Exploring the Use of Public Transportation Among Older Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A National Survey [Report]

Sureshbabu, Keertana; Etu, Egbe-Etu; Summerville, Susan; Parmar, Ankur; Huang, Gaojian · 2022 · ROSA P / San Jose State University. College of Business. Mineta Transportation Institute

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Summary

This study investigates how older adults in major U.S. metropolitan areas utilized and perceived public transportation during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research was motivated by the critical role mobility plays in maintaining the cognitive, physical, and social health of older adults, a demographic that faced compounded challenges during the pandemic due to lockdowns, service reductions, and heightened health risks. The authors aimed to extend previous pilot studies by examining national trends in travel behavior, barriers to transit access, and the adoption of mobile technology among this vulnerable population. The researchers conducted an online survey via Amazon Mechanical Turk, recruiting 260 respondents aged 55 and older who resided in the United States and had used public transportation during the pandemic. The questionnaire comprised 124 questions across seven categories: demographics, COVID-19 anxiety, public transportation usage, mobile technology adoption, and cognitive, physical, and social activities. Validated scales, including the COVID Anxiety Scale, Cognitive Activity Scale, and Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly, were employed to measure psychological and behavioral impacts. Data quality was ensured through attention checks and screening for suspicious response patterns. The participant pool was predominantly White (93%), with an average age of 60 years, and nearly 85% were employed. The results indicated that 76.69% of respondents altered their travel habits since the onset of the pandemic. Public transit was primarily used for medical appointments, work, and visiting family. However, 46% of participants reported occasional difficulties finding transportation, particularly for weekday daytime trips. Significant barriers included a lack of non-English information (44%), inability to cross roads safely (42%), and confusion regarding transfers (41%). Additionally, 37% of respondents expressed worry about contracting the virus from other passengers, and 35% feared infection from coughing or sneezing nearby. Regarding mobile technology, while smartphones were viewed as useful for acquiring transit information, users cited poor user experience and accessibility issues as hindrances. The study concludes that the pandemic significantly disrupted the mobility of older adults, exacerbating existing accessibility challenges and inducing high levels of health-related anxiety. The findings highlight a critical need for transit agencies to improve service reliability, enhance multilingual support, and address safety concerns to maintain older adults' independence. Furthermore, the research underscores the potential of mobile technology to facilitate mobility, provided that applications are designed with improved accessibility and user experience for older users. These insights offer actionable guidance for policymakers and transit operators aiming to support the aging population’s transportation needs in post-pandemic contexts.

Key finding

Older adults reported significant changes in travel patterns, difficulties accessing public transportation for essential trips, and high anxiety regarding virus transmission during the pandemic.

Methodology

survey

Sample size: 260

Provenance

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Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-10; verification: verified.

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• acceptance adoption