research report

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

Publication Date

May 1, 2024

Author(s)

Basar Ozbilen, Siddhartha Gulhare, Keita Makino, Aurojeet Jena, Xiatian Iogansen, Patrick Loa, Yongsung Lee, Giovanni Circella

Abstract

During the early months of the pandemic, stay-at-home orders and concerns about infection catalyzed a shift toward online activities, such as remote work and e-shopping, resulting in a significant decrease in conventional travel. However, as the effects of the pandemic diminished, the pandemic-induced online activities began to subside, and conventional travel started to rebound. To understand evolving travel-related activities spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers at ITS-Davis conducted four waves of mobility surveys in California between Spring 2020 and Fall 2023. Key findings from the analysis of these data reveal that remote work and a combination of remote work and physical commuting (i.e., hybrid work) emerge as an enduring outcome of the pandemic. The pandemic accelerated the rise of e-shopping, both for grocery and non-grocery purchases, with findings demonstrating the critical influence of socio-demographic factors, including age, gender, and income, on e-shopping adoption and frequency. The findings show that socio-demographic factors such as work status, income level, and work arrangements are associated with household vehicle ownership changes and individual vehicle miles traveled (VMT). In particular, an increase in commute frequency reduces the likelihood of vehicle shedding (i.e., getting rid of a vehicle), while amplifying the likelihood of vehicle acquisition. In the meantime, remote workers exhibit lower commuting VMT but higher non-commuting VMT compared to hybrid workers. The findings demonstrate a similarity between the percentage of respondents who used public transit, bikes, e-bikes, and e-scooters for commuting and non-commuting trips to some degree between 2019 and 2023.

presentation

Understanding the “New Normal:” Activity and Mobility Patterns of Low-Income and Disadvantaged Communities in the Era of Hybrid Work and High Gas Prices

presentation

New Insights into how Micromobility Services Affect Vehicle Miles Traveled: Evidence from the American Micromobility Panel

published journal article

Telecommuting and Travel during COVID-19: An Exploratory Analysis across Different Population Geographies in the U.S.A.

Abstract

This study explores the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on telecommuting (working from home) and travel during the first year of the pandemic in the U.S.A. (from March 2020 to March 2021), with a particular focus on examining the variation in impact across different U.S. geographies. We divided 50 U.S. states into several clusters based on their geographic and telecommuting characteristics. Using K-means clustering, we identified four clusters comprising 6 small urban states, 8 large urban states, 18 urban-rural mixed states, and 17 rural states. Combining data from multiple sources, we observed that nearly one-third of the U.S. workforce worked from home during the pandemic, which was six times higher than in the pre-pandemic period, and that these fractions varied across the clusters. More people worked from home in urban states compared with rural states. As well as telecommuting, we examined several activity travel trends across these clusters: reduction in the number of activity visits; changes in the number of trips and vehicle miles traveled; and mode usage. Our analysis showed there was a greater reduction in the number of workplace and nonworkplace visits in urban states compared with rural states. The number of trips in all distance categories decreased except for long-distance trips, which increased during the summer and fall of 2020. The changes in overall mode usage frequency were similar across urban and rural states with a large drop in ride-hailing and transit use. This comprehensive study can provide a better understanding of the regional variation in the impact of the pandemic on telecommuting and travel, which can facilitate informed decision-making.

presentation

Streamlining the Permitting Process for Transit-Oriented Development: The Case of California's Senate Bill 375

preprint journal article

A Comparison of Time-use for Telecommuters, Potential Telecommuters, and Commuters during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Throughout the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, changes in daily activity-travel routines and time-use behavior, including the widespread adoption of telecommuting, have been manifold. This study considers how telecommuters have responded to the changes in activity-travel scheduling and time allocation. In particular, the research team considers how workers utilized time during the pandemic by comparing workers who telecommuted with workers who continued to commute. Commuters were segmented into those who worked in telecommutable jobs (potential telecommuters) and those who did not (commuters). Our empirical analysis suggested that telecommuters exhibited distinct activity participation and time use patterns from the commuter groups. It also supported the basic hypothesis that telecommuters were more engaged with in-home versus out-of-home activity compared to potential telecommuters and commuters. In terms of activity time use, telecommuters spent less time on work activities but more time on caring for household members, household chores, eating, socializing, and recreation activities than their counterparts. During weekdays, a majority of telecommuters did not travel and in general this group made fewer trips per day compared to the other two groups. Compared to telecommuters, potential telecommuters made more trips on both weekdays and weekends while non-telecommutable workers made more trips only on weekdays. The findings of this study provide initial insights on time use and the associated activity-travel behavior of both telecommuter and commuter groups during the pandemic.

preprint journal article

Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Telecommuting and Travel

Abstract

This chapter examines changes in telecommuting and the resulting activity-travel behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a particular focus on California. A geographical approach was taken to “zoom in” to the county level and to major regions in California and to “zoom out” to comparable states (New York, Texas, Florida). Nearly one-third of the domestic workforce worked from home during the pandemic, a rate almost six times higher than the pre-pandemic level. At least one member from 35 percent of U.S. households replaced in-person work with telework; these individuals tended to belong to higher-income, White, and Asian households. Workplace visits have continued to remain below pre-pandemic levels, but visits to non-work locations initially declined but gradually increased over the first nine months of the pandemic. During this period, the total number of trips in all distance categories except long-distance travel decreased considerably. Among the selected states, California experienced a higher reduction in both work and non-workplace visits, and the State’s urban counties had higher reductions in workplace visits than rural counties. The findings of this study provide insights to improve our understanding of the impact of telecommuting on travel behavior during the pandemic

policy brief

Perceptions of Neighborhood Change in a Latinx Transit Corridor

Abstract

Understanding how residents feel about neighborhood changes due to new development along transit corridors (often referred to as transit-oriented development) remains understudied despite growing concerns over displacement and gentrification. Studies that examined these concerns are largely based on analyzing land use, housing values, and socio-economic shifts (i.e., who is moving in and out of neighborhoods), and do not provide conclusive evidence that transit-oriented development (TOD) is linked to neighborhood gentrification and displacement. Prior surveys of residents living near transit indicate a generally positive assessment of TOD in terms of improved walkability and accessibility but also express concerns over pedestrian safety and parking related to increased traffic and new commercial development. However, recent studies counter this relatively positive assessment of TOD, particularly among activists and community organizers in low-income communities of color.

published journal article

The Promise and Pitfalls of Early Project Notification Meetings: Illuminating Santa Ana’s Sunshine Ordinance

Abstract

Despite the promise that early public participation could enhance transparency and information access, little is known about which public engagement processes and techniques are most effective at the initial stages of plan development and whether development notification meetings enhance inclusion for impacted residents. Responding to these uncertainties, we analyzed the promise and potential pitfalls of early public notification meetings by reviewing posted development information and interviewing resident leaders and planners involved in the City of Santa Ana’s Sunshine Ordinance development notification meetings for proposed residential and mixed-use projects. Findings confirmed early notification increased access to information and created a more transparent process, but indicated the lack of inclusive practices generated community distrust and opposition and spurred residents to take insurgent actions when meetings offered few specifics and limited collaboration. Findings inform efforts of local jurisdictions and advocates seeking to establish or improve early participation initiatives.

website

Dividing Highways