Identifying differences of travel time budgets between the elderly and the nonelderly groups using PSL structural equation models: A case study for Seoul metropolitan area

Abstract

To date, aging is one of the most important issues in our society because of its significant socioeconomic impacts. Corresponding concerns about the transportation needs of the elderly have led to a focus on the mobility and quality of life of the elderly and motivated various studies of senior mobility. As the fastest aging country in the world, Korea will need to provide insightful information for an aging society. The purpose of this study is to investigate the difference in travel behavior between the elderly and the nonelderly groups by focusing on travel time budget (TTB), using the 2006 household travel diary survey data from the Seoul metropolitan area. We develop partial least square (PLS) structural equation models to identify major variables that affect the TTB of each of the two groups and then compare the differences between the models. Model results indicate that the significant explanatory variables differ between the two age groups, and the degree to which the variables affect the TTB differs by personal and household characteristics.