Shifts in Work Arrangements and Travel Behavior: A Longitudinal Analysis of Heterogeneous Effects of Teleworking on Commuting and Non-Commuting Travel Based on Seattle Commute Surveys

Following the official end of the COVID-19 pandemic in May 2023, employer policies regarding work arrangements have continued to change dynamically. This proposed project will draw on unique data from the 2022 and 2024 Seattle Commute Surveys to analyze how shifts in work arrangements from the pandemic to the post-pandemic era heterogeneously shape employees' commuting and non-commuting travel frequencies and mode choices, using econometric models, machine learning models, and explainable artificial intelligence (AI) methods. The research team will examine individual employees' post-pandemic work arrangements and patterns of change in commuting and non-commuting travel. The research will address three primary questions: (1) How have employees' work arrangements and travel patterns shifted from the pandemic to the post-pandemic era? (2) What is the relationship between work arrangement shifts and commuting mode choices? In what ways does the relationship vary across commuting distance strata and residential location types? (3) How are work arrangement shifts connected to non-commuting travel frequency and mode choices? Are these connections heterogeneous across employees' residential locations and commuting patterns? By employing econometric and AI models, this study aims to generate critical insights for transportation demand management and policy-making.

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:

  University of Texas at Austin

  Austin, TX  United States  78712
• Performing Organizations:

  University of Washington, Seattle

  Civil and Environmental Engineering Department
  201 More Hall, Box 352700
  Seattle, WA  United States  98195-2700
• Principal Investigators:

  Shen, Qing

• Start Date: 20260601
• Expected Completion Date: 20270930
• Actual Completion Date: 0
• USDOT Program: University Transportation Centers

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Before and after studies; Commuters; Commuting; COVID-19; Econometric models; Machine learning; Mode choice; Surveys; Telecommuting
• Geographic Terms: Seattle (Washington)
• Subject Areas: Safety and Human Factors; Transportation (General);

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 02002876
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Center for Understanding Future of Travel Behavior and Demand
• Contract Numbers: 69A3552344815, 69A3552348320
• Files: UTC, RIP
• Created Date: Sep 18 2026 10:49AM