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

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a huge disruption worldwide with direct and indirect effects on travel behavior. In response to extensive community spread and potential risk of infection, during the early stage of the pandemic many state and local governments implemented non-pharmaceutical interventions that restricted non-essential travel for residents. This study evaluates the impacts of the pandemic on mobility by analyzing micro panel data (N?=?1,274) collected in the United States via online surveys in two periods, before and during the early phase of the pandemic. The panel makes it possible to observe initial trends in travel behavior change, adoption of online shopping, active travel, and use of shared mobility services. This analysis intends to document a high-level overview of the initial impacts to spur future research to dive deeper into these topics. With the analysis of the panel data, substantial shifts are found from physical commutes to teleworking, more adoption of e-shopping and home delivery services, more frequent trips by walking and biking for leisure purposes, and changes in ridehailing use with substantial variations across socioeconomic groups. The social and environmental implications of these findings are discussed and suggestions for effective policy and directions for future research are made in the conclusion.

• Record URL:
  https://doi.org/10.1177/03611981221090241
• Summary URL:
  https://doi.org/10.7922/G2445JT6
• Summary URL:
  https://doi.org/10.7922/G2542KWP
• Summary URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/66954
• Summary URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/66955
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/03611981
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Grant Matson https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4856-2200© National Academy of Sciences: Transportation Research Board 2022.
• Authors:
  • Matson, Grant
  • 0000-0002-4856-2200
  • McElroy, Sean
  • 0000-0002-7361-2468
  • Lee, Yongsung
  • 0000-0002-1980-1225
  • Circella, Giovanni
  • 0000-0003-1832-396X
• Publication Date: 2023-4

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 298-312
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board
  • Volume: 2677
  • Issue Number: 4
  • Publisher: Sage Publications, Incorporated
  • ISSN: 0361-1981
  • EISSN: 2169-4052
  • Serial URL: http://journals.sagepub.com/home/trr

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: COVID-19; Impacts; Longitudinal studies; Mobility; Surveys; Travel behavior
• Subject Areas: Security and Emergencies; Society; Transportation (General);

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01763922
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: TRBAM-21-04310
• Files: NTL, TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Feb 4 2021 10:57AM