Transportation Patterns of Adults With Travel-Limiting Disabilities in Rural and Urban America

Lack of transportation is a significant barrier to community participation for many disabled adults. Living in a rural area introduces additional transportation barriers, such as having to travel long distances to access services or socialize, and limited public transit options. While the importance of transportation access is clear, the mix of different transportation options used by people with disabilities to participate in their communities is less understood, particularly among those who do not or cannot drive.

We used data from the 2017 National Household Travel Survey to explore transportation behaviors among disabled adults in rural and urban areas and by four regions across the United States. We explored differences by transportation modalities (e.g., driver, passenger, public transportation, taxi/uber, walk) and trip purposes (e.g., social, independent living, healthcare, work). Our sample included 22,716 adults with travel-limiting disabilities.

Several geographic differences emerged among non-drivers. Rural non-drivers were less likely to take any trip, particularly for social activities, and reported using less public transportation or walking/rolling than urban non-drivers. Further, respondents from the Northeast were more likely to report using public transportation and walking/rolling options, relative to the Midwest, South, and West. Overall, disabled rural adults reported lower odds of giving up driving, even after controlling for socio-demographic and health characteristics.

These findings highlight the relative importance of different transportation modalities for participating in activities and the continued reliance upon personal vehicles, either as a driver or passenger, especially among rural disabled residents. Potential policy insights are discussed.