Examining public transport usage by older adults with smart card data: A longitudinal study in Japan

Understanding public transport usage by older adults is necessary to develop senior-friendly public transport and improve the mobility of older persons. Although extensive literature has examined the travel patterns of older adults, very limited efforts have been invested to explore the longitudinal variability in public transport usage by different age groups of older adults. To address this limitation, we developed user-monthly profiles to explore the seasonal variability in public transport usage by older adults and defined user-based time slots of the day and geographical user areas to represent daily trip patterns and examine day-to-day variability. Using one-year smart card transaction data and an anonymous cardholder database from Shizuoka, Japan, we evaluated the seasonal and day-to-day variability in public transport usage by older adults. We also analyzed the role of age and living environment in travel pattern variability. The results indicate that older adults in highly developed areas and younger-old group (aged 65–74) are more likely to be characterized by high-frequency public transport usage and low seasonal variability. Additionally, the day-to-day variability in public transport usage by older adults is greater in more developed areas and appears to increase with age. This study enhances our understanding of public transport usage by older adults, which may contribute to the development of senior-friendly public transport policies and services