Transportation Mobility Among Low-Income, Transportation Disadvantaged Older Adults Living in a Low Density Urban Environment Using Innovative Data Collection Methods

2018PDFTech ReportTRCLC 16-09TRCLC 16-09Equity (Justice)AgedEquity, Older Adults, Unserved Trips, Failed TripsUnited StatesWestern Michigan University. Transportation Research Center for Livable CommunitiesMattingly, Stephen P.Fields, NoelleCronley, CourtneyMiller, Vivian J.Murphy, ErinCrawford, MarcusGwak, LubiaReza, SaeedNargesi, RamezanpourUniversity of Texas at Arlington. Dept. of Civil and Environmental EngineeringUniversity Transportation Research CenterUS Transportation CollectionThis study investigates the transportation disadvantage that low-income, older adults face on an individual basis. To accomplish this, research team members custom designed an innovative \u201ctravel diary\u201d app, MyAmble, which tracks planned, completed, failed/uncompleted trips, and unserved trips in its Trip Planner module. In addition to the typical transportation planning data (e.g. origin, destination, mode), MyAmble collects data related to the completed or failed/uncompleted trip\u2019s impact on the participant\u2019s mood and quality of life. MyAmble utilizes 3 additional modules (Challenge Logger, Travel Buddy, and Travel History) to collect qualitative data related to the role that transportation plays in the participant\u2019s life and history. The field test shows significant promise in terms of capturing data on quantity and impact of missed trips, particularly as they relate to psycho-social-emotional well-being and autonomy; however, the selected population of low-income, community-dwelling older adults face health challenges that may have limited some participants\u2019 ability to utilize the app. The study generates critical feedback for continued improvements to MyAmble. Participants expressed positive feedback and strong support for the app, specifically the Travel Buddy feature. The data generated by MyAmble provide new insights into the challenges facing environmental justice communities