Transportation Patterns of Adults With Travel-Limiting Disabilities in Rural and Urban America
Principal Investigator(s): View help for Principal Investigator(s) Andrew Myers, The Research and Training Center on Disability in Rural Communities (RTC:Rural), Rural Institute for Inclusive Communities, University of Montana; Catherine Ipsen, The Research and Training Center on Disability in Rural Communities (RTC:Rural), Rural Institute for Inclusive Communities, University of Montana; Krys Standley, The Research and Training Center on Disability in Rural Communities (RTC:Rural), Rural Institute for Inclusive Communities, University of Montana
Version: View help for Version V1
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Project Citation:
Myers, Andrew , Ipsen, Catherine , and Standley, Krys . Transportation Patterns of Adults With Travel-Limiting Disabilities in Rural and Urban America. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2024-07-08. https://doi.org/10.3886/E207768V1
Project Description
Summary:
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Lack
of transportation is a significant barrier to community participation for
many disabled adults. Living in a rural area introduces additional
transportation barriers, such as having to travel long distances to access
services or socialize, and limited public transit options. While the
importance of transportation access is clear, the mix of different
transportation options used by people with disabilities to participate in
their communities is less understood, particularly among those who do not or cannot
drive. This study used 2017 data from the National Household Travel Survey to
explore transportation behaviors among disabled adults in rural and urban
areas. Several geographic differences emerged among non-drivers. Rural
non-drivers were less likely to take any trip, particularly for social
activities, and reported using less public transportation or walking/rolling
than urban non-drivers. Overall, disabled rural adults reported lower odds of
giving up driving, even after controlling for socio-demographic and health
characteristics.
Scope of Project
Subject Terms:
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transportation;
rural;
disability;
community participation;
independent living
Geographic Coverage:
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United States
Universe:
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United
States
Data Type(s):
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census/enumeration data
Methodology
Response Rate:
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NA
Sampling:
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The NHTS
is a cross-sectional survey conducted every 5–7 years to collect information
about the types of trips and transportation modes used by the American
public. It uses an address-based sampling frame designed to produce an equal
probability sample of households, excluding group housing and institutional
settings (e.g., prisons, dormitories).
22,716 (unweighted)/22,827,651 (weighted)
22,716 (unweighted)/22,827,651 (weighted)
Collection Mode(s):
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other
Scales:
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NA
Weights:
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Disability
and Assistive Technology-
The
NHTS asks respondents if they have “a condition or handicap that makes it
difficult to travel outside of the home” (i.e., travel-limiting disability).
For this paper, we consider an affirmative response to this question as
someone with a disability. However, disability is not a static
characteristic, and several analyses describe changes in disability status
over relatively short time frames, between 4 months and 1 year, which may
reflect temporary injuries. The NHTS also asks respondents if their condition
has lasted for <6 months, more than 6 months, or their entire life. To
focus on individuals with long-term or enduring disabilities, we excluded
those with a disability lasting <6 months. The NHTS also asks if they use
any of the following: cane, walker, white cane, seeing-eye dog, crutches,
motorized scooter, motorized wheelchair, manual wheelchair, or other.
Individuals who reported using any of these items were coded as using
assistive devices.
Non-driver status- The NHTS asks all respondents how many vehicles they have in their household. We defined “non-driver” status as including all individuals who reported giving up driving as well as individuals who can drive but do not have a vehicle in their household.
Trips- Respondents to the NHTS report every trip they take throughout their travel diary day. We used information about the main purpose for each trip to analyze the types of trips that individuals took. Each trip was assigned one purpose. “Social trips” includes recreational activities, exercise, visiting friends, and religious/community activities. “Independent Living trips” includes dropping off/picking someone up, errands, and buying meals. “Work trips” includes any trip for work or employment related activities among employed individuals. “Health trips” includes trips to the doctor’s office, dentist or therapy. We excluded return trips to home and trips between different transportation modes (i.e., walking to bus stop). Types of trips were informed by another NHTS-focused study; however, we classified trips for healthcare purposes as a distinct category.
Transportation modes- Trip records also include information about the type of transportation that was used. “Driver, personal vehicle” includes driving a car, SUV, van, truck or motorcycle. “Passenger, personal vehicle” includes riding in car, SUV, van, truck or motorcycle as a passenger. “Public transportation” includes public/commuter bus, paratransit/dial-a-ride, commuter rail, and subway/streetcar. “Taxi/rideshare” includes taxi, limo, and Uber/Lyft. “Walk/roll” includes walking and bicycle.
Non-driver status- The NHTS asks all respondents how many vehicles they have in their household. We defined “non-driver” status as including all individuals who reported giving up driving as well as individuals who can drive but do not have a vehicle in their household.
Trips- Respondents to the NHTS report every trip they take throughout their travel diary day. We used information about the main purpose for each trip to analyze the types of trips that individuals took. Each trip was assigned one purpose. “Social trips” includes recreational activities, exercise, visiting friends, and religious/community activities. “Independent Living trips” includes dropping off/picking someone up, errands, and buying meals. “Work trips” includes any trip for work or employment related activities among employed individuals. “Health trips” includes trips to the doctor’s office, dentist or therapy. We excluded return trips to home and trips between different transportation modes (i.e., walking to bus stop). Types of trips were informed by another NHTS-focused study; however, we classified trips for healthcare purposes as a distinct category.
Transportation modes- Trip records also include information about the type of transportation that was used. “Driver, personal vehicle” includes driving a car, SUV, van, truck or motorcycle. “Passenger, personal vehicle” includes riding in car, SUV, van, truck or motorcycle as a passenger. “Public transportation” includes public/commuter bus, paratransit/dial-a-ride, commuter rail, and subway/streetcar. “Taxi/rideshare” includes taxi, limo, and Uber/Lyft. “Walk/roll” includes walking and bicycle.
Unit(s) of Observation:
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Persons
Geographic Unit:
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Rural/Urban counties and Regions
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