Analysis of millennials and older adults’ automobility behavior in Hamilton, Ontario

ABSTRACT

This study explores the automobility behavior of millennials (those born between 1980 and 2000) and older adults (65 years and older) and the factors that influence their automobility behavior using cross-sectional data from Hamilton, Ontario. This study focuses specifically on how automobility behavior of millennials and older adults is shaped by their socio-demographic characteristics, living arrangements, attitudes, and preferences toward transportation modes and residential location characteristics. Results from the binomial and ordinal logistic regressions suggest that depending on whether a millennial or older adult lives alone, with a partner, or in an apartment, their automobility behavior differs. The study also finds that positive attitudes and preferences toward sustainable travel behavior make both generations less auto-oriented, especially millennials. Regarding preferred residential location characteristics, compared to older adults, millennials’ preference toward off-street parking in their residential neighborhood is likely to influence their automobile use. Compared to older adults, living arrangements, attitudes, and preferences influence, to a greater extent, millennials’ attributes of automobility. Further, the study also suggests that living arrangements, attitudes, and preferences can differ among millennials and older adults. Consequently, the impact on each of the attributes of automobility behavior will differ.

KEYWORDS:

• Attitudes
• automobility
• millennials
• older adults
• perceptions

Acknowledgments

This research was supported by a grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC, # 435-2017-1141). The first author would also like to acknowledge the 3 years Doctoral Fellowship she received from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Ethics approval

Ethics approval is from the McMaster Research Ethics Board (MREB), McMaster University. MREB#: 1854.

Notes

1. https://www.dynata.com/.

2. A regional household travel survey conducted in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area every five years, coinciding with the Canadian census.

Additional information

Funding

The work was supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada [435-2017-1141].