Changes in activity organization and travel behavior choices in the United States

ABSTRACT

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought disruptive changes to society. In this chapter, we discuss how participation in activities and travel behavior choices have changed during the various stages of the pandemic through the analysis of data collected through multiple waves of surveys administered in 2020 in various regions of the United States. We present insights regarding how different aspects of life and mobility have reshaped during this period and discuss the potential temporary versus longer-term nature of the changes. We observe how some phenomena that presented a steep increase during the first stage of the pandemic started to decline, to some extent, in late 2020, whereas others, such as the adoption of remote work and increased reliance on personal vehicles, persisted also in the later stage of the pandemic at rates that are considerably higher than the prepandemic patterns. We discuss the different impacts that the pandemic has had on different segments of the population, and the importance for public policies to react to these new circumstances not only to account for the modified mobility and travel behavior landscape but also considering the socioeconomic and equity implications underneath these impacts.