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Does urban living influence baby boomers’ travel behavior?

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  • Lee, Jae Seung
  • Christopher Zegras, P.
  • Ben-Joseph, Eran
  • Park, Sungjin

Abstract

We compare the travel behavior of urban versus suburban baby boomers in the Boston metropolitan area. Using propensity score matching to attempt to control for self-selection and data from two surveys implemented in 2008 and 2010, we find that the urban boomers tend to be less automobile-dependent than suburban baby boomers. Urban baby boomers also make more recreational non-motorized transport (NMT), social, utilitarian, and transit commute trips. Most of these differences seem to be primarily a result of the urban setting, not the particular preferences of boomers living in urban settings. We find very small self-selection effects on automobile commuting, recreational NMT, and utilitarian trips: 1–7% of observed influence. We also find some evidence that baby boomers’ preference for social activities tends to be mismatched to their environments – suburban boomers want more social opportunities than their settings enable. For public transport, we find a relatively large self-selection effect, 43% of observed influence, suggesting a transit-oriented boomer market segment exists.

Suggested Citation

  • Lee, Jae Seung & Christopher Zegras, P. & Ben-Joseph, Eran & Park, Sungjin, 2014. "Does urban living influence baby boomers’ travel behavior?," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 35(C), pages 21-29.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jotrge:v:35:y:2014:i:c:p:21-29
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2014.01.004
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Circella, Giovanni & Tiedeman, Kate & Handy, Susan & Alemi, Farzad & Mokhtarian, Patricia, 2016. "What Affects U.S. Passenger Travel? Current Trends and Future Perspectives," Institute of Transportation Studies, Working Paper Series qt2w16b8bf, Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Davis.
    2. Mifsud, Deborah & Attard, Maria & Ison, Stephen, 2017. "To drive or to use the bus? An exploratory study of older people in Malta," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 23-32.
    3. van Herick, David & Mokhtarian, Patricia L., 2021. "Quantifying the share of total apparent effect that is genuinely due to a treatment: A comparison of methods," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    4. De Gruyter, Chris & Hooper, Paula & Foster, Sarah, 2023. "Do apartment residents have enough car parking? An empirical assessment of car parking adequacy in Australian cities," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 107(C).

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