Analysis of Travel Patterns of the Elderly Using Transit Smart Card Data

This study analyzed the travel patterns of the elderly using the transit smart card data for Seoul. The city of Seoul introduced a smart–card-based transit fare scheme in 2004 and distributed free pass smart cards for metro use only to the elderly (over 65 years of age) in 2009. Interest in travel patterns of the elderly, particularly with regard to daily transit use, increased with the introduction of the smart card system. The results show that transit use by the elderly has peak hours at around 4 pm and that their trips are evenly distributed from 9 am to 5 pm on weekdays, which is in contrast to the travel patterns of young people. The pattern of transit use over the weekend is similar to that over weekdays. Based on the transfer pattern analysis, the number and types of transfers made by the elderly are relatively lesser than those made by the young. These findings are beneficial to transit agencies and land use planners for promoting more transit-friendly and mixed-use communities for addressing mobility problems of the elderly.