Principal Investigator: Dr. Giovanni Circella, UC Davis
For more information and links to final reports: [ Ссылка ]

During the early months of the pandemic, stay-at-home orders and concerns about infection led to 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. The challenge among transportation planners and policymakers is to determine the long-term effects of the pandemic and adjust policies accordingly. As part of a large effort to understand the evolving activity patterns and travel choices during and after the COVID-19 pandemic and support policy making, the project team at the University of California, Davis designed and administered four waves of mobility surveys between Spring 2020 and Fall 2023.
Key findings reveal that remote work and a combination of remote work and physical commuting (i.e., hybrid work) appear to be emerging 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 also 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, while amplifying the likelihood of vehicle acquisition. Remote workers exhibit lower commuting VMT but higher non-commuting VMT compared to hybrid workers.
These insights underscore that adapting to shifting activity and transportation patterns is crucial for policymakers and planners to build a sustainable and inclusive post-pandemic future.

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