COVID-19 changed how Triangle residents traveled, survey found. Will changes stick?
In the spring of 2021, a year after COVID-19 shuttered schools and businesses, Triangle residents were still traveling less — and going out less often — than before the pandemic, according to a survey of more than 1,000 households.
Now the researchers who conducted the Triangle Travel Survey are doing it again to see if some of the changes brought on by the pandemic have stuck or if we’ve returned to our old travel habits and routines.
The survey is done every two years by the Institute for Transportation Research and Education, or ITRE, at N.C. State University. Its findings are used by the N.C. Department of Transportation, GoTriangle and the regional transportation planning organizations in deciding where roads, walkways or mass transit might be needed in the future.
Participants are asked to track all their trips of 100 feet or farther on an assigned day, whether it’s driving 20 miles to work, riding a bus or bicycle to a store or walking around the block.
In early 2021, the researchers found that people took 37% fewer trips than those who answered the survey in 2018. The number of miles people reported going was down 49% compared to 2018.
People working at home partly explained the declines. In 2021, 55% of people reported working at least part time at home, compared to 26% in 2018. Asked whether they thought they’d continue working at home part or full time after the pandemic, 44% said yes.
A year and a half later, it seems few people are avoiding the office for fear of contracting or spreading the coronavirus. Instead, many workers have found they are happier and/or more productive working at least part time at home, which may show up in the travel survey now underway, said Leta Huntsinger, a researcher at ITRE.
“No one knows whether things have stabilized,” Huntsinger said. “But I think we’re close.”
The survey shows not only how much people are traveling but when and for what reason. In 2021, midday trips, between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., increased 15% compared to 2018, while evening trips between 6 and 9 p.m. declined 30%.
The portion of trips made to or from a college or university declined 85%, while trips related to K-12 schools were down 61%. Work trips declined 34%, while shopping trips dropped only 15%.
The survey is by invitation only, so researchers can ensure their sample is representative of the region, Huntsinger said. About 62,000 households are being invited by mail this fall to take part, in hopes that at least 1,100 will.
Households have the option to complete the survey online, by phone or through a smartphone app.
ITRE and the agencies that use the data want to do the travel survey every two years, to keep up with changes in a growing region. Huntsinger said it may be 2024 or even 2026 before we’ve settled into a true post-pandemic travel pattern.
“Assuming that nothing disruptive happens in 2024,” she added.
Though the survey is by invitation only, you can get more information about it at www.triangletravelsurvey.com/.