The Elderly Travel Behavior in Medium-sized Cities: A Case Study of Khon Kaen City

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the elderly travel behavior in Khon Kaen City, focusing on the central business district and inner city, inner suburb, and outer suburbs. This study was survey research conducting 150 samplings and using the questionnaire as the data collection tool. Then the data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics. The results revealed the current travel behavior of the elderly in Khon Kaen, most of whom are aged 60-69 years, whose main activities are a trip to health services, a trip to a religious place, and a trip to the market, respectively. The destination locations are primarily in the central business district and inner city area, the same as the origin locations. The mode of travel is most often used by private cars traveling through Mittraphap Road and Si Chan Road as the main routes.  They usually travel in the morning from Monday to Friday to reach their destination. The distance traveled mainly in the distance of 401 m-10.0 km. Most travel time is 15-30 minutes, with an average travel cost of 15 baht per trip. Moreover, the study found that the elderly rarely use public transport due to the body's physical limitations that affect the body's movement, causing the elderly to lack confidence in their safety when using public transportation. The results of the above study show the present situation of elderly travel behavior in Khon Kaen City that researchers and urban planners can use as a database to support the age-friendly society in urban development, mainly focusing on urban transportation.