An Evaluation of the Long-Term Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Public Transportation Use

Public transportation provides many advantages compared to other transportation modes. It offers a cost-effective commuting opportunity, plays an important role in reducing traffic congestion and carbon emissions, and promotes equity among travelers. However, recent changes in transportation behavior, largely influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic, have resulted in a decline in transit ridership, posing challenges for the future of this mode. While there is evidence of significant rebounds in ridership from pandemic lows, transit has not fully recovered. Continued fears of safety, service cuts, new travel habits, evolving work arrangements, and the growth of online activity participation have all contributed to the slow recovery of public transportation. In this context, an in-depth and rigorous study is needed to assess the ongoing and long-term effects of the pandemic on public transportation use. To explore these changing dynamics, the research team examines the changes in individual-level use of public transportation since the onset of the pandemic, as well as the possible return to pre-pandemic behaviors. Using data from the 2022 National Household Travel Survey, the team considers the self-reported impact of the pandemic on public transportation ridership and the expected permanence of this impact. The proposed investigation will allow the team to identify individuals who have altered their public transportation use since the pandemic, and distinguish which groups of individuals may be willing to return to previous ridership levels. In addition, the research will also examine the characteristics of current users of public transportation. Taken together, the results will have important implications for ongoing and future public transportation policies, providing insights into future mobility trends and informing strategies to improve public transportation ridership.

• Record URL:
  • https://tbd.ctr.utexas.edu/research-product/an-evaluation-of-the-long-term-effects-of-the-covid-19-pandemic-on-public-transportation-use/

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $150,000.00
• Contract Numbers:

  69A3552344815

  69A3552348320

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology

  University Transportation Centers Program
  Department of Transportation
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Managing Organizations:

  Center for Understanding Future of Travel Behavior and Demand

  University of Texas
  Austin, TX  United States 
• Project Managers:

  Bhat, Chandra

• Performing Organizations:

  University of Texas at Austin

  Austin, TX  United States  78712
• Principal Investigators:

  Bhat, Chandra

• Start Date: 20240601
• Expected Completion Date: 20250531
• Actual Completion Date: 0
• USDOT Program: University Transportation Centers Program

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Behavior; COVID-19; Multivariate analysis; Public transit; Ridership; Transit riders; Travel surveys
• Subject Areas: Passenger Transportation; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01955086
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Center for Understanding Future of Travel Behavior and Demand
• Contract Numbers: 69A3552344815, 69A3552348320
• Files: UTC, RIP
• Created Date: May 15 2025 2:50PM