policy brief

Americans are Spending More Time at Home and Traveling Less Post-Pandemic

Publication Date

March 1, 2025

Associated Project

Working from Home and Travel: What Does the Future Hold?

Author(s)

Samuel Speroni, Brian D. Taylor

Areas of Expertise

Travel Behavior, Land Use, & the Built Environment

View policy brief

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated an ongoing trend of Americans spending more time at home and less time engaged in activities away from home. This shift in travel behavior has significant implications for cities, transportation systems, economics, and even mental health. To better understand this trend, this research project examined how people in the U.S. spend their time pre-pandemic, mid-pandemic, and post-pandemic using data from the American Time Use Survey, with a focus on work, leisure, and travel behavior.

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op-ed

America is becoming a nation of homebodies

other

Press Release: Not Going Out is the “New Normal” Post-Covid, Say Experts

research report

After the Crash: Post-Collision Travel Behavior and Safety Perceptions

Publication Date

March 1, 2025

Associated Project

Exploring the Effects of Experiencing a Road Collision on Future Travel Behavior

Author(s)

Md. Musfiqur Rahman Bhuiya, Jesus M. Barajas, Prashanth Venkataram

Areas of Expertise

Safety, Public Health, & Mobility Justice Travel Behavior, Land Use, & the Built Environment

View research report

Abstract

Post-collision travel behavior and effects on road safety perception are not well-understood. To quantify the ways that crash-related experiences shape the way individuals think about travel, we conducted four focus group discussions with people who had been involved in a crash or near miss or whose relatives or friends experienced one. Several themes emerged from the discussions. Participants changed their travel behavior after experiencing a collision by modifying their travel mode, travel frequency, trip purposes, or vehicle types. Participants developed an enhanced awareness about potentially unsafe behaviors of other road users and road environments and adopted more cautious attitudes toward their own travel. Many participants experienced long-term stress as a result of the incidents, including fear, behavior modification, or travel avoidance. Participants offered several recommendations, including the need for safer infrastructure, improved road user visibility, a shift in media narratives, educational programs, and policy changes focused on land use and transportation synergies.

op-ed

America is becoming a nation of homebodies

Publication Date

March 10, 2025

Associated Project

Working from Home and Travel: What Does the Future Hold?

Author(s)

Brian D. Taylor, Samuel Speroni

Areas of Expertise

Travel Behavior, Land Use, & the Built Environment

View op-ed

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic did spur more Americans to stay home. But this trend didn’t start or end with the pandemic. Research found that Americans were already spending more and more time at home and less and less time engaged in activities away from home stretching all the way back to at least 2003.

Related Publications

policy brief

Americans are Spending More Time at Home and Traveling Less Post-Pandemic

other

Press Release: Not Going Out is the “New Normal” Post-Covid, Say Experts

white paper

Strategies for Improving Community College Access in California

Publication Date

February 1, 2025

Associated Project

Community College Transportation Access: A California Case Study

Author(s)

Susan Shaheen, Jaquelyn Broader, Adam Cohen, "Brooke (Schmidt) Wolfe "

Areas of Expertise

Travel Behavior, Land Use, & the Built Environment

View white paper

Abstract

In California, transportation plays a key role in community college access because many community college districts have satellite campuses, have limited transportation options, and tend to not have on-campus housing. To better understand the mobility challenges students face accessing community colleges and provide potential policy strategies to overcome these challenges, the researchers interviewed local transportation agencies, community college administrators, and students at five California community colleges between September 2022 and October 2023. Participants were asked about available transportation options for community college students, typical student travel patterns, and the resources needed to support improved community college transportation access. Small group discussions with students focused on student travel patterns, mobility challenges, and opinions on potential strategies to improve access. In addition, state legislation on student transportation was reviewed to understand current and past policy attempts to address community college transportation challenges. Together, the findings inform a set of policy options, such as student transit passes, public transit enhancements aimed at meeting the needs of students, and transportation pilot programs.

