As part of the 2017 Puget Sound Travel Survey, PSRC looked at the travel habits of older adults in the region.
Since the 2006 survey, we’ve seen an upward trend in older adults holding onto a driver’s license as they age.
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People ages 65 and older reported driving or being driven for about 85% of their trips. They were the sole occupants in their cars for about 50% of their trips, more often than people ages 18 to 64.
Survey participants in this age group also reported using transit less than younger people, taking it for about 5% of their trips, compared to 10% for adults 18 to 64.
One reason older adults use transit less might be that they take fewer work trips, while regional transit systems tend to focus on connecting work and school hubs.
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Although older adults use transit less than others, they walk more frequently than any other age group. A third of survey participants over 65 went for a walk five days or more a week. The survey found that few older people are taking bike rides.
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The survey asked how frequently people used ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft. Only around 10% of adults over age 65 had used ride-hailing services, compared to around 30% of adults ages 18 to 64. The survey also found that older adults were less interested in owning an autonomous car than younger adults.
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Survey findings might indicate that older adults could use help in scheduling and navigating transportation options like transit and new transportation technologies like ride-hailing.
The Puget Sound Regional Council conducts a regional travel survey every two years to learn more about how and where people travel in the region.
The 2019 travel survey is underway now.