Exploring the Use of Public Transportation Among Older Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A National Survey

12:30-1:00p.m. (PT) | Link to register. 

This webinar is the first part of MTI Research Snaps' Advancing Transportation Equity series.

Millions of older adults rely on public transportation in their daily lives, but adults aged 65 years or older often face additional challenges accessing and using public transportation, and this population encountered even more barriers during the COVID-19 pandemic. How did limited mobility options (e.g., lack of buses or trains in service due a combination of government lockdowns, fear of contracting or spreading the virus, and driver shortages in certain areas) brought on by the pandemic affect older adults? Did transportation challenges result in more age-related declines in perceptual, cognitive, and physical functioning? This event explores how older adults living in major metropolitan cities in the United States used and perceived public transportation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Join us to learn about the potentials of mobile technology as an option for finding transportation information and how this study’s findings may help transit agencies develop effective strategies for meeting older adults’ transportation needs.

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About the Presenter

Dr. Egbe-Etu Etu is an Assistant Professor of Business Analytics at San José State University (SJSU). He is also a Research Associate in the Mineta Transportation Institute. Before joining SJSU, Dr. Etu received his PhD in Industrial and Systems Engineering from Wayne State University in 2021 and his bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Covenant University, Nigeria, in 2016. His research interests center on the development of use-inspired machine learning models to solve challenging business problems in healthcare, manufacturing, and transportation. He is a member of the Industrial Engineering and Operations Management (IEOM), Institute of Industrial & Systems Engineering (IISE), and SAVE International.

About the Series

Transportation moves the world—impacting the lives of everyone, everywhere. Like many industries, transportation has dealt with its share of issues in equity. Transportation professionals work collaboratively to identify, analyze, and overcome inequities in the industry, acknowledging a sometimes-painful past to ensure that transportation policies serve all communities equitably. 

This February, join us for a 4-part MTI Research Snaps series on “Advancing Transportation Equity.” Join MTI researchers in the discussion of transforming equity in transportation as we reflect on some of the most pressing issues of diversity and accessibility in the industry as a whole and how to overcome them. 

Webinars include:

• Webinar #1 | Feb 7, 12:30-1:00p.m. (PT) | Exploring the Use of Public Transportation Among Older Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A National Survey

• Webinar #2 | Feb 14, 1:30-2:00p.m. (PT) | The Central Valley Transportation Challenge 

• Webinar #3 | Feb 21, 12:30-1:00p.m. (PT) | Free Transit: It All Depends on How 

• Webinar #4 | Feb 28, 12:30-1:00p.m. (PT) | Voices of Impact