Overall Accessibility to Traveling by Rail for the Elderly with and without Functional Limitations: The Whole-Trip Perspective

Catherine Sundling, Birgitta Berglund, Mats E. Nilsson, Ragne Emardson and Leslie R. Pendrill
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Catherine Sundling: Ekman Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, SE-106-91 Stockholm, Sweden
Birgitta Berglund: Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, P.O. Box 210, SE-171-77 Stockholm, Sweden
Mats E. Nilsson: Ekman Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, SE-106-91 Stockholm, Sweden
Ragne Emardson: SP Technical Research Institute of Sweden, P.O. Box 857, SE-501-15 Borås, Sweden
Leslie R. Pendrill: SP Technical Research Institute of Sweden, P.O. Box 857, SE-501-15 Borås, Sweden

IJERPH, 2014, vol. 11, issue 12, 1-31

Abstract: Elderly persons’ perceived accessibility to railway traveling depends on their functional limitations/diseases, their functional abilities and their travel behaviors in interaction with the barriers encountered during whole trips. A survey was conducted on a random sample of 1000 city residents (65–85 years old; 57% response rate). The travels were perceived least accessible by respondents with severely reduced functional ability and by those with more than one functional limitation/disease (e.g., restricted mobility and chronic pain). Those who traveled “often”, perceived the accessibility to be better than those who traveled less frequently. For travelers with high functional ability, the main barriers to more frequent traveling were travel costs and low punctuality. For those with low functional ability, one’s own health was reported to be the main barrier. Our results clarify the links among existing functional limitations/functional abilities, the barriers encountered, the travel behavior, and the overall accessibility to traveling. By operationalizing the whole-trip concept as a chain of events, we deliver practical knowledge on vulnerable groups for decision-making to improve the transport environment for all.

Keywords: accessibility; travel behavior; functional limitation; barrier; railway travel; older persons (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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