Positive attitudes about urban attributes, living in a supportive neighborhood, and low automobile availability significantly predicted more walking for transportation. A framework for further research is proposed in which a factor representing the role of the automobile is examined explicitly in addition to personal values and urban form.

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A structural regression model has been developed to explore the relationship among key factors in the explanation of utilitarian walking. The model examines the relationship between and among unobserved, or "latent," factors that reflect (1) the values and preferences operant at the time of residential selection; (2) the urban form of the neighborhood; (3) the urban form of the residence; (4) the level of auto dependency; and (5) the extent to which the neighborhood is found satisfactory by the participant and those whose opinions he/she respects. The model allows the detailed examination of the paths from initial inclination toward a neighborhood with walkable destinations, through a series of mediating unobserved factors, each of which might either impede or facilitate the adoption of utilitarian walking. Analysis of the model results shows that values and preferences held at the time of residential selection are directly associated with the amount of utilitarian walking undertaken and indirectly associated through their influence on the choice of the built environment and the extent of auto orientation. The model is designed to facilitate the observation of the manner in which the various factors interact.

In many cities and towns in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Councils on Aging are running dial-a-ride services for elderly residents. A survey of these organizations was made to determine the service characteristics of their transportation systems. While the Council on Aging dial-a-rides do not achieve productivities as high as those achieved by public transit dial-a-rides, lower operating costs are achieved on a per hour basis. Thus the costs per passenger trip are very close to those for the public transit systems. The major advantage of the Council on Aging systems is their ability to employ volunteer or inexpensive labor. These systems are thus very attractive in areas with unused volunteer resources.

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