Researchers at McMaster University are seeking input from older immigrants in Hamilton with the goal of improving transportation services and knocking down barriers that stop them from using public transit.
The study hopes to receive input from anyone 55 and older living in Hamilton who has immigrated to Canada within the last decade, but only a handful of people have shared their experiences so far.
Fourth-year PhD candidate Shaila Jamal said at first they only issued the call-out to transit users, but they’ve expanded their criteria to include those who don’t use it to determine why that is and what could be done to encourage them to use transit.
“The transit system here is different compared to the other countries, especially if someone is coming from Asia,” said Jamal.
She said older adults may be experiencing physical limitations or language barriers that stop them from accessing transit, as well as a lack of familiarity with technology.
“We want to explore why or how these people are using transit and what are the barriers and challenges they are experiencing – and not only using transit but also about navigating the city. What are the experiences they have and what are the challenges they are facing in terms of independent mobility?”
The study is being supervised by Dr. Bruce Newbold, professor of geography in McMaster’s School of Earth, Environment and Society.
He points out that the limited engagement from their target group has likely been impacted by the pandemic, which has already had a larger impact on the use of public transit overall.
“That’s probably also reduced the population that (Jamal is) interested in talking to, their use of transit services as well, even though we know that newcomers are often very dependent upon the use of public transit services.”
Of those who have engaged with the study, Jamal said two of them were DARTS users, but because they ran into barriers trying to use that service – which can only be booked online or by calling a phone number – they ended up just getting younger relatives to drive them around, which took away their independence.
Two other respondents had shared that they tried to take the bus around Hamilton but faced physical challenges getting to bus stops as well as language barriers.
Newbold said they’ve partnered with the city and HSR to ensure their findings are used to actually improve transit for a growing demographic in Hamilton.
“We have an aging population and we have a growing immigrant population,” said Newbold. “So providing improved transit services, that’s incredibly important so that people do have access to the city, can get out to shop, to socialize, to their appointments. We know that’s a really important part of their health.”
In a statement, the city’s transit director Maureen Cosyn Heath said improving transit for this segment of Hamilton’s population is part of the “(Re)envision the HSR” initiative.
“Newcomers make up a significant proportion of our ridership today and this research will help us to understand their unique needs, to inform our future strategies,” wrote Cosyn Heath.
“By focusing on the unique needs and experiences of newcomers, we can develop strategies to make it easier for them to access the information they need about our service, understand our schedules, and ultimately to make transit their first choice for their transportation needs.”
Once they get enough responses, Jamal said the next step in the research will be speaking with service providers like HSR and organizations that work with seniors to get their perspective on what challenges they see older newcomers struggling with.
The final phase will involve holding a workshop that allows all stakeholders to sit down and discuss how to bring about improvements to transportation services that will allow older newcomers to easily get around the city.
For all that to happen, Jamal said they need to hear from more people.
Anyone who meets the criteria for the study – 55 or older, immigrated to Canada in the past 10 years, and residing in Hamilton – is encouraged to reach out to Jamal by calling 902-412-7870 or emailing her at: jamals16@mcmaster.ca.
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