Residents in the Washington region say they are likely to go back to driving once they resume commuting, but many are showing enthusiasm for biking and walking, according to a survey that examines how the pandemic is reshaping attitudes about mobility in the area.
The survey of more than 2,400 residents was commissioned by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments’ Transportation Planning Board as part of its process for updating the region’s long-range transportation plan.
The federal government requires regional bodies to update their plans every four years to ensure that projects are financially sound and meet air-quality objectives.
The survey sought input from residents on a variety of issues, including access to and equity in transportation, as well as climate change and new technologies such as self-driving cars. But officials said that given current circumstances, amid a raging pandemic, they added questions about how the public health crisis has influenced transportation and work routines.
“We wanted to know — is there something from this current experience that’s going to force us to think differently about transportation,” said Kanti Srikanth, the Council of Governments’ deputy executive director for metropolitan planning.
The pandemic has significantly altered travel routines for scores of residents in the region, with 66 percent saying their daily habits changed “a lot” because of the viral outbreak.
The shifts were most significant among those who previously drove or took public transportation.
About 63 percent of respondents take public transit less often — a trend that has left many transportation agencies, including Metro, struggling financially.
Meanwhile, 44 percent said they drive significantly less. Cycling was the least affected mode of transportation, with only 5 percent saying they biked “a little” or “a lot” less than before the pandemic.
The survey, however, found more enthusiasm for walking. Roughly half of those surveyed said they walk “a little” or “a lot more” than before. The habit might stick: When asked how they expected to travel once the pandemic was over, 53 percent anticipated walking more.
Srikanth said that even before the pandemic, surveys showed increases in walking and biking for commuting and non-commuting trips.
The rapid expansion of bike share throughout the region has made it easier for people who live outside the urban core to find bikes. The pandemic also has fueled new interest in bicycling.
The survey asked whether respondents thought their travel habits might be changed one year after the end of the pandemic. Officials used the one-year mark, in part, to give a reasonable amount of time for people to adjust to post-pandemic life, said Karen Armendariz, a public engagement specialist with the Transportation Planning Board.
More people expect to continue teleworking after the pandemic is over.
Before the pandemic, 16 percent said they telecommuted at least once per week. That number has jumped to 60 percent during the pandemic. Post-pandemic, 33 percent said they expect to telecommute at least one day a week.
Since more than 90 percent want to continue teleworking at least once a week, Srikanth noted the figures highlight a gap between worker preferences and what they think their workplaces will allow.
Of those surveyed, 38 percent said they think their travel habits will remain changed a year after the pandemic. Nearly half said they expect to drive less, and nearly 40 percent said they would use public transportation less. However, 53 percent said they expect to walk more, and 26 percent said they expect to bike more.
The post-pandemic commute also might look different, the survey found.
Although roughly the same number of people who drove before the pandemic said they expect to resume driving to work, the responses concerning public transportation were a mixed bag, particularly in relation to Metrorail.
About the same number of commuters who used the bus said they expect to resume the practice, but fewer said they expect to resume riding the rails. Although 24 percent said they rode Metrorail before the pandemic, only 19 percent expect to take the train afterward.
The survey also found robust support for some pandemic-related shifts.
With limits on indoor eating, many restaurants have expanded outdoor eating areas. About three-quarters of those surveyed said they would support the use of those areas for outdoor dining or to improve pedestrian access after the pandemic ends.
About 71 percent said they would support dedicated bus lanes, and 63 percent supported building more sidewalks, widening existing sidewalks or adding bike lanes.
TPB officials say that although the survey represents only a snapshot, the findings offer insight into how current events can inform the future.
“It’s hard to predict which way any of these things are going to go,” Srikanth said.
Of those surveyed, 43 percent classified themselves as essential workers, the vast majority of whom said that driving was their primary way of getting to work during the pandemic.