Related Publications

policy brief

Student Access to Community College Relies Heavily on Private Vehicle Use

policy brief

Student Transportation Options Provided by California Community Colleges Often Limited to Parking Permits and Transit Passes

research report

Understanding Transportation Programs and Services at California Community Colleges

research report

Job Accessibility Impacts of Pandemic Transit Service Adjustments in the San Francisco Bay Area

Publication Date

February 1, 2025

Associated Project

Impact of COVID-19 on Commuting and Equitable Access to Jobs

Author(s)

Phoebe Ho, Johanna Zmud, Joan Walker

Areas of Expertise

Travel Behavior, Land Use, & the Built Environment

View research report

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic forced transit agencies to quickly adapt to new challenges, with service reductions as part of the response to reduced ridership, rising fiscal pressures, and staffing shortages. However, approaches to service adjustment varied significantly across agencies. While pandemic research often focuses on ridership impacts, less attention has been given to how transit service changes affected accessibility and equity. This study examines the impacts of pandemic service adjustments made by three major San Francisco Bay Area transit agencies on accessibility and equity, which is important to address given the absence of formal requirements for equity evaluation of temporary service changes. Using publicly available transit schedule and census data, metrics for transit service levels, job accessibility, and accessibility inequality were developed and used to trace changes from 2020 to 2023. The findings reveal distinct approaches to service reduction and restoration, with agencies prioritizing service differently based on travel needs and racial/ethnic minority populations. While equity briefly improved for some agencies during the pandemic, these changes were temporary, with all agencies returning to their pre-pandemic states of inequity. These insights can guide transit agencies in developing equitable service adjustment strategies and highlight the need for decision-making tools to help transit operators balance competing needs and respond flexibly to disruptions.

Related Publications

policy brief

How Did Transit Service Adjustments During the Pandemic Impact Job Accessibility in the San Francisco Bay Area?

presentation

Multilayered governance and infill development: Mobilizing community associations to promote sustainable land use and transport

Associated Project

Investigating Opportunities to Mobilize Community Associations to Promote Sustainable Transportation and Land Use

Areas of Expertise

Travel Behavior, Land Use, & the Built Environment

policy brief

Student Access to Community College Relies Heavily on Private Vehicle Use

Publication Date

February 1, 2025

Associated Project

Community College Transportation Access: A California Case Study

Author(s)

Susan Shaheen, Jaquelyn Broader, Adam Cohen, "Brooke (Schmidt) Wolfe "

Areas of Expertise

Travel Behavior, Land Use, & the Built Environment

View policy brief

Abstract

California’s 116 community colleges, attended by 1.9 million students, serves the largest and most diverse student body in California higher education. Transportation plays an important role in student community college access and retention, but the cost and accessibility can create a barrier to success. Community college students spend more on transportation than their counterparts at both public and private four-year institutions, largely due to the lack of on-campus or nearby affordable housing. The absence of high-quality public transit forces students to commute by private vehicle and manage the associated costs of gas, maintenance, and parking. However, these transportation challenges for community college students are frequently overlooked. To better understand the mobility challenges students face accessing community colleges and provide potential policy strategies to overcome these challenges, local transportation agencies, community college administrators, and students were interviewed at five California community colleges between September 2022 and October 2023. The state legislation on student transportation was also reviewed to understand current and past policy attempts to address community college transportation challenges.

Related Publications

white paper

Strategies for Improving Community College Access in California

policy brief

Student Transportation Options Provided by California Community Colleges Often Limited to Parking Permits and Transit Passes

research report

Understanding Transportation Programs and Services at California Community Colleges

research report

Road Capacity as a Fundamental Determinant of Vehicle Travel

Publication Date

February 1, 2025

Associated Project

Right-sizing Transportation Infrastructure to Reduce Vehicle Miles Traveled

Author(s)

Adam Millard-Ball, Michael Rosen

Areas of Expertise

Infrastructure Delivery, Operations, & Resilience Travel Behavior, Land Use, & the Built Environment

View research report

Abstract

Reducing vehicle miles traveled (VMT) is a central plank of climate policy in California. VMT, however, has proved stubbornly resistant to policies to reduce it. While urban growth has become more compact and public transit service levels have been maintained or increased, these positive trends have not translated into less driving. This report argues that substantial reductions in vehicle travel in congested urban regions can only be achieved through reducing road capacity. It may be difficult to achieve substantial reductions in vehicle travel by relying solely on public transit, walking and cycling, and land use planning for compact, mixed-use development without an equal emphasis on limiting road capacity expansions, and even reducing current capacity.

