Abstract
The accessibility of public services, such as transit services, is an important determinant of older adults’ ability to age in place. Portland, OR, is considered a national leader in public transportation planning and provision; numerous frequent bus, streetcar, and light rail lines serve the entire metro area. However, availability and frequency of service might not be sufficient to support use. Researchers can use spatial data collection and analysis techniques, including GPS recording and GIS mapping, combined with demographic data, to better assess accessibility at the street level. For this project, a GPS recorder was used to collect geographic features (bus stops, sidewalks, intersections) and their attributes (shelters, ramps, obstacles, aided pedestrian crossing) along four major bus lines in two neighborhoods. The raw GPS data were differentially corrected, visualized through GIS software, and evaluated in a demographic context; advantaged and disadvantaged areas were identified and compared to the age distribution within the study area. The resulting map shows that bus stops, intersections, and sidewalks were most enhanced along the study area’s main street of commercial activity, while these features were less enhanced or in poor condition in most of the other areas. The age distribution follows the opposite trend with fewer older adults living near advantaged areas and more older adults living closer to disadvantaged areas. Overall, 79% of the tracked bus stops were without seating or shelter; 63% of pedestrian crossings had no acoustic signal; and 35% of intersections had no tactile warning. Sixty-five instances of sidewalk obstacles were observed.