Navigating transportation barriers: Older adults’ familiarity with new mobility options and perceptions toward autonomous vehicles in Arkansas

• Older adults were largely unfamiliar with new transportation options and AV technology. • Individual, social, and environmental barriers influenced AV perceptions among older adults. • Transportation barriers increased unfamiliarity and negative views toward AVs. • Segmenting older adults by familiarity aids in designing tailored transportation solutions. The objective of this study is to analyze older adults’ familiarity with new transportation options (ride-hailing services, bike-share services, and shared e-scooter services) and their perception towards autonomous vehicles (fully autonomous cars), as well as how transportation barriers influence their familiarity and perceptions, in Arkansas, a predominantly rural state. Data from 775 older adults aged 60 years or older were collected between October 2021 and October 2022. To fulfill the study objective, the study used Latent Class Cluster Analysis to segment older adults into classes based on their familiarity with new transportation options and their perceptions of autonomous vehicles. The effects of transportation barriers on class membership were analyzed by employing a Structural Equation Model. The Latent Class Cluster Analysis (LCCA) identified three distinct groups of older adults based on their familiarity with new mobility services and perceptions of autonomous vehicles (AVs). The first group, Unacquainted Older Adults with Negative Perceptions, lacked familiarity with new transportation options and held negative views on AVs. They were more likely to experience individual-level barriers, including mobility impairments, driving cessation, and lack of smartphone access. The second group, Acquainted Older Adults with Negative Perceptions, was aware of ride-hailing, car-sharing, and micromobility services but remained skeptical about AVs. They primarily faced interpersonal and community-level barriers, such as lack of informal rides, limited taxi access, and social support constraints. The third group, Acquainted Older Adults with Positive Perceptions, was the most familiar with new mobility options and exhibited a favorable attitude toward AVs. However, they faced car access limitations and environmental barriers, such as limited public transit and inadequate pedestrian infrastructure. These findings underscore the importance of targeted interventions, technology training, infrastructure improvements, and policy initiatives to enhance familiarity with new transportation options among older adults’ mobility and acceptance of AVs.