Assessing attribute performance and older adults’ satisfaction with transit services: Implications for age-friendly planning

Abstract

Population aging presents significant challenges to society. In transit-dependent cities, transit services are crucial in meeting older adults’ travel needs and challenges. This study examines survey data from 928 older adults in Chengdu, China, between June and August 2023, to evaluate their satisfaction with three key transit services, including the metro, bus rapid transit (BRT), and conventional buses. It develops random forest models to determine the importance of twenty-one transit service attributes and then conducts importance-performance analysis (IPA) to specific areas needing improvement. The findings reveal that transfer time, complaint handling, and ease of transfer are the most critical factors for metro service satisfaction among older adults. For BRT services, transfer time, complaint handling, and station accessibility are paramount. For bus services, waiting spaces, waiting time, and crowding are the most influential attributes. Furthermore, the service attributes urgently needing improvement include transfer time for the metro, station accessibility for BRT, and waiting spaces for buses. This study provides insights into the preferences and experiences of older adults and offers a foundation for improving urban transit systems to better meet their needs.