preprint journal article

Beyond Infrastructure: Patterns of Environmental Justice and Multi-Level Governance in Greater Los Angeles Transportation and Hazard Planning

Abstract

This study evaluates how environmental justice principles are integrated into transportation and hazard plans across multiple levels of jurisdictions in Greater Los Angeles, revealing how the multi-level governance framework shapes planning practices for environmental justice integration across levels and over time. A content analysis was conducted on 16 transportation, hazard preparedness, climate action, and racial equity plans to develop a scoring methodology. Through comparison the study identified patterns and factors contributing to effective environmental justice integration in transportation and hazard planning. Findings show that although infrastructure (transportation and hazard) plans achieve higher environmental justice integration on average than other plans after 2019, some subdimensions – like recognition justice – remain less integrated. Curiously, the positive trend between environmental justice and multi-level governance observed for climate action and racial equity plans is not observed for infrastructure plans, suggesting greater nuance among the strategies that lead to its successful integration in infrastructure planning.

published journal article

Examining Shifts in the Balance of Riders and Bus Service Before and During the Pandemic in Boston, Houston, and Los Angeles

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic reduced and shifted transit demand. Bus service also shifted due to shifts in demand and fiscal uncertainties. We examined bus ridership and service in Boston, Houston, and Los Angeles and find: (1) Houston has the most equal match between riders and service in all time periods; (2) In all three cities the distribution of riders and service grew more unequal in April 2020; (3) Boston did the most to shift service to match demand between April and October of 2020; and (4) LA was the only one to increase ridership/service equity in the mid- versus pre-pandemic.

published journal article

Going Nowhere Faster: Did the Covid-19 Pandemic Accelerate the Trend Toward Staying Home?

Abstract

Covid-19 significantly altered work, out-of-home activity participation, and travel, with much activity time being moved into the home. If these patterns hold, they could imply significant long-term changes for homes, businesses, cities, and transportation. We examined data for 34,000 respondents to the American Time Use Survey from 2019 (the pre-pandemic period), 2021 (the pandemic period), and 2022 and 2023 (the post-pandemic period). We used ordinary least squares (OLS) regressions to study participation in 12 out-of-home activities, travel (by auto, transit, and walking), and 16 in-home activities. We observed sharp declines in overall out-of-home activity, travel by all modes, and 10 of the 12 specific out-of-home activities in 2021 compared with 2019, whereas time spent on 13 of the 16 in-home activities rose during that period. By 2023, most of these changes persisted: Time spent out-of-home, traveling by all modes, and on six out-of-home activities remained notably lower in 2023 than in 2019, whereas time spent on nine in-home activities remained higher. The trend away from out-of-home activities and travel appears to be persisting.

published journal article

Three’s a Crowd? Examining Evolving Public Transit Crowding Standards Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically affected public transit systems around the globe. Because transit systems typically move many people closely together on buses and trains, public health guidance demanded that riders should keep a distance of about two meters to others changed the definition of “crowding” on transit in 2020. Accordingly, this research examines how U.S. public transit agencies responded to public health guidance that directly conflicted with their business model. To do this, we examined published crowding standards before the COVID-19 pandemic for a representative sample of 200 transit systems, including whether they started or changed their published standards during the pandemic, as well as the reasons whether agencies publicize such standards at all. We present both descriptive statistics and regression model results to shed light on the factors associated with agency crowding standards. We find that 56% of the agencies surveyed published crowding standards before the pandemic, while only 46% published COVID-19-specific crowding standards. Regression analyses suggest that larger agencies were more likely to publish crowding standards before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, likely because they are more apt to experience crowding. Pandemic-specific crowding standards, by contrast, were associated with a more complex set of factors. We conclude that the relative lack of pandemic standards reflects the uncertainty and fluidity of the public health crisis, inconsistent and at times conflicting with the guidance from public health officials, and, in the U.S., a lack national or transit industry consensus on appropriate crowding standards during the first year of the pandemic.

policy brief

Older Adults are Driving Later in Life, but Getting Out Less

Publication Date

March 1, 2025

Author(s)

Phoebe Chiu, Yu Hong Hwang, Fariba Siddiq, Brian D. Taylor

Abstract

Like much of the developed world, the U.S. is aging. Between 1920 and 2020, the number of people 65 and older in the U.S. grew almost five times faster than the population as a whole. Between 2000 and 2010, the 65+ population grew from 15.1 percent of the U.S. population to 16.8 percent (to 55.8 million people) between 2010 and 2020 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2020). Given this substantial growth, the mobility patterns of older travelers are consequential but have only been lightly studied post-pandemic. To address this gap, this research study analyzed data from the National Household Travel Surveys (NHTS) for 2001, 2009, 2017, and 2022 on the travel behavior of older adults in their 60s, 70s, and up compared with middle-aged and younger travelers.

policy brief

Young Adults Aren’t Leaving Home, Socializing, or Traveling as Much Post-Pandemic

Publication Date

March 1, 2025

Author(s)

Andy Fung, Fariba Siddiq, Yu Hong Hwang, Brian D. Taylor

Abstract

During the COVID-19 pandemic, daily travel per person declined significantly in the U.S as activities that required leaving home were increasingly replaced by information and communication technologies (ICTs), such as smartphones, personal computers, streaming services, and social media. Trips for most purposes declined drastically in the spring of 2020 at the start of the pandemic, and public transit use in particular plummeted. With most of the disruptions of the pandemic over by early 2022, this research study investigated whether the travel effects of COVID-19 have persisted, especially among young adults (defined as those between the ages 15-29).

The research focused on youth, as any long-term shifts in their travel behavior might persist for decades. These younger travelers are transitioning to adulthood by obtaining drivers’ licenses, joining the workforce, living independently, and so on. Youth travel may be affected differently by the pandemic than older adults as they are more likely to substitute ICTs for travel, so the study examined how youth travel patterns and trends compare to those of middle-aged adults post-pandemic.

other

Changes in Metropolitan Transit Supply

research report

Assessing the Charging-as-a-Service (CaaS) Model for EV Charging Deployment in California

Abstract

Charging-as-a-Service (CaaS) is an innovative electric vehicle (EV) charging station model that allows customers access to EV chargers through a contract with a provider responsible for design, deployment, operations, and maintenance. Little is known about the motivations and experiences of stakeholders involved in CaaS operations, including providers, electric utilities, and customers. A grey literature review identified CaaS services, provider-described benefits, and utility-provided CaaS and charging services. Then, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 stakeholders to identify critical themes on interactions between stakeholders and the perceptions, challenges, and opportunities of the CaaS business model in addressing charging station needs in California. CaaS may have structural benefits to customer-owned chargers and could improve charger reliability, provide scalable solutions, and reduce customer fatigue with EV charging deployment. However, CaaS faces the same challenges present in the broader charging industry. The findings in this study can guide policymakers in supporting maintenance-related workforce development and streamlining and crafting EV charging infrastructure-informed subsidy programs. Additionally, stakeholders recommend municipal-led EV infrastructure planning and funding for chargers in disadvantaged communities. These interviews clarify the role of CaaS within the EV charging industry and confirm the need for engaged policymaker support to clear roadblocks, support investment, and educate customers about decision-making, which benefits all EV charging stakeholders.

policy brief

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

Publication Date

March 1, 2025

Author(s)

Samuel Speroni, Brian D. Taylor

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.