Related Publications

policy brief

Road Expansion is the Fundamental Cause of Growth in Vehicle Travel

research report

Changes in Activity-Travel Patterns and Vehicle Ownership During the COVID-19 Pandemic in California

Publication Date

October 1, 2024

Associated Project

Assessing Temporary and Long-Lasting Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Travel in California

Author(s)

Giovanni Circella, Xiatian Iogansen, Grant Matson, Keita Makino, Yongsung Lee

Areas of Expertise

Travel Behavior, Land Use, & the Built Environment

View research report

Abstract

This report summarizes the findings from ten sets of analyses that investigated ways the COVID-19 pandemic transformed people’s activity-travel patterns. Data were collected through three waves of surveys in Spring 2020, Fall 2020, and Summer 2021 in California and the rest of the US. There was a substantial shift among California workers from physical commuting to exclusive remote work in 2020, followed by a transition to hybrid working schedules by Summer 2021. The adoption of remote work and hybrid work varied significantly among population subgroups, with higher income, more educated individuals, and urban residents showing the greatest shift to these arrangements. In terms of mode use and vehicle ownership, increased concerns about the use of shared modes of travel correlated with an increasing desire to own a car. There was a major decrease in walking for commuting purposes observed and a significant increase in walking and biking for non-work trips. The study also found a reduction in the demand for, and/or an elevated aversion to, ridehailing because of the shared nature of the service. Regarding shopping patterns, the study found a nearly five-fold increase in the number of respondents who shopped online at least once per week between Fall 2019 and Spring 2020. However, part of this increase vanished by Fall 2020. Overall, the pandemic brought both temporary changes and longer-term impacts. The study proposes strategies to promote sustainable transportation and social equity among different population groups as communities strive to recover from the pandemic.

Related Publications

policy brief

Assessing the Shift to Remote and Hybrid Work in California throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic

research report

Barriers to Reducing the Carbon Footprint of Transportation Part 2: Investigating Evolving Travel Behaviors in the Post-Pandemic Period in California

published journal article

Longitudinal Analysis of COVID-19 Impacts on Mobility: An Early Snapshot of the Emerging Changes in Travel Behavior

conference paper

Latent Class Analysis of Changes in the Use of Public Transportation in The Greater Los Angeles Region during the COVID-19 Pandemic

conference paper

A Longitudinal Analysis of the Heterogeneous Changes in Travel Behaviors in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic in the United States

policy brief

Road Expansion is the Fundamental Cause of Growth in Vehicle Travel

Publication Date

February 1, 2025

Associated Project

Right-sizing Transportation Infrastructure to Reduce Vehicle Miles Traveled

Author(s)

Adam Millard-Ball, Michael Rosen

Areas of Expertise

Infrastructure Delivery, Operations, & Resilience Travel Behavior, Land Use, & the Built Environment

View policy brief

Abstract

California is unlikely to meet its climate goals if it doesn’t reduce vehicle travel. So far, however, state and local efforts to reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT) have fallen short of expectations, even as cities grow more compact and public transit funding has increased. To better understand the role of highway expansion in meeting California’s climate goals, this study analyzed whether a simple model that only considers road capacity and population growth can predict VMT as well as traditional transportation models. It also looked at the share of recent VMT growth that has been caused by expanded road capacity, and the reductions in VMT from transit and other projects funded by California’s climate investments.

Related Publications

research report