overestimate the costs (measured in travel time) compared to those who ride public transit because they lack alternatives (Hess et al. 2004).

  12. Using a zip code aggregate for computing crime rates may mask the extent to which crime is present near bus stops and light rail stations.

  13. For example, a new European project known as Attaining Energy-Efficient Mobility in an Ageing Society seeks to raise awareness about mobility options, especially walking and access to public transit, for older adults in several European cities.

  14. Transit agencies that have tailored service to meet the needs of older adults and riders with disabilities have, indeed, experienced ridership increases (Hess et al. 2002; Rosenbloom and Fielding 1998).

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the Mineta Transportation Institute and the preparation of the manuscript was supported by the University Transportation Research Center. Trixie Johnson and Todd Goldman supported the development of this research. Alex Bitterman, Angelika Breinlich, Kelly Dixon, Sadie Geisler, Beverly McLean, Jiyoung Park, and Samina Raja provided insight.

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    Daniel Baldwin Hess

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Hess, D.B. Walking to the bus: perceived versus actual walking distance to bus stops for older adults. Transportation 39, 247–266 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11116-011-9341-1

